Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1911-07-01
Saucy Jack Barry Demanded
COlOrs for His
Ship.
Philadelphia Sea Mistress Made
the First Flag of
Nation.
STARS CONTINUE TO INCREASE

Next Tuesday will be July 4, the
anniversary of the Declaration of In
! dependence, and the Stars and
! Stripes will be displayed on every
| hand 1t is not amiss therefore to
say something concerning the history
of the American flag.
On June IA, 1871, the Continental
Congress in session at Philadelphia
established the insignia of the
American flag. 1t would have been
difficult for Congress to have i'm
proved the conciseness of the reso-
luton it adopted in these words:
Resolved, That the flag of the
thirteen United States be thirteen
stripes, alternate red and white; that
the union be thirteen stars, white
on a blue field, representing a new
constellation.
AS early as July 4 1775, the at
tention of the Committee of Safety
of the Colony of Pennsylvania was
directed to the protection of the
Delaware river, to prevent the en-
trance of warships of Great Britain,
and the construction of galleys, fire
boats and other watercraft for the
defence of Philadelphia was begun.
Thirteen boats were afloat on the
Delaware river on September Is
that year, severally provided with
two howitzers, besides swivels, pixies
and muskets. BY August l, 1875,
the number of vessels in commission
was twenty-seven, having 76S men
enrolled for active service aboard
them. The fleet was at that time
recognized as the Pennsylvania State
Navy.
William Richards, who had been
appointed on May 81, 1776, the
husband" or storekeeper of the
fleet, desiring to be provided with
colors and signal flags, addressed in
August a letter to the Council of
Safety" in which he said
81 hope you have aged what sort
Of colours | am to have made for
the Galleys, &C., as they are much
wanted.
you will please order how you
will have the Goods paid for that are
bought for the Provincial Store, for
[ am in want of a sum of money for
that and the Signals"
Writing again, on October 15, he
repeated the need of colors for the
fleet and called attention to the want
of a design or delineation by which
to pattern them, saying:
Commodore Barry was with me
this morning and says the Fleet has
not any Colours to hoist if they
should be called on Duty; it is not
In my power to get them done until
there is a design fixed on to make
the Colours by"
Seven months later, or on May
20, 1777, entry was made in the
minutes of the State Navy Board:
"An Order on William Webb to
Elizabeth Ross, for fourteen pounds
twelve shillings and two pence, for
Making Ships Colours, &C., put into
William Richards Store, f13 12s.
3D."
The celebration in Philadelphia,
on July 4. 1777. of the first ami
versary of the adoption of the Dec
laration of Independence occasioned
the first public display of all the
ships colors" made by Elizabeth
Ross for the vessels OF the fleet of
the Pennsylvania State navy.
Want of space in the newspapers
printed during the war of the Revo-
luton for the immediate publication
of important information delayed for
weeks the public announcement OF
the institution of the flag. Writing
at Albany in his journal on August
3, 1777, DIR. James Thatcher, sur
geon in the Continental army, al
ludes to finding in the newspapers
reaching the city announcements of
the resolution establishing the flag
of the United States. AS late as
September that year the announce
ment of the passage OF the resolution
appeared In the Boston Gazette.
In the defence of Fort Schuyler,
earlier known as Fort Stanwix, on
the west side of the Mohawk river,
110 miles from Albany. the most
memorable of the incidents con-
nected with Il was what Is believed
to have been the first display on
battlefield OF the flag OF the United
States.
Newspapers had been brought to
the IOrt Dy some OF lhe OFFICERS OF
the Ninth Massachusetts, Regiment
the resolution of the Con-
Congress instituting the
flag. This becoming known to the
garrison, am eager desire was ex-
pressed to have the tricolored EN-
blem flying above the fort
A hasty search was made early on
Sunday morning. August 3 for suit
able material with which TO make
the flag. An ample quantity of
homespun linen for the stars and
OF white and red cloth for the stripes
was readily found, but nothing ap-
In color for the field
seemed obtalnable. The searchers
were finally gladdened by the gem
erous tender made by Capt. Abraham
3wartw0ut OF his blue cloth cloak for
the material wanted for the field.