The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-04-11

! ing ton,, among the many other patrlo.
lie relics aad enblems, arc displayed
30 historic American Qags,, On the
labels, the history OF e5chs is record,
I'D; some came fianlr the, field OF bat
Tie, d number from 'fainohs Sea fights,
and others were flown over garrlsons
or forts by DISTINGUISHED American
cfIlIers.
The series OF 1ags show very well
the periodic changes which have tax
en- place in our flag. From the time
OF the Revolution the stars and stripes
in the flag have varied. There. we're
IL stars during the Revolution, IS IN
the warof 1872, 29 in the Mexican war
1896 in The Civil war. 40 III the Span.
sh war and As today The stripes
were changed fret from ID to 10, and
then back again to 10. II may be sur.
prising to know that our national flag
is among the oldest, ags of the na-
tons, being older than the present
British Jack. the French Trieolor. ana
the flag of SPAIN and many years old
er than the flags of Germany and lta
ly, some OF which are either personal
fiags or those of the reigning families.
The flag OF the highest shistoric and
sentimental value to the whole coun
try is in the National Museum collee
tons II Is the original Star Span
gled Palmer" which flew over Fort
NcHenry in Baltimore harbor, during
the bomhlrdment on September 1914
lS14, and was the inspiration Of Fran
els Scott Keys immortal poem now
sung as our national anthem. This
flag, exhibited in the Museum Arts
and Industries building. also known as
the Fort McHenry flag is Of the To-
star-andstripe type, adop,ed after the
admission Of Vermont and Kentucky
by an act approved by President
Washington, January IS. 1894. The
Star Spangled Banner measures
about 30 feet square, though IL, was
probably somewhat longer, and is
much battered aud torn. with one
star missing, possibly shot away This
great historic souvenir of the war of
1872, has lately been preserved by
quilting on heavy linen, and will ever
remain one CT the country's most pre-
cious relics. From 1895 this form
continued as the standard flag until
President Monroe's administration,
when congress enacted that it should
hereafter be of 13 stripes, with the ad
dition of a star for each new state,
commencing July 1. 1918.
1t seems that for many years the
army did not carry the Stars and |
Stripes in battle though it had been in |
general use as garrison flag The ,
land forces during this period and be-
fore It, carried what was known as
national colors or standards. of blue
with the arms Of the United States
emblazoned thereon. comprising an
eagle surmounted by q number of
stars, with the designation of the bodyT
Of troops. In 1884. war department
regulations gave the artillery the right ,
to carry the Stars and Stripes. the in
fantry and cavalry stiil using the ma !
tional standards. and those remained |
the colols Of the infantry until 1871, |
and OF the cavalry until 1887, when
hat branch of the army was ordered
10 employ the Stars and Stripes. From
vessels universally displayed in ma
ional fas
Many styles and forms OF the stars
md stripes flag were in existence up
20 1892, aud ii was not until during
President Taft's administration that
iehnite specifications we're drawn up.