The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1925-02-11
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY II, 1925.
FLAGS

(By j. u N1lIler DerCId, nHHD
"HE body of cat impaled on spear and
carried aloft was the symbol used by tribe
L of ancient Egyptians. This distinguished
them from other tribes who carried various I'M
ages of wood, metal or stone
The Persans adopted the figure Of the sur
or the eagle which were later. replaced by
blacksmiths apron This in turn replaced
with textile flags, the first is described by Levy
as "a square piece of cloth fixed to cross bar at
the end of spear, often richly fringed, either
plain or with devices"
Thus, step by step, through the ages, came
the flags of all nations sacred symbol for which
men gladly offer up their lives
"a moth-eaten rag a worm eaten
pole,
1t does not look likely to stir mans
soul
IT'S the deeds that were done meath the
moth-eaten, rag
When the pole staff and rag
was a flag
The first flag planted on North American sol.
was placed on the shores of Labrador or Nova
Scotia by the Vikings Norsemen and is de-
scribed as "a raven with wings extended and open
bill upon field of white"
The second was the flag of Columbus-a
quartered flag of red, gold and silver-the Stan
dard of CASTLE and Leon. October IL, 1892,
Columbus planted this flag on the island he call
ed San Salvador, now known Waiting Island
in the Bahamas
The third was the Red Cross of England
carried by John Cabot who planted his flag June
"a, 1897 and took possession of the new world
in the name of the King of England
LN1o~
which was field of blue with white square
containing Red Cross in the upper left corner
The fifth was known as the Cambridge flag and
the first navy ensign. twas first hoisted by
John Paul Jones December 8, ITS, when Com
modore Esek Hopkins assumed command of the
Continental navy. This flag was also used by the
army and General Washington hoisted it January
2, 1776 This flag contained seven red and six
white stripes, and the blue square in the upper
left hand corner held red cross white cross
and white bars crossed the blue union diagonally.
This red and white cross and white diagonal bars
resembled the British flag much that it was
discarded and distinctive new flag made
in South Carolina.
Thistle sixth, the Gadsden Flag or Rattle
Snake Flag was made up of field of white con-
tanning coiled up rattle snake in the middle of
the field and above the words Liberty or Death
and below the snake the words, Don't Tread on
Me-"
The seventh is known as the Betsy Ross Flag
adopted by Congress June IA, 1777, as the first
"Stars and Stripes" with the seven red and six
white stripes and the 13 white stars arranged III
q circle in the union of blue. At one time the
navy flag had the Is white stars arranged in d
cross of stars across the blue union.
The eighth is known as the Fl. McHenry
Flag, flag of fifteen stars and fifteen stripes.
1t was this flag that inspired Francis Scott Key
to write the "Star Spangled Banner" in prison
on British war ship in the harbor of Baltimore
This is the flag that Key saw still flying, the
morning after the battle of September IA, 1914.
The ninth is the flag of July H. 1918, and
contains the original Is stripes and 20 stars 1T
the union of blue, and the following law was al
that time enacted by Congress-: "Be it enacted
that from and after the fourth day of july next
the flag of the United States be IS horizontal
stripes, alternate, red and white; that the union
have twenty stars, white on blue field. And be
it further enacted that on the admission of every
new state into the Union one star be added to
the union of the flag, and that such addition shall
take effect on the 4th day of July next succeed,
ing such admission"
The tenth is the flag as we have it before us
country, is the third oldest national flag in the
world. 1t is known "Old Glory" "The Stars
and Stripes, "The Star Spangled Banner" AMI
s'The Red, White and Blue" And be assured
that by whatever name may describe it, it re
presents Liberty-and Liberty means obedienc
to our laws. The thirteen stripes represent thu
thirteen original states; and there is a star fo
each state in the Union. The field of the flag i
the stripes, and the Union is the field of blue con
tanning the 48 white stars, one for each state
The colors of the flag are: Red representing
valor; White, representing purity, truth AM
home; Blue, representing loyalty, sincerity ant
Justice; and its stars representing the Union o
States. The 48 stars are arranged in horizontal
rows of eight stars in each row. Starting at thu
upper left-hand corner and reading each rov
from left to right, gives the star of each state il
the order of its admission into the Union. Tn
star representing Minnesota is the eighth star o
The fourth row, Minnesota being the 52nd stat