Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-31
Early Flag Described.

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zone Of the colonial ships, the Lady
Washington. was captured on Decem-
Der Z. by II. NJ. 8. Fowey, and her
London. are described as bearing .
pale green pine tree on . field Of
white bunting, with the motto, An
Appeal to Heaven This nag was
down by all the ships under Washing
toms command at this time, the de-
commander-in-chiefs military secre-
tary. Col Joseph Reed, who wrote. on
October 20, ITS, that he wished to
shx upon some particular color for a
flag and q signal by which our ves-
sells may know one another
Prior to the receipt Of the news OF
(November 2s) by one Of Gen. wash
ington's ships, under command of
John Manley, the Continental Con-
gress had appointed Essex Hopkins
commander-in-chief Of the Navy built
the soldier-manned fieet under Gen.
Washington. Immediately following
his appointment Commodore Hopkins
(the nrst and only commander-in-
chief the Navy ever had) set sail from
RHODE Island in that colony,s armed
ware river on December 3. ITS. The
same day the commodore assumed the
formal command Of the little SQUAD
ron which the Congress had placed
under him.
First Real American Flag.
The manner in which that COM
aea Il asst Is the s,sael
marked the hosting Of the first truly
American flag. And the distinction Of
having released the banner to the
breese belongs to that daring spirit,
John Paul Jones. one Of the chief
can naval officers and seamen.
This was the dag which afterward
figured 30 extensively in the lftera-
ture OF the day as the Congress- COLI
ors. from the fact that It first foated
over the Navy contre!lsd BY congress.
and the first Navy ensign, 1t was the
colonial standard from that day un-
til It was superseded by the Stars and
Stripes, In 1777. Il consisted Of thir-
teen stripes. alternately red and
with union bearing the crosses Of
St. George and st. Andrew combined
(the national nag OF Great Brittany
ana signifytng the mother country.
The Gadsden nag COT yellow silk
the motto Don't Tread .on Me'). used
on the Alfred a. the dag Of the COM
modore commanding the deet, was
presented February 8. 1776, to the
South Carolina provincial congress by
Col Christopher 0adsden. delegate
from South Carolina to the Continental
body and one OF the committee OF
three appointed on October Is, ITS,
to report on the fitting out Of two
armed vessels. When that report was
made. two weeks later, Col Gadsden
was one Of . committee Of seven APP
pointed to ut out four armed vessels.
The Jack displayed on the Alfred
square nag Of thirteen alternate red
and white stripes, bearing o crawling
|rattlesnAke with the legend, Don't
Tread on Me- beneath Il.
Carried No National Flag.
ALTHOUGH displayed on the CONT
METAL army's arst birthday, neither
tho Grand Union nag nor the Stars and
Stripes. adopted BY Congress q year
and e half later. was carried In the
|revolutionary war. The army carried
only the colors Of the states to which
the troops belonged and not the ma
tional flag.
at was nearly one year after the
Representatives Of the United States
Of America. In general Congress as
sembled. had pledged their lives. their
fortunes and their sacred honor, for
the support Of the DECLARATION of In
dependence that the crosses Of st.
George and st. Andrew. emblematic
Of the mother country. which had
formed the union Of the Continental
Union nag. were discarded and re-
placed by q union composed of white
stars In blue Held, representing q
new constellation
ssThe date Of the birth Of the Stars
and Stripes was June IA. 1777. and its
creation was proclaimed In a resolu-
ton Of the Continental Congress-.
"Thus it would seem that not only
was the flrst nag Of the Continental
Congress displayed for the hrst time
from q naval vessel. the Alfred. but
that from the Navy Tin the person Of
the marine committee Of the Congress
Of IT'D the nation also received the
stars and Stripes"