Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-09

ton Of Independence to be read to his troops,
July 10, 1776 there was no Stars and Stripes
in evidence for the very good reason that no
such flag was then in existence.
Frederick C. Hicks. who was Representative
In Congress from New York, referred to the
merely legendary character OF the Betsy Ross
story in his speech in the House of Representa-
tives on June IA, 1917.
INACCURACIES in connection with historic
incidents seem inevitable. They are by no
means uncommon and have, from time to time.
found their way into text and Illustration
throughout the land. For instance, in Leutzes
famous picture Of Washington crossing the
Delaware the general is represented in heroic
posture standing in large scow in company
with a number of patriots, some of whom
struggling to fend from the boat huge cakes OF
ice as the craft is propelled across the wintry
stream There is held aloft flag showing the
Stars and Stripes. But this flag did not exist
until six months after the Battle Of Trenton
had been fought and won. The flags carried
on that occasion were State flags, and it is said
that Washington crossed the Delaware that
momentous ChriStmaStide seated muff1ed in his
cloak in the stern of "a small skif while Mr.
Caldwell piled the and Gen. Knox, the
remaining occupant of the boat, shivered in
the bow.
In the interim between the abandonment Of
the Grand Union flag and the adoption of the
Stars and Stripes, when there was no national
flag, United States vessels hoisted aloft varia-
lions of older flags. The favorite design
of Is red and white stripes upon which reposed
the effigy of q rattesnake, and below it the
ominouS warning. Don't tread on mel" as has
been stated
It is thought the rattlesnake was chosen as
symbolic of the character and spirit of the
new nation For instance, the creatures eyes
are exceedingly bright and have no lids thus
he il
never known to start a fight and will avoid it il
possible; but when once set upon it never sur
renders. 1t makes Wanting display of
weapons. These while seemingly insignificant,
are in fact deadly. The rattlesnake has never
been known to strike without warning. The
snake OF the flag design had Is rattles, repre-
Senting the IS original States Of the Union:
each rattle Of itself is silent yet when agitated
I'm unison they produce sound of warning
sufficiently terrifying to daunt the boldest heart
In 1874 Congress added star and a stripe to
the flag in honor OF the two States next
admitted to the Union after its formation
These States were Kentucky and Vermont This
brought the number of stars and stripes, re-
spectively, up to Is and so the national ensign
continued for "a years or until April 4. 18ls
when by legislative enactment the stripes of the
flag were again fixed at Is to represent the
original States. and 1t was provided that q
white star should be set in the blue union for
every State then existing and an extra one
should be added each succeeding State
should take its place in the great association
of commemorative.
So the ensign has continued until today, 40
stars are assembled in the national emblem
But it was beneath the flag of Is stars and Is
stripes-"Old Glory" as it was called-that the
naval war with France was fought, as we'll as
the War of 1912. And it was the vision of that
flag, tattered but still floating in defiance above
the ramparts of stout Fort McHenry at day
break on September IA, 1914, that stirred the
fervor of inspiration in the breast of Francis
Scott Key, impelling him to compose the i'm
mortal poem, The Star Spanged Banner" as
he anxiouSly paced the deck, a prisoner on
board ship of the British Admiral Cockburns
fleet. in Baltimore Harbor. That poem and the
stirring martial music to which it has been set,
like the shot at Concord, have reverberated
around the world. proclaiming to all the people
the spirit of this great Republic that triumphs
over disaster and death and animates its sons