Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-04
HISTORIC FLAG
BANNER FLOWN BY BRIG IN
FAMOUS FIGHT.
Her Dead Commander Afterward
Wrapped Within It-Now Pre-
served in Longfellow House.

PORTLAND, Me-, January "A treas
ured relic in the city of Portland is the
battle flag of the United States brig En-
terprise, which flew in That vessels en-
gagement with the British brig Boxer.
1t Is preserved in a glass case in the
historical collection in the Longfellow
house.
Shot through in fiftyseven places and
worn with age. it is in most fragile
state. The colors are faded and dim and
stained with blood, said to have flown
from the wounds of Lieut. Burrows, killed
in the encounter.
The flag was used as a shroud TO wrap
the body of the lieutenant when ii was
brought on shore with that of Capt.
Blythe, commander of the Boxer, VINO
also fell early in the action.
Lieut.. Burrows and Capt Blythe are
buried side by side in d Portland ceme-
terry. Longfellow has written of their
graves and the sea fight in which they
persisted.
When the Boxer Was Towed In.
The Enterprise. towing the disabled
Boxer into Portland harbor. September
s. 1873. was a sight that moved the en-
tire city with excitement and awe.
Its ten-oared barges, rowed with slow
strokes. bearing the remains of both the
victorious and defeated dead to shore,
were accompanied by most of the barges
and boats in the harbor. while minute
guns sounded from the decks of the two
briggs. Forts Preble and Scanned also
discharged minute guns
In the funeral procession the respect
accorded to the enemy's dead was no less
than that given to the victor's. The fu-
history, the honor paid to the fallen
British was such as TO call forth the
most grateful and sympathetic recogni-
ton from their leaders.
The Enterprises flag was later given to
a Mr.. Coolidge, who was then running a
hotel in the city, by the officers of the
Enterprise as a token of appreciation of
his kindness to them.
Later it became the property Of c. f.
Quincy of Chicago, who bought it from
the hotelkeeper
Nathan Could, Portland historian.
procured it from Mr. Quincy and gave it
TO the Maine Historical Society.
Commences Undoubted.
The identity of the flag is undisputed
since Mr.. Gould has carefully traced Its
history 1t remained in the Quincy fami-
ly for many years. until it was nego-
tiated for by Mr.. Gould.
1t was once examined by an old sail
maker on the Enterprise, named Metca.f,
and he stated that he had mended 1t the
day before the battle with the Boxer, and
he pointed out the stitches on the flag
which he had himself taken.
A piece OF the flag, about a square foot
in area. was removed, and hangs framed
in the Navy Department. The flag from
the British brig Boxer. that was named
to the mast just before the battle, Is in
the Naval Academy.
In the Enterprise flag there are fifteen
stripes. and fifteen stars in the blue field
the stars being arranged in five rows.
Each star represented a state. Its dimen-
siOns are II feet inches long by IL feet
3 inches wide.
In 1878, when it was still the property
of Mr.. Quincy. it was exhibited at the
mechanics fair in Boston. But for Mr.
Quincy's feeling that the flag rightly be-
longed to Portland it would still have
been his property.