CR 113 • C52 "opy 1 T,r- \ H l ^ ■ "!■ I ■ q^,^ CR 113 .C52 Copy 1 QUR FLAG ITS HISTORY AND CHANGES FROM 1607 TO I9IO WITH COLORED ILLUSTRATIONS FOURTH EDITION NEW HAVEN, CONN.: The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company, Publishers 1910 < Copyright 1896 and Renewed 1910, by Sarah E. Champion All rights reserved. ©CI.A^73?(J5 DEDICATED TO THE MARY CLAP WOOSTER CHAPTER d. A. R. OF New Haven, Connecticut Mrs. Henry Champion, D. A. R. The original paper was written at the request of the Chapter and read to them June 14, 1895. OUR FLAG, Whose one hundred and thirty- third birthday we celebrated this June 14, 1 9 10, was, like everything in nature or history, a growth, and to trace that growth takes us back to the National flag of the Mother Country. One naturally asks, What flag floated over the early settlements of our country? What over its battle fields previous to that June day in 1777, when by an act of Congress it was resolved "that the flag of the nation be thirteen, stripes, alternate red and white, and thirteen stars, white on a blue field"? Answering our question in order of time, we take first the earliest settlements of the country. Tradition tells us that the Norsemen, or Northmen, and the Danes landed between the years 986 and 1300 at several points at the extreme northeast of the continent, and even as far down the coast as the New England shore. That an expedition from Iceland in 1347 landed near what is now Newport, Rhode Island; at which time the "Round Tower" there was built. These expeditions no doubt planted some ensign or standard, as they took temporary possession, but no record of its design is left us. In 1492 Columbus planted the Spanish flag on the Island of San Sal- vador, one of the Bahama group, and again in 1498 at the mouth of the ( )rinoco, S. A. He supposed he had then reached the coast of Asia. According to Humboldt, Sebastian Cabot landed at Labrador in 1497, anc l planted the red cross of St. George, the royal ensign of Henry the Seventh. If so, the English flag then for the first time floated over North American soil. But we narrow down our field of inqiury to what is now the United States, and as we .remember that for one hundred and fifty-seven years, from the wintry day when the Mayflower landed on the Massachusetts Coast, or the one hundred and seventy years from the settlement of James- town, Va., to the June day in 1777 when the stars and stripes were adopted — for this more than a century and a half the flag of England was our flag, we ask with interest, What was the flag of the Mother Country in those years ? About the year 1192 Richard Coeur de Lion had asked the aid of St. George, Bishop of Cappadocia. He gave the king as a banner what is now called the "Red Cross of St. George," and Edward III, about 1345, made St. George the patron saint of the kingdom. (1) Under this flag Sir Humphrey Gilbert, Bartholomew Gosnold and others sailed with grants of land from Queen Elizabeth to found colonies in the new world, 1 578-1 587. The generous, even reckless way, in which land was disposed of by these charters is shown by the boundaries given. All the land between the latitude of Cape Fear, North Carolina, and Canada was given by the Queen and to be called "Virginia." It was to be divided into two districts; the southern part, from the latitude of Cape Fear to the mouth of the Potomac, and running back indefinitely into the wilderness, was given to the "London Company," and to be called Southern Virginia; the land from about the latitude of New York to Canada was given to the "Plymouth Company," and to be called Northern Virginia. The strip of country between these two grants, about one hundred miles of coast, was to be a dividing line to avoid disputes as to territory, and neither Company might make settlements more than fifty miles from its boundary. All these efforts to plant colonies proved failures. Lack of supplies and cold winters led the settlers to give up the project and return to England. This red cross of St. George was England's flag until the year 1606, over two hundred and fifty years. In that year, 1606, Scotland was added to England, and King James I, in honor of the union, placed the white cross of St. Andrew on the national flag, changing the field from white to blue. (2) This diagonal white cross of St. Andrew had been the badge of the Scots since the Crusades. The union of the two crosses was called the "King's colors," or "Union colors," and the first permanent settlements in this country were made under its protection. It was the flag of the Mayflower in 1620. Massachusetts records speak of it as in use in that colony in 1634. In November of that year a Mr. Endicott of Salem defaced the King's colors. Much excitement followed, a trial was held, when it was proven that it was not done with' ill intent to England, but the red cross was a relic of Anti-Christ, having been given to England by a Pope, and so was a cause of offense. After referring the matter to an assembly of ministers, and then to one court after another, it was proposed that the Colony show no flag, and none was shown. Then arose a question. If captains of vessels returning to Europe were asked what colors they saw here, the truth might cause trouble. The matter was referred to Rev. John Cotton, who wisely suggested a way by which the growing spirit of independence might be satisfied and yet no offense be given. He said, "As the fort at the entrance of Boston harbor without doubt belongs to the King, the 'King's colors' should be used there." This was done, to the extent of showing them on the staff at the fort when a vessel was passing, but only then, and they were not used else- where in the Colony. This was in 1636. In 1043 the three colonies of Plymouth, Massachusetts and Connecti- cut united, under the name of "The United Colonies of New England," but no flag was adopted. In 1 65 1, fifteen years after the Salem episode, the Court of Massachu- setts ordered that the crosses of St. George and St. Andrew be used in the Colony. Under Cromwell and Charles IT, various minor changes were made in the flag of the Mother Country, but in 1707 the color was changed to crimson and the two crosses, which had covered the entire flag, were placed in the upper corner. (5) This was called the "Cromwell flag," and in that form was not accepted by the colonies ; we continued to use the "King's colors" (2) till 1707, when we adopted the red flag, but substituted a device of our own in place of the crosses. (4) s % ^ . All the pictures of New England flags from 1707 to 1776 show a red or blue ensign, field white, with a pine tree or globe in the upper corner, sometimes covering the entire field. The pine tree was oftener used. Massachusetts had used the pine tree as her symbol for some time. It is on the silver coins of that Colony, the die for which was cast in 1652, and used without change of date for thirty years. Trumbull, in his celebrated picture of the "Battle of Bunker Hill" in the rotunda of the Capitol at Washington, represents the red flag, white corner, green pine tree. The Connecticut troops who took part in the exciting times that followed Lexington and Bunker Hill had a State banner with the State arms and the motto, "Qui transtulit sustinet" The troops of Massachusetts adopted the words, "An appeal to Heaven." Early New York records speak of different standards; indeed, the regiments from various States, hastening to the aid of Washington or his generals, carried flags of various devices; many having only a local interest and only used on the occasion that originated them. The men at Lexington had neither uniform nor flag's, but at Bunker Hill, two months later, the Colonial troops had more the appearance of an army. Among the flags described, the pine tree is most frequently men- tioned (5), also a serpent coiled, ready to spring, with the motto, "Beware!" (6) "Don't tread on me," or "Come if you dare!" The snake flag was used by the Southern States from 1776 to June, 1777. A chain of thirteen links, a ring, a tiger, and a field of wheat were also used as devices. In October, 1775, Washington writes to two officers who were about to take command of cruisers: "Please fix on some flag, by which our vessels may know each other." They decided on the "pine-tree flag," as it was called. DoHtT^ead On he- —13— This is frequently mentioned in the records of 1775 and 1776 as used by vessels. The first striped flag was flung to the breeze and "kissed by the free air of Heaven," at Cambridge, Mass., Washington's Headquarters, January 1, 1776. Washington says : "We hoisted the Union flag in compliment to the United Colonies, and saluted it with thirteen guns." It had thirteen stripes, alternate red and white, and the united crosses of St. George and St. Andrew on a blue field. (7) Similar flags were used later in the year. When reported in England, it was alluded to as "the thirteen rebel- lious stripes." In 1775 a navy of seventeen vessels, varying from ten to thirty-two guns, was ordered. Says Lieut. Preble : "The senior of the five 1st Lieutenants of the new Continental navy was John Paul Jones. He has left it on record that the 'Flag of America' was hoisted by his own hand on his vessel, the Alfred, the first time it was ever displayed by a man-of- war." This was probably the same design as the Cambridge flag - , used January 1. 1 776, and was raised on the Alfred about the same time. No exact date is given. We come now to the time when the crosses of St. George and St. Andrew were taken from the striped Union flag, and a blue field with white stars substituted for the symbol of English authority. Thirteen states had bound themselves together (Declaration of Inde- pendence signed July 4, 1776) as the "United States of America." They w ere : New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Delaware, Rhode Island, Maryland, Connecticut, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, Xew Jersey, South Carolina, Georgia. **** •** If they were to be a free and independent nation they must have a flag to represent it. Accordingly, one hundred and thirty-three years ago this June 14th (1910) the American Congress in session at Philadelphia resolved, "that the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; the union to be thirteen stars, white on a blue field, representing a new constellation, the stars to be arranged in a circle." (8) Here we may ask, What suggested the stars and stripes ? It has been said in answer, that the words "representing a new constellation" refer to the constellation Lyra, symbol of harmony; that this suggested the stars. As to the stripes, some writers refer us to the stripe which, in the absence of uniform, marked the rank of the Conti- nental soldier, by orders from headquarters at Cambridge, July 24, 1775. Says another writer, in answer: "The flag of the Netherlands." (9) It had become familiar to the Pilgrim fathers during their twelve years' sojourn in Holland, and its triple stripe, red, white and blue, suggested the stripes and the three colors. — 16— Another answer has been, thai Washington found in the coat of arms o\ his own family a hint from which he drew the design for the flag. The coal ^^\ arms oi die Washington family has two red bars on a white ground, and three stars above the top bar. A careful search among' die records of dial family fails to discover any connection. Says one of their genealogists: "There are several points of resemblance between our coat of arms and die flag of the country." The stars there are explained as meaning in heraldry that the estate passed to the third son. In an English genealogy of the family, the author refers to the matter as entirely without foundation, and adds: "At this time Washington was only Commander-in-Chief of the army, and Congress arranged the flag; besides, he was not at all popular then, there being a strong movement to supplant him with Sir Horatio Gates, fresh from the victory of Saratoga." Certainly, Washington himself never referred to any connection between his coat of arms and the flag, and his pride of family might have led him to do so, had any connection existed. It is said that a committee had been appointed, three weeks before June 14, when the stars and stripes were adopted, who were to consider the subject and report on a general standard for all the troops of the Colonies; that the committee, consisting of General Washington, Robert Morris and Colonel Ross, called on Betsey Ross, widow of John Ross, who kept an upholsterer's shop on Arch street, Philadelphia, and passing into the back parlor to avoid public view, they asked Mrs. Ross if she could make a flag like a design shown her. She replied "she would try." She suggested changing the stars from six-pointed, the French rule, to five-pointed, the English rule, which was done. Our flags always have the five-pointed stars, our coins the six-pointed. There is no doubt but that she made the first flag and that she made them for the government for several years. It is claimed that the first using of the stars and stripes in actual military service was at Fort Stanwix, renamed Fort Schuyler, now Rome, N. Y., in 1777. August 3d, of that year, the fort was besieged by the English and Indians; the brave garrison were without a flag, but -•no was made in the fort. The red was strips of a petticoat furnished by a woman, the white was from shirts torn up for the purpose, and the blue was a piece of Colonel Peter Gansevoort's military cloak. The siege was raised August 22, 1777. The first anniversary of American independence was celebrated July 4, 1777, at Philadelphia, at Charleston, S. C, and other places. Records of the exercises are preserved, and the flag adopted a few weeks earlier is mentioned as used. Thirteen stripes and thirteen stars are mentioned as used at Brandy- wine. September 11, 1777, at Germantown, October 4, 1777, and to have floated over the surrender of Burgoyne. This flag cheered the patriots at Valley Forge the next winter, it waved at Vorktown, and shared in the rejoicings at the close of the war. "The shipping of the country seems to have been slow to adopt any particular form of flag," says Lieut. Preble. —1 9— President Stiles perhaps refers to one of these flags when he writes in his diary, under date of April 24, 1783 : "Public rejoicing for the Peace here in New Haven. Thirteen guns discharged at sunrise on the green, and the continental flag displayed, presented by the ladies, cost $120. The stripes red and white with azure field in upper part, charged with thirteen stars." In 1789, when Washington took the presidential chair for his first term, there were still but thirteen states in the Union, none having been added in the twelve years since 1776, nor were any added till Vermont came into the Union, two years later, in 1791, and Kentucky in 1792. In consequence of these additions, the Senate in Congress assembled in New York passed a bill, in 1794, increasing the number of stars and stripes to fifteen, to take effect the next year, 1795. When the bill came to the House it caused considerable debate. Said one wise prophet, "The flag ought to be permanent; we may go on altering it for one hundred years. Very likely in fifteen years we may number twenty states." This was almost literally fulfilled. One representative suggested that "it might give offense to incoming states, it" a new star and a new stripe were not added." The bill finally passed, making fifteen the number of stars and of stripes after July 4, [795. 1 w) We used this flag for twenty-three years. But one after another the states came knocking for admission. Tennessee. 1796, Louisiana, 1812, Ohio. 1802, and Indiana, 1816, had joined the Union, and in 1816 the subject of the Flag came up again in Congress, now assembled at Washington; since 1800 the capital of the country.* A committee was appointed to inquire into the expediency of again altering the Hag. This committee reported in favor of increasing the number of stars and of stripes to twenty. The matter was referred to Captain S. C. Reid, who as captain of a privateer had made himself * It is of interest to note that the capital was changed nine times during the Revolutionary War. As the liritish army came dangerously near the capital, the few state papers were hastily taken to a place of safety, which hecame the capita] pro-tem. Philadelphia, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Lancaster and York. Ptnn., the same day (Sept. 27, 1777), Philadelphia, Princeton, Annapolis, Philadelphia, New York, 1790 to 1800, then permanently located at Washington. 10 famous by the capture of several British ships. He advised reducing the number of stripes to the original thirteen and increasing the number of stars, one for each incoming state, making them form one large star; the motto to be, "E pluribus unum." The committee reported the bill as recommended by Capt. Reid. It was "laid over," came up again two years later, and was passed April 4, 1818, to take effect July 4th of that year. A newspaper of the day says: "The time allowed for the change, three months, is too short. It will take a month before the change can be reported in New Orleans and vessels all over the world cannot hear of it for a year or more." Mrs. Reid made the first flag after the new design, proposed by her husband. July 4, 1818, the number of stars in the flag was twenty, Mis- sissippi being admitted 181 7. The rule of arranging the stars to form one large star was aban- doned. As the number of states increased, it was necessary to make the individual stars on the field so small as to be almost indistinguishable as .tars, or their points must interlace The plan of arranging them in was adopted in 1818 and has been continued. Illinois was admitted 1818, Alabama, 1819, Maine, 1820, Missouri, 182 1, Arkansas, 1836, Michigan, 1837, Florida, 1845, Texas, 1845, Iowa, 1846, Wisconsin, 1848, California, 1850, Minnesota, 1858, Oregon, 1859, Kansas, 1861, West Virginia, 1863, Nevada, 1864, Nebraska, 1867, Colorado, 1876, North and South Dakota, ii Montana, 1889, Washington, 1889, Idaho, 1890, Wyoming, 1890, Utah, #896, ( .klahoma and Indian Territory as State of Oklahoma, 1907. At this date, Oct, 1910, there are forty-six stars on the field of the flag. (IT) ******** *••**•• ******** ^ ~ r *^ *^ r^ r* F^ ^ ^ **•*•••* ^■^■■■^■^^ ***•**• *••••*** mUH^HHI 1HIHH | | A rrangement of the 4b stars, July 4, iqoS — 2 3— Arizona and New Mexico were admitted by vote of Congress, June, 1 910, conditional on each state adopting a constitution acceptable to the President and to Congress. As the star representing the state does not take its place on the flag till the 4th of July following the admission, the stars representing Arizona and New Mexico, the forty-seventh and forty-eighth, may not be placed before July 4, 191 1. This leaves only Alaska and the Hawaiian Islands outside of state- hood. Since that eventful afternoon, July 4, 1776, when with a boldness that seemed audacity but a hope that seemed a prophecy, the Declara- tion of Independence was signed and the name United States of America added to the list of independent nations, and nearly a year later the Stars and Stripes adopted as the sign of nationality — since that date we have been one of the combatants in three wars important to us as a Nation and our flag has waved over victorious peace at the close of each. —24— [st that with England, 1812-1815; 2 d, the Civil war, 1861-1865, and Jd| the Spanish-American war, 1898-1899 (one year lacking ten days). \ Eew incidents in connection with the flag may be given. In the war with England, 1812-15, our small navy was uniformly successful, particularly on the Northern Lakes, where over one thousand British vessels were captured and where not once was our flag lowered in token of surrender. The Civil war or war of the Rebellion, as it was called at the time. In i860 our flag had thirty-three stars, representing the thirty-three states then in the Union. Slavery had early existed in all the Colonies, but in all the Northern States the slaves had been freed, by Act of Legisla- ture—Connecticut in 1784. A moral sentiment against slavery was general in the North, while the South resented any interference with her efforts to extend the system. The crisis came with the election of Abraham Lincoln, November, i860. The Legislature of South Carolina voted unanimously December 20, — 2 5— i860, to secede, and called on all the slave states to join her and form a new nation under the name of The Confederate States of America. In the next two months, six states followed her example, though in none of the six was the vote unanimous in conventions called for the purpose of deciding. These seven states sent delegates to Montgomery, selected to be the capital of the confederacy. The subject of a flag came up for discussion. A committee of one from each state decided the matter. They called it "Stars and Bars." (12) At first it had seven stars on the field; by the close of the year there were ten. All the Southern States, in conventions called for the purpose, voted with varying majorities to secede, but in none except North and South Carolina was the vote unanimous. June, 1861, forty Virginia counties voted against secession and to form a separate state — West Vir- ginia. Four border-states were counted out or in the Union (the senti- ment being so evenly divided) as the National or Confederate troops occupied the ground. So the number of stars on the Confederate flag varied. At one time thirteen were claimed. —2 6— The North and the Government at Washington considered that the Union was a tie that could not be broken and the Supreme Court insisted on the unity of our national life and the supremacy of the central govern- ment. So no star was ever taken from the field of Our Flag, a fact that [jives great satisfaction to the Southern States. The records of the War department show that 2,653,062 men enlisted on the Union side, of whom 276,376 were killed or died of wounds or disease. Connecticut sent 55,880 men. A few years ago Congress ordered all captured flags in possession of the Government, 198 in number, to be returned to their original owners. Probably the first flag returned by its captors was in 1885, when the 13th Connecticut sent, by permission of our State Legislature, a flag taken from a Louisiana battery. It was sent wrapped in a U. S. flag, and the delight of the few survivors of the company at receiving their old flag was added to their cheers for the flag representing a United Country. It was during this war, '61-6$, that our flag was christened "Old Glory." —2 7 — William Driver, a sea-captain from Salem, Mass., had been presented at a foreign port, because of some service rendered the people, with a beau- tiful American flag. Later, giving up the sea, he made his home in Nash- ville, Tenn. He opposed secession. To secrete the flag, he sewed it in a quilt and every night slept under it. He named it "Old Glory." His house was searched many times in vain. When the Union troops under Gen. Buell entered Nashville, Feb. 1862, he brought out Old Glory and raised it on the State House. After the fall of Richmond, April 2, 1865, an th e Southern States took formal action of return and the tie of union seemed stronger than before. This seemed proved, after thirty-three years, at the beginning of the Spanish-American war in April, 1898. When the subject of Spanish oppression in Cuba and the blowing up of the Maine in the harbor of Havana, Feb. 15, 1898, was discussed in Congress, a Southern Senator moved "that $50,000 be immediately placed at the disposal of President McKinley, to uphold the honor of our Country." Every Southern man in both Houses voted "aye" and troops were offered from all those states. — 28— Congress declared Cuba independent April 19. Spain declared war April _' 1 and gave Minister Woodford his passport. Secretary Long of the navy immediately cabled Admiral Dewey, in command of seven of our finest war vessels composing our Pacific squad- ron, to "capture or destroy the Spanish fleet," known to be in the harbor of Manila. Sailing from Hong-Kong", the ships steamed for Manila, 620 miles away. The battle was fought May 1 with the wonderful result that every Spanish ship was destroyed, with a loss of 634 men, but not one American life lost. As soon as the news was cabled to Washington, Secretary Long- ordered the Oregon, the newest and finest of our fleet, to join the Atlantic squadron "with all speed."* This meant racing-speed, but so perfect had been the construction of * When one of our tneu-of-war starts from a foreign for a home-port, she raises a Homeward- bound Flag (/j) on her mainmast, that flies there till the home-port is reached. The blue field is often long enough to accommodate the number of stars on Our Flag, the two stripes being of propor- tionate length. the ship that it bore the fearful strain and not once was the speed lessened for repairs, and in less than four weeks, May 24, 1898, the 14,700 miles had been made and the Oregon joined our Atlantic fleet off Cuba. The whereabouts of the Spanish Atlantic fleet was unknown. It had steamed from Cadiz, stopping at the Azores and then probably making for some Atlantic port. Failing to appear, it was decided that it was hiding in some Cuban port, probably Santiago, on the Southern shore. This was verified by balloon. A watch was set June 1, our ships forming a semi-circle oppo- site the entrance to the large bay. In order to "bottle-up" the Spanish ships, the Merrimac was sunk across the narrow entrance, June 2d. But a ball from Fort Moro, the Spanish fort near-by, hit the rudder and the boat swung partly round and failed to entirely close the entrance. Later in the day, a shell from the Indiana carried away the fort's flag and it was not replaced till "Old Glory" was raised there. The watch continued for a month, steam was kept up and search-lights thrown out at night. Sunday morning, July 3, Admiral Cervera saw the Church flag of the — 3°~ navy ( r.f) rise to the top of the mast on the flagship Nezu York, the only flag that ever flies above the Stars and Stripes, and only during Divine ser- vice. Thinking that the men would be off duty, he ordered the fleet to make an effort to escape. The watch on the Iowa saw a faint line of smoke moving over the hills that shut in the bay; he fired a gun to attract attention and signalled "they arc coming." It was 9.30 o'clock and service had begun, but in less than three min- utes every man in his Sunday suit of white duck was at his post at the guns or in the ammunition room. Slowly, Indian-file, the Spanish ships came out and turning westward fled for their lives, our ships with our flag flying from every masthead in close pursuit.* At 1.30 it was over; every Spanish ship had been either burned or beached, not one of our fleet seriously injured, and only one man killed. The rapidity with which these two great naval battles had been *So perfect was the aim from target practice that the Oregon could drop a half-ton shell on deck of a fleeing ship. ••••••••• 13 ■ —3i— fought excited the other nations, for never before had an enemy's whole fleet been captured or destroyed in any battle. One thousand eight hun- dred Spanish prisoners were taken from the vessels. Not by word or deed was a man reminded of his humiliation. Admiral Cervera was received on the Iowa with full military honors and his sword, which he handed to Capt. Evans, returned to him. Till the men could be sent home to Spain on one of our warships, they were cared for at Portland, Me., and were astonished at the treatment. At the beginning of the Spanish-American war we stood the sixth of the naval powers of the world, at its close we stood second. In the land attack, June 30 to July 2, our flag was successful. The war was over. The Treaty of Peace was signed April 11, 1899, just one hundred and sixteen years to a day since the treaty at the close of the Revolu- tionary war. Porto Rico had asked to be taken under our protection and our flag was raised on the capitol at Ponce, Oct. 18, 1898. _ 32 _ I ater a ma*of-war was sent to the island, with orders to ra.se our Bag „ every port. Reaching the last town, it was found that there was no flag ,- T1 I, mar i„es tacked a white sheet to the deck and painted the stnpes J |R , (1 The imp ,,„„„ lu Hag was raised over the town hall w.th appro- print c ceremonies. . , Most of the states have a flag-law making it a misdemeanor, punish- able with fine or imprisonment, or both, to place any picture, name or inscription on our flag. A bill is before Congress for a national law o that effect. The number of the regiment of Government troops is excepted. Gen. Grant once said, "No name is worthy to be placed on our g ' England has long boasted that "the sun never sets on her dominions." They afe scattered world-wide. Since the purchase of Alaska mc.ud.ng the Aleutian Islands, over one hundred and fifty in number, -aching from Maska to Kamtchatka) from Russia in !86 7 for $7,000,000 we can say Z the sun never sets on our continuous territory, for when it , setting —33— on the most westerly of these islands it has risen at Eastport, Maine. Some of our possessions under the protection of our flag are held for pro- tection and ultimate self-government, and wherever it floats it demands respect for the nation it represents. "The Star Spangled Banner, Oh long may it wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave ! " ITEMS OF INTEREST IN CONNECTION WITH OUR FLAG. In its general form adopted June 14, 1777, it is older than any of those of Europe except Denmark, which has been in use since 1219. That of Spain, adopted in 1785, follows ours. Most of the flags used by the navy are made at the Equipment Build- ing, Brooklyn Navy Yard. The regulation number for a battle-ship is 250, for saluting, for signalling, and to meet all ceremonial and official requirements while in foreign ports. Among them are nineteen inter- national signal flags and forty-three foreign flags. A flag raised only half-way-up on staff indicates mourning. A flag upside down, i.e., the field below the stripes, an appeal for help. War-ships have' a way of talking when at a distance from each other that is called "wig-wagging." A simple flag on a long pole is held upright by the signaller and is lowered to the right and brought back to its vertical —35— position : this means one ; if lowered to the left it is two ; if held upright it is three. All the letters of the alphabet and numerals are indicated by combinations of one, two and three. A member of Parliament gave notice Feb. 7, 1783, in the House of Commons that "an extraordinary event had happened. An American ship was in the Thames, flying a flag of thirteen stripes and the custom officers did not know what action to take." No doubt the first appearance of our flag in English waters. Our flag first saluted by foreign power Feb. 14, 1777, in French waters by Admiral Piquot in returning salute of Lieut. Paul Jones. The President, as Commander-in-Chief of the army and navy, has his special flag, 5 ft. by 4 ft., the coat of arms of the United States on blue field, with thirteen stars in a curve above the eagle. The Washington Monument at Washington, D. C, is 555 ft. 5 in. high. Corner stone laid 1848, completed Dec. 6, 1884, at 2.00 p. m. The stars and stripes were then hoisted above the aluminum point that caps the -36- monument , flying from the highest constructed point in the ^orlA *. Paul> ,.„„,,,„, the next in height, is 404 ft. The monument cost $ 187,710. itairal Dewey and Justice Moody, then Secretary of dre Navy, Resident Rooseveh to order that the Star Spangled Banner be our National anthem. At all naval stat.ons when the flag >s raised o Zered, if possible, a band plays the National air, the men sprmgmg to their feet at the first strain. BETSEY ROSS AND THE FIRST FLAG. The following facts referring to Betsey Ross and the making of the first flag are furnished by Mr. George Canby of Philadelphia, a grandson of Betsey Ross. Elizabeth Ross was born Jan. i, 1752. She was the daughter of Samuel and Rebecca (James) Griscom, members of the Society of Friends or Quakers. Her father was a noted builder and assisted in the erection of the State House, now Independence Hall. His house, shop, and a very large garden were on Arch st. between Third and Fourth sts. Elizabeth, or Betsey as she was fondly called, was the sixth daughter. Her birthday was the first day under the new Gregorian calendar. It was frequently said in the family that "she was born the first day of the month, the first day of the year, the first day of the new style." She was well trained by her mother and become very expert with her needle and was fond of embroidery. Among her many admirers was John Ross, son of Rev. ^Eueas Ross, assistant rector of Christ Church. The young man was a nephew of Hon. George Ross, delegate to Congress and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. John was an upholsterer, working with a Mr. Webster, the lead- ing upholsterer of the city. One day in the establishment there was trouble about some drapery and John suggested that Miss Griscom could do it. Her evident skill induced Mr. Webster to urge her to learn his trade, which she did. John and Betsey were married, December 1773. She was disowned by the Friends, her husband being an Episcopalian. They started business for themselves on Chestnut st., and later moved to Arch st. John Ross died January 20, 1776. -38- The young widow determined to continue business on her own account. The uncle, Hon. George Ross, was interested in her success. When Washington, who made a hurried visit to Philadelphia, May 23, 1776, to confer with Congress on matters connected with the army theu encamped at New York, suggested to Mr. Ross that a sample flag be made, he at once named his niece as one who could do it, and accompanied Washington and Morris to the house. Passing into the back parlor to avoid public view, they asked Mrs. Ross if she could make a flag ; she replied, "she did not know, but would try." She suggested the changing of the stars that Washington had drawn with six points to five, folding a piece of paper and cutting a five-pointed star accurately. Her finished flag was approved by the Committee, and she was soon ordered to procure all the bunting she could get in Philadelphia and make flags for the use of Congress. Her uncle furnished the money necessary. There is an entry of a draft on the U. S. Treasury, May, 1777, "to pay Betsy Ross ^"14. 12s. 2d. for flags for fleet in Delaware river." She married Capt. Ashburn, who was captured at sea and died in a prison at Plymouth, Eng. She married for her third husband John Claypoole and was a third time a widow. She died January 30, 1836. Mr. Canby says there is no likeness of his grandmother — not even a silhouette ; that for the chromo published a few years ago — " Betsy Ross making the first flag" — six of her granddaughters sat for a " composite picture," thus securing a family likeness. 23 W° One copy del. to Cat. Div. 0Ci' 22 191© LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 022 008 994 • M ^ . trpqRV OF CONGRESS