The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-03-22

by suggesting the pine-tree flag and
its motto for his cruisers, series of
schooners transferred from the mer-
chant fleet to aid the army around
Boston.
The southern colonies were In a
mood Of defiance rather than of appeal
to God and Justice, and the rattle
snake became the expression of their
attitude toward the home government.
Don't Tread on Me" was the warning
command on most of the rattlesnake
flags.
BuE as war stepped In and drove
peace away, most of the leaders hoped
to be able to show the king that theirs
was not a war on him but war only
against what they considered the nm
lawful acts of the ministry.
General Washington himself was
careful to emphasize in all his early
utterances as commander in chief that
it was war against the ministry and
not against the sovereign.
Deep concern, therefore, was felt
that flag should be made that would
proclaim at once loyalty to the crown
and resentment against the ministry.
When General Washington took COM
mand of the Continental army at Cam
bridge, he found that the divided 10y
alties of many flags made 1t essential to
q hope of victory that the colonial
units under him should be forged into
one organization with united outlook
and continental loyalty. His orders, re-
ports, and letters from that time for
ward contained many references to the
difficulties encountered in building up
an army that would acknowledge sim
gle flag, and in combating the wran-
glings and rivalries in his existing
force. He reported to the Continental
congress that he found a widespread
unwillingness of officers Of one colony
to serve with troops Of another.
Washington Anxious.
General Washington looked forward
with eagerness to the first day of JAN
uary, 1776, for it was on that day that
his old army with all of it's conflicts,
was to pass out Of existence, and the
new one, which he hoped would be free
of the weaknesses of its predecessor,
was to come into being.
But the last month preceding the
transformation was one of utter anx-
iety for the commander in chief. On
November %, ITS, he wrote his mill
tary secretary that he SHOULD not be
at all surprised at any disaster that
may happen" and added, Gould have
forseen what I have, and am likely to
experience, no consideration upon earth
should have induced me to accept this
command A regiment or any subordi-
nate department would have been &C
companied with ten times the satisfac-
ton, and perhaps the honor"
However, there was much hard work
included in this period of anxiety.
Among the things to be done was to
provide a flag which should at once
be expressive of the union Of the thir-
teen colonies in a single purpose and
of the hope of those colonies that re
Cancellation still remained possible.
The Grand Union flag, with its old Brit
ish jack in the canton and its thirteen
red and white stripes for its fly, was
the outcome of the efforts made to find
such a banner.
Historians have searched in vain for
the slightest inkling of its designer or
the authority under which 1t was estab-
lished. Some have represented that a
congress committee which visited Bos-
ton considered and authorized it, but
a thorough search of the reports of
this committee and the correspondence
Of those who constituted it fails to re-
veal any action or consideration by this
committee.
Our first view of this flag was when
ii was hoisted above the Alfred, the
flagship of the Congress navy, lying in
the Delaware river on December 8,
1775.
We get the fact of this significant
event from no less an authority than
John Paul Jones himself. He was at
that time the senior lieutenant Of the
American navy and was attached to
the Alfred. the flagship of the fleet,
his position corresponding to that of
executive officer in the navy today. In
a letter to Robert Morris, Jones de-
clared: sit was by fortune, as the
senior Of the Lieutenants, to hoist my
self the Flag of America the first time
it was displayed. Though this was but
slight Circumstance, yet feel for its
Honor, more than think ! should have
done, if it had not happened"
Jones failed to give the date of that
raising of the flag, but not so loyal
list reporting to the earl of Dartmouth.
Writing on December 20, IT'S, the
earls correspondent advises: "An adj
miral is appointed, court established.
and the third instant, the Continental
flag on board the Black Prince oppo-
site Philadelphia was hoisted." On
December -, British spy at Phila-
delphia reported that ''the commodore
who commands this fleet comes from
Rhode Island, his name Is Hopkins"
How long the Grand Union flag was
flown has never been definitely estab-
lished, but the official records of the
navy fail to show that any other en-
sign was In use until after the resolu-
ton creating the Stars and Stripes was
adopted by the congress. 1t was not
until June IA. TIT. nearly full year
after the Declaration of Independence.