Evening star., 1915-06-13

The twelve stars. arranged in three par
allel perpendicular rows, still stand out
stanchly on their unsta BILE foundation.
for the blue field and the thirteen red
and white stripes have grown pathet-
ically threadbare.
The National Museum contains a col
lection of remnants of hags that par
ticipated in naval engagements from
the time of the revolutionary war to
the war with Mexico; also those Of for
etsn vessels of war captured by the
navy during those periods. This dis
play of fragments is quite interesting.
Washington. and presented by him to
the Library of Congress, which trans
ferred II to the National Museum.
Among these remnants is piece OF
the British flag of La Guerriere. used
during her encounter with the Consti-
tuition. and of the Java worsted by the
same indomitable American. as well as
fragment of the flag of the Algerine
brig Zoura. captured under Decatur.
A division of the museums flag col,
lection relates to the civil war, and
the most interesting of these Is the
garrison flag of Fort Moultrie. in
Charleston harbor. S. c. This nag
was lowered December IS. 1860. when
Mai. Robert Anderson. 1st United States
Artillery. moved his forces to Fort
Sumter The fae was secured by his
second in command. Capt Abner Dou-
bleday. and remained in his possession
u1uli presented TO the Smithsonian
stitution at Washington.
=
In the National Museum also Is the
United States flag raised in New Or
leans by the volunteer flag COMMITTEES
after the occupation in 1862. This was
the first Union flag raised by citizens
of any of the Confederate states after
the commencement of hostilities. Here.
too. is the flag of the United States
ship Kearsarge, in use at the time OF
the surrender of the Confederate cruiser
Alabama, also the first United States
flag raised in Richmond after the sur
render. This was used as headquarters
flag by Gen. E. o. c. Ord. u. S. A, when
he took possession of the city.
The history of our war with Spain Is
illustrated al the National Museum by
a series of flags of picturesque interest.
There is here the Spanish garrison nag
used at Fort San Cristobal. San Juan.
Porto Rico. during the entire war, and
f1oated over the fort during the bonn
hardnent by the American fleet. May
IL. 1898. There is, too, the flag lowered
from the customhouse at the plaza.
Ponce, Porto Rico, when 1t surrendered
to the United States. The yellow stripe
in this flag was painted red to give IL a
chance to escape Identification. An
other Spanish flag here was taken from
the trenches before Santiago. and still
another is guidon used by Spanish in
fantry at Porto Rico. The museum 10
also custodian of the pennant nown by
Admiral Schley on the Brooklyn during
the battle of Santiago.
The United States Marine Corps mas
a number of flags of vital import It
is proud of its trophies, and well It may
be, for it was foremost In winning
them. The Marine Corps possesses the
a 6v IT,.
This flag was raised by the marine bat
TALON at Guantanamo. the 10th OF June.
1889, and flew during the hundred hours
of continuous fighting by the marines
at that point. After its use In this en-.
gagement II was hauled down ana sent
to headquarters at Washington.
Another noteworthy nag belonging
to the corps is the signal flag used by
Sergt Quick at the battle of Cuzco.
During the engagement the fleet sta
toned in the bay. while firing on the
enemy. was seriously endangering the
unseen marines on land, who already
had the Spaniards surrounded. A vol
unteer was requested to go out and
signal to the fleet to stop firing. Sergt
Quick Immediately responded, and IN
full view of the enemy stood and wig
wagged the Dolphin to stop firing. The
signal flag was rent in several places.
but the sergeant escaped injury. For
this act he received a medal and hon
orable mention.
Among some later flags to come into
possession of the Marine Corps 10 the
large United States flag used by the
marines during the siege Of the lega-
tion in Peking at the time of the Boxer
riots. 1t may be recalled that the
guard of the Oregon served in Peking
This was their post flag, and 1t was
planted on the Tartar city wall, where
it was jealously guarded. Later 1t was
hoisted on the ruins of the Imperial
CHEN Men as signal to the allied
forces, and it has the honor of being
the first signal the latter had that
their friends were still living. The
flag shows its hard usage at the hands
of it's enemies. being torn in several
places by the volleys CT shot and shell
assailing it.
Another Chinese memento Possessed
by the Marine Corps is large imperial
flag captured on the walls of Tientsin
by the marines when they attacked
the city This is large pennant-
shaped affair of turkey red. with enig-
matical Chinese characters in its CEN
ter.