The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-12-15
"STAR SPANGLED BANNFRn
Original of Keys Anthem
Among Those Shown; Like
wise That Said To Have
Flown Over The Bonhomme
Richard, Under The CON-
mand of Admiral Paul Jones

washington. ID. c., Dec. 12.-One of
the most conspicuous features Of tho
historical exhibits in the T. s Ma
tional Museum is the flag collection
which includes some twenty eya,n,as
OF the American Flag and shows its
development in the different histori-
cal periods.
While there are no early colonial
iiaSs, such as Were used by the sew
eral colonies before the flag of the
United States was established by Com
gress on June IA, 1777, q fine examine
of the first true United States ensign
Is shown. Representative Of the
stars-and-stripes type, is a flag said
10 nave flown on the Bonhomme Rich
ard, under command of Admiral John
Paul Jones. This flag measures 10 -
feet by s IA feet. On December IS,
1904, 1t was presented To 1t. James
Bayard Stafford. IT.. :. n, by the Ma
fine Committee of the Continental
Congress, as a reward for meritorioIs
service during the Revolution. 1t
came into the possession of the Smith
sonian Institution as a gift from Mrs.
Harriet r. Perry Stafford.
Another flag of the very highest his
toric value is the original Star Span
sled Banner" of Keys anthem, which
waved over Fort McHenry during the
Commandment Of September 1914,
1914, and which was presented to
the Smithsonian Institution by MI.
Eben Appleton. The Fort McHenrX
flag is Of the type having fifteen stars
and stripes, adopted i'll 1884, upon the
addition Of the States of Vermont and
Kentucky. This type went into effect
in 1885 and continued to be the stand
ard until 1913 when Congress re-
turned to the original thirteen stripes
and made provision for the addition
Of "a star for each new State. The orig
inal Star Spangled Banner" which
Is very large, measuring rs feet by 81
feet, is being remounted on linen for
preservation n exhibition.
Several flags recall wildly the Mex
,can War Of 1S46-47. Among them is
the flag OF 13 stripes, with an eagle in
the field, carried throughout the war
by h battalion OF volunteers which
enlisted from Baltimore II Wash
ington, and hoisted in Victoria City,
Mexico; also the flag of Mexico, hauled
down at his time. The flag of Com
pany /, 4th regiment OF indiana Vol
unteerS, which was presented by the
commanding officer, Capt. Robert
Fravel, and carried in the Mexican
War. is also to be seen.
An incident relating to u flag In
Mexico was recently brought out Oh
the occasion of the presentation OF a
replica Of the "Star Spangled Ban
ner" to the National Society of the
Sons Of the American Revolution.
General Simon Bolivar Buckner stated
that shortly after the Mexican Wal
it had been his privilege TO lea a
party Of American officers TO the sum
init of Moun ~Popocatapel where ne
planted his country's flag, Ill lmlta-
ton Of the early SpaniardS.
Recent researches on the history OF
our flag indicate that the stars ana
Stripes was not carried by troops
III battle until the period Of the Mex
can War. Up to that time, although
ii was used by the army as a garri-
son flag. and flown on all war ships,
only the national standard, bearing
the coat Of arms OF the United States
and the regimental colors were car
ried by Ian forces. =
Pertaining to the Civil Wal are !
flags: The garrison flag OF Fort Moui-
trie. S. c., lowered when the com
mand evacuated that fort 10 assem-
bic at Fort Sumter. December 20
1860; the remains of the flag carried
in the three days fight at Salem
Heights. Va, May 3-5, 1863, wner
three color-SergeantS were klileu
though the standard never falterec
or fell to the ground; h~eadqnarteIs
flag Of Brevet Major General William
Babcock Hazen, comprising i iarst
white star on a field half req AM
blue representative of the ran %
Brigadier General; General tiaZeH
garrison nag hoisted at Fort Means
ter. Ca. after the surrender OF tns
fort to the Union Army. December l .
1864: the flag flown on the u %. :
k~earsarga when she defeated the Ala
bama. deposited in the National Mu'