Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1915-08-30
anniversary Of
BRANDYWINE BATTLE
Chester Men Head Com
mittee That Is In Charge
of the Celebration
ATTACK COOCH'SRIGHT
TO HISTORIC HONOR

CHESTER, Pa. Aug. SO-The 13Sth
anniversary Of the Battle Of the Bran
DIVINE will be celebrated with spe-
cial exercises at the Birmingham
Friends Meeting House September
IL. Federal Judge o. b. Dickinson is
chairman of the reception committee,
and Henry Graham Ashmead chair
man Of the Delaware County Histor-
1cal Society's committee, which will
have the affair in charge
Mr.. Ashmead says that from an
unsigned letter he recently received
there is an impression among some
persons that he had objected to hav-
ing on the markers for the battle
field at Brandywine. which are to be
dedicated on the day of the celebra-
tion, claim Il was there that "the
Stars and Stripes had its baptism
of fire. or was first displayed on a
Battlefield Of the Revolution.
In reply Mr.. Ashmead says: 81
made no such objection. but I do
think It would be unwise TO make
such a statement in enduring monu-
mental bronze for the following rea-
sons: Historians are aware that
numerous claims are made for indi-
viduals as the makers Of the first
american flag, and various places
asserted to be the locations at which
that standard was first given to the
breeze as an emblem Of sovereignty.
Perry, in his history Of the Ameri-
can flag. says: There Is claim
shat the Stars and Stripes was UNI
durled in a skirmish between Ameri-
can and British troops at Coochs
Bridge, Delaware. on the third Of
september, 1777. the day Il was Of
fcially promulgated by Congress.
The starry banner was displayed at
the Battle of the Brandywine. Sen
tember IL; at Germantown on the
Fourth of October, and when Bur-
Eoyne surrendered at Saratoga on
the seventeenth OF that month, and
thereafter during all the battles of
The Revolution
"All the evidence, in my opinion,
unerringly points to the conclusion, as
a historical fact, that It was at Fort
Schuyler, on August 3. 1777. where
the first flag of the United States was
unfurled in battle as a symbol Of in
dependent sovereignty, and given to
the breeze by an armed force actively
engaged in actual warfare.
Nov. as to Cooch's Bridge. The
evidence as TO that affair. in connec-
ton with the use Of the United States
flag, is circumstantial That mas
much as on June IA preceding the
event, Congress had adopted reso-
luton defining what the United States
flag should be (althoueh Charles
Thomson, the Secretary of Congress
--did-not officially promulgate the res
olvtion until September 3. the day of
the affair at Cooch's Bridge. because
the newspapers several months be-
fore had given publicity TO descrip-
tons of the flag adopted, IL necessar-
lily must have been carried by the
American troops in that engagement.
Conrad. in his History of Della
ware. states that although the actual
lighting atCooch's Bridge on Sep
TENDER 3, 1777, was little more than a
skirmish, Il was noteworthy for two
things. II was the first time our
American flag was in battle. And Il
checked Howe's advance on Philadel-
phia.'
"The second proposition will not be
denied, the fist lacks absolute proof.
believe, however. the flag was used
in that engagement exactly one month
after II had been displayed al Fort
Schuyler. General Maxwell. il Is we'll
known, had there 720 ContinentaIs.i a
thousand militia and the Philadelphia
Light Horse under his command With
that force for a time he held the Brit
lsh advance under CORVALLIS and
knyphausen ntil the enemy's artil-
lery was brought into action. when
Maxwell retired with loss OF forty
men killed and wounded"