The Calumet news., 1912-07-16
REVOLUTIONARY RELICS.
Serimmaees Under First Flag and
Where Go Heroes Clothes.

The national museum has received n
most interesting addition 20 it's treas
ures in the uniforms. swords and other
military relics of General Peter Gansc
WORT of the Revolution. But If il could
have received the flag which he hoisted
| over Fort Schuyler, previously Fort
| StanwiN. on August ., l777, the value
of the relic would nave been incompaI-
ably greater than that Of oll the per-
sonal belongings of the old patriot
which his descendants have now s,,-
On to the nation.
That flag was the first Stars ana
stripes to be associated with a military
event. IL was the first Stars and
Stripes TO be made of which we have
an authentic record. 1t may reason
ably be said - have been the first
stars and Stripes To experience baptism
by fire. The people of Delaware will
not admit this; they are confident that
The first stars and Stripes To be under
lre was a iiag displayed at CoocL's
Bridge September 3. 1777. But there is
no contemporary evidence that any Has
force at Coochs Bridge would not
have been likely to have a flag. foI
MaXWelrs command did not consist OF
a regiment or regiments: IL consisted
II drafts OF 100 or l20 men from cacn
brigade, and presumably mach smaller |
fractions Of each regiment. The twen-
~ or fifty men detailed from n regi. |
ment for this detached and temporary |
service would not have been likely TO
take the regimcnta colors with them |
and without very definite affirmative |
evidence il is hard To believe that
command extemporized II
take the place of Morgans rihemen
who had been dispatched to the help
Of Gates had any national colors.
Rut If full confidence be given To
he Delaware tradition, the fact re-
mains that flag raised over a fort
when besiegcd must be regarded as
having been under fire quite as much
as one carried into the field.
The siege Of Fort Schuyler by Lieut..
Bird and chief Brant with a force oi
English and Indians, was part Of
3urgoynes campaign. 1t was an effort
% get In the flank and rear of Gates
nd the fort was defended with full
Consciousness of its enormous import
lnce in the campaign. The siege be-
;an on August . and ii was that DAY
hat the garrison, having learned that
congress had in time adopted the de- 4,
iign of a flag, made one out of such |
materials as they had and mounted it {
lpon the parapet. Col Marinus VIII I
EFT. who was there with a regiment {
md who was second i'm command has !
ecorded that "the white stripes were ]
ut out of ammunition shirts furnished
~ the soldiers, the blue out of the
amlet cloak taken from the enemy at
'eekskill, While the red stripes were
made OF different pieces OF stun pro {
ured from one and another Of the I
,arrison.' Lossing says that the bme
anne from cloth cloak belonging 20
apt Abraham Swar; won't of Duchess (
ounty, but he does not give an au- J
hority for it. 1t is pleasant to think 6
hat the frs, American Nag used in
|
IN enemy's uniform and Col. Willett I
ertainly ought to have known what
hat nag was made of. y
The day on which this flag was made I
vas the day, or very near IL, ON which |
)r Thacher, surgeon i'm continental '
rmy. learned ana recorded i'm his jour !
al that Congress had agreed upon u q
esign for the flag. II Is true that this L
vas seven weeks after the action Of
ongress. but il was a month before tht
ag was officially promulgated.
The Gansevoort uniform is said 10 !
q the only revolutionary uniform ex- }
ept Washington's I'm the national 9
luseum. II is a valuable addition to !
he revolutionary souvenirs accessible !
b the public. but we wish that Peter
ansevOori had saved the flag uhder
'hich he defended Fort Schuyler. and >
hat il was that flag which his des-
endants have presented To the ma
Record.