The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1920-06-14
FLAG DAY OBSERVED
over THE NATION TO.
DAY BY ALL PEOPLE
One Hundred and FOrty-thlrd Ami
yersary of "Old Glory" Is
Observed BY Americans
Everywhere.

S During the Revolution the flag
~ had 10 stars; in the War of
1912, Is; in the Mexican War, 20; in
the Civil War, 35; in the Spanish
American War, As; and in the World
War, 4S.
One of the oldest existing flags of
the Stars and Stripes design is that
which was carried by the North Caro-
lima troops at the battle of Guilford
Courthouse, March 10, 1881, and which
is now preserved in the rooms of the
Masonic grand ladge in Raleigh.
The first instance in which the 10
colonies were represented on an en-
blem was in the flag carried by the
light horse troops of Philadelphia in
escorting Washington to Kingsbridge,
N. Y, on his way to Cambridge to take
command of the army. This flag was
a gorgeous banner of yellow silk trim
med with silver, and clearing in its
upper corner square of 13 white and
blue stripes.
The first merchant ship to carry the
American flag to foreign port was
the Bedford, of Nantucket, which ar
rived in England, February 6, 1888,
with a cargo of whole oil. A london
newspaper of that day said: "She is
manned wholly by American seamen,
wears the rebel colors, and belongs to
the Island of Nantucket, in Massaehu-
SETS"
Previous to 1884 the Chinese had no
word in their language as name for
the young American republic. When
the Stars and Stripes was first car
ried there in that year they described
the flag as being as handsome as a
flower, and speaking of the vessel call
ed it Kaw-Kee-Cheum, Flag Flower
Ship, and an American they called
Kaw-Kee- Kock-Yin. Flower Flag coun-
tryman
Many writer's have stated that the
patriots carried no flag in the battle
of Lexington. In this they are mistak-
en-. Nathaniel Page, captain of the
Minute Men of the town of Bedford had
a flag for his company. When they re-
ceived word that the British were COM
ing they fastened to Lexington and
carried the flag with them. In the
thickest ofthe fight 1t was laid upon
the ground for a while. When the Brit
ish retreated the Bedford men follow
ed them carrying their flag. which con-
sisted of a maroon field and picture
of an armored arm and hand holding
aloft a sword.
cial flags United States flags were
made of bunting manufactured abroad.
On February 26, 1866, Gen. Benjamin
F. Butler presented to Congress flag
that was made in his mill at Lowell,
Mass, the material for which was
grown and manufactured in the United
States, made by Americans on Ameri-
can machinery. Congress accepted it
with a vote of thanks and ordered that
no foreign material should ever again
be used in making the official United
States flags.
The American flag was first given
the name of "Old Glory" by Captain
Stephen Driver, an old seadog OF Sa-
lem, Mass. In 1881, when admiring
friends gave Captain Driver a great
flag for his ship, he made short, but
energetic speech, at the close Of which
he raised his hand toward the ban
ner at the mast's head, and shouted
"Old Glory" Every afterward people
called him Old Glory Driver.
One Of the last battles of the Revo
luton was over flag. 1t was a single
handed fight between Mrs. Day,
keeper of boarding house in Green
witch street, New York city, and Major
Cunningham, the British Provost Mar
shall. The British had agreed to evac-
uate the city at noon on November %,
1888. About 9 o'clock in the morning
Mrs. Day hoisted the American flag in
front of her house. Major Cunningham
ordered her to take the flag down, and
upon her refusing, he undertook to do
it himself, and she proceeded to beat
him with broom. She won the battle
and the flag remained.