The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1917-12-20

able reflection that after all the story
may be true There are various tho
ories to account for the origin Of the
Tags design. One is that the famous
sen fighter, John Paul Jones. may have
had hand in its design. And the
story is repeated that "at Portsmouth,
N. H., John Paul Jones attracted about
, him bevy Of girls who formed a So
, called flag bee, who with much patri-
otie enthusiasm and many heart thrills
wrough out of their own, and their
mothers gowns beautiful Star
Spangled Banner, which was thrown
to the breeze in Portmouth harbor on
July 4th, i777, less than three weeks
after congress had authorized that a
suitable distinguishing mark to be
worn by war vessels And il was
soon after the appointment Of John
Paul Jones to command the Ranger
that the Portsmouth fiag-bee is said to
have occurred"
Another explanation, also ingenious
and interesting in regard to the origin
of the colors in the national design is
that of Chas. W. Stewart, Superin-
tendent OF Naval Records and Library
of the U. S. Navy Department, who
says:
"The flag may trace its ancestry
back to Mt Sinai whence the Lord
gave to Moses the Ten Command
ments and the book of the law, which
testify Of Gods will, and mans duty;
and were deposited in the Ark of the
Covenant within the Tabernacle,
whose curtains were blue, purple,
scarlet and fine-twined linen" Before
the ark stood the table of shew-bread,
with its cloth Of blue, scarlet and
white. These colors of the Jewish
Church were taken over by the early
Western Church for its own and given
to all nations of western Europe for
their flags. When the United States
chose their hag il was Of the colors of
the old, but new in arrangement and
design, and they called it The Stars
and Stripes" "Our flag is of the
colors red, white, and blue. Red is
for courage, zeal, fervency; white is
for purity, cleanliness of life, recti-
tude of conduct, blue is for loyalty,
devotion, friendship, justice, and truth.
The star is an ancient symbol of India,
Persia, Egypt, and signifies dominion
and sovereignty"
But however the flag came into ex-
istence it was in 17T7 that is received
its first baptism of fire on land at Fort
Schuyler where now stands the city Of
Rome, n. Y.
On August 2, l777, "a force COM
posed of British and Indians attacked
the fort, which was defended by Col. |
Peter GansevoOrt with some 600 men.
In the afternoon einforcements,-200
men of the 9th Massachusetts Regi- |
ment under Lieut.. Colonel Mellon, ar
rived by way of the Mohawk river
from Albany, bringing ammunition
and supplies.
"They also brought with them news
paper accounts of the newly enacted
flag resolution, and Immediately the
fort was ransacked for material with
which to make the new National en-
blem.
"The ammunition shirts of the SOL
diers furnished the white stripes, red
petticoat belonging to the wife of one
Of the men supplies the red stripes,
and Capt. Abraham Swartout's blue
cloth cloak was requisitioned to pro-
vide the blue field Of the Union"
And so the new flag thus made was
raised on the position nearest the
enemy.
On the sea, the flag was first dis
played on the Raleigh, where it re-
ceived its first baptism Of fire at the
hour Of sunset Sept. 4, 1T77.
an February, ITS, the new flag
was saluted by French Admiral, and
ever since it has been recognized more
and more widely as the emblem of
free and liberty loving people.
AT first it was the flag Of Wash
ington and the troops which followed
him in the Revolutionary struggle. 1t
syinbolized the declaration Of indie
perdence Of the men Of l776. II be-
came the standard of the new nation
born in the western world, which had ,
successfully resisted tyranny. And
then again from 1861 to 1865 il was
the standard Of those who battled for ,
the saving of the Union, and incident
ally II came 10 symbolic that the fact \
that our country was in reality what !
il had long professed to be. viz: A /
nation OF frecmen--truly free men,
so only when the shackles Of every
boDdman were forever broken.
And now o,ce more the standard Of