The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1917-05-03
THE AMERICAN FLAG.
Something About Old Glory Not
Known BY All.

dignifed yet deep and lasting patriot
ism of the American people. By this
your native land or adopted country,
you pledge allegience to that flag and
uncover as you pass. And yet what
do you know about its origin. its
meaning and its history? A lecture
trip to the United States national
museum in Washington, the national
depository of American relics, will
tell you much about it.
There were many forms of early
flags. especially colonial types used
BY the individual colonies and mill
tia regiments before the flag of the
United States was established by our
continental congress, on July IA,
1777, now celebrated as flag day.
This act required that the flag Of the
United States be of thirteen alternate
red and white stripes, and that the
union be thirteen white stars on
blue field, representing new constel-
lation, but it did not define how many
points the stars should have, how
they should be arranged nor make
provision for additional ones.
At the time of the adoption of this
resolution Washington is said to have
observed, I'VE take the star from
heaven, the red from our mother
country, separating it by white
stripes. thus showing that we have
separated from her, and the white
stripes shall go down to posterlty
representing liberty. -
The first display of the Stars and
Stripes is believed to have been on
August 6, 1177, when the new nag
was hoisted over the troops at Fort
Schuyler, Rome, \. Y. John Paul
Jones is said to have been the first
to fy the Stars and Stripes over the
high seas, on the Ranger, in Novem-
ber, 1777. The national museum
has an early naval twelve star flag,
said to have been flown by John Paul
Jones during the war of the revolu-
tion.
It has been we'll said that the
American national emblem stands for
American ideals and ideas-it is not
the flag of family or a house, but
the flag of the whole people. 1t is
the emblem of liberty and freedom
being indicative of individual inde-
pendence and yet symbolic of unit
ed and closely bonded people.
In the national museum at Wash
ington, among the many other patri-
otic relics and emblems, are display
ed thirty historic American flags. On
the labels the history of each is re-
corded. Some came from the fields
of battle, some from famous sea
fights, and others were flown over
garrisons or forts by distinguished
American officers.
The series of flags show very we'll
the periodic changes which have
taken place in our flag. From the
time of the revolution the Stars and
Stripes in the flag have varied.
There were thirteen stars during the
revolution, fifteen in the war of
1912, twenty-nine in the Mexican
war, thirty-three to thirty-tive in the
civil war. forty-five in the Spanish
war and there are forty-eight today.
The stripes we're changed first from
thirteen to fifteen. and then back
again to thirteen.
1t may be surprising to know that
our national flag is among the oldest
flags of the nations. being older than
the present British Jack, the French
tri-color and the flag of Spain, and
many years older than the flags of
Germany and Italy. some of which
are either personal flags or those of
the reigning families.
The flag of the highest historic
and sentimental value to the whole
country is in the national museum
collection 1t is the original Star
Spangled Banner" which flew over
Fort McHenry in Baltimore harbor
during the bombardment on Septem-
Der 1914, 1914, and was the inspira-
ton of Francis Scott Keys immortal
poem. now sung as the national an
them. This flag, exhibited in the
museum arts and industries building,
also known as the Fort McHenry
Flag" is of the fifteen star-and-
stripe type adopted after the admis-
sion of Vermont and Kentucky by an
act approved by President Washing
ton January l3, 1894. The Star
Spangled Banner" measures about
thirty feet square. though it was
probably somewhat longer and is