3v, W 37712. Cornell University Library arW37742 v.1-4 (Seven speeches in the House of Bepresen 3 1924 031 788 650 olin.anx ■ s ffi c ks I/, /-a -3 -J - i ■ L Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924031788650 THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES ADDRESS DELIVERED BY HON. FREDERICK C HICKS OF LONG ISLAND IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JUNE 14. 1917 WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 32539 — 18061 1918 Li, 4 (sK 1 7 A* 32539—18061 THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES "O brave flag, bright flag, flag to lead the free! The glory of thy silver stars, Engrailed in blue above the bars Of red for courage, white for truth, Has brought the world a second youth And draw a countless human host to follow after theel" First of the flags of earth to dare A heraldry so high- First of the flags of earth to bear The blazons of the sky; Long mny thy constellation glow, Foretelling happy fate; Wider thv starry circle groio, And every star a State! O bright Hag, O brave flag, flag to lead the free! The hand of God thy colors blent, And heaven to earth thy glory lent, To shield the iceak, and guide the strong To make an end of human wrong, And drawn a hundred million hearts to follow after theel Henry Van Dyke. 32039— 1S0G1 FOREWORD. In submitting to my fellow countrymen this address on the flag, I desire to express to my colleagues in Congress my sin- cere appreciation of the cordial reception tendered its presenta- tion aud my thanks for their kind expressions of approval. To my wife, whose deep interest in my work has been not only of untold material assistance, but a constant inspiration as well, these pages are affectionately dedicated. I have endeavored to present a true history of the flag, so far as it has been possible to ascertain the facts from docu- ments and records thut I feel are authentic, and while I realize the shortcomings of this history, I trust that those who read these pages will credit me with writing with a pen unbiased by sentiment, locality or tradition. If this history will stimulate, even in the slightest degree, the patriotism of the reader or Instill in the hearts of our people greater loyalty to our coun- try aud deeper reverence for our flag, I shall feel that the hours occupied in research and investigation will have been profitably spent. Tlie prestige of our flag was achieved by the practice of civic virtues and by the steadfast adherence to the principles of enlightened democracy. I speed this message on its way in the hope that it may encourage the study of our heroic past among the youth of the land and help to teach them the lessons of true citizenship, which gave birth to our Republic and by which it shall be preserved in all its vigor and splendor. Patriotism is more than a sentiment ; loyalty is more than an expression. The one is the acceptance of the duties — abso- lute and universal — which every citizen owes his country; the other the determination — sincere and unfaltering — to perform those duties irrespective of the sacrifice. Piercing the clouds of war that enshroud the civilized world, there shines forth in the effulgent light of freedom and justice, the emblem of the hopes, the ideals and the achievements of America, the standard of honor and of victory, the FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 82539— 18061 5 FLAGS— THE SYMBOLS OF IDEALS. " In 1777, upon the 14th of June, the Congress of the Colonies assembled and ordained this glorious National Flag which now we hold and defend, and advanced it full high before God and all men as the Flag of Liberty. It was no holiday flag, gor- geously emblazoned for gayety or vanity. It was a solemn national sigDal. When that banner first unrolled to the sun it was the symbol of all those holy truths and purposes which brought together the Colonial American Congress." Heney Waed Eeecheb. " Flags symbolize the noble aspirations and glorious achieve- ments of the human race ; they epitomize the romance of his- tory ; they incarnate the chivalry of the ages. Their origin is divinity itself, for when at the beginning of recorded time Jehovah made a covenant with man, promising that never again would He send the waters to cover the face of the earth and destroy all flesh, He unfurled the first flag — the multihued banner of the rainbow — which He set in tlie clouds as a symbol of security and an assurance to all future generations of His watchful care. And since that day man has in his finite way employed his earthly banners as emblems of faith, of hope, and of high resolve. "Around the bits of varicolored bunting which the people of each land nominate as a national flag there cluster thoughts of loyalty, of patriotism and of personal sacrifice, which have enabled the world to move forward, from the days when each individual struggled for himself alone, like other wild animals of plain and mountain side, until through community of inter- ests and unity of effort, mankind has been enabled to rear the splendid structure of twentieth-century civilization." GlLBEBT H. GkOSVENOB. 6 32539— 18061 THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. The SPEAKER. Under a special order of the House the gentleman from New York [Mr. Hicks] is permitted to address the House for one hour on the American Flag. Mr. HICKS. Mr. Speaker and Members of the House, on this, the one hundred and fortieth anniversary of the ordination of the Stars and Stripes by the Continental Congress, I have thought It fitting and proper to portray its wondrous history. The flag held in reverence by 100,000,000 of our people is a modern standard. There are no myths or legends associated with its origin; it tells no story of crushed liberties or violated rights ; it sprang neither from the sorrows of the oppressed nor the sufferings of the conquered. Its majestic beauty expresses the independence of a thoughtful, courageous, conscientious people ; the faith, the lofty aspirations and the high ideals of representative democracy ; the advance of a new Nation dedi- cated to liberty, to law, to justice and to human rights. The flag of America does more than proclaim mere power or acclaim a great and glorious history. Its rippling folds wave a benediction to the yesterdays of accomplishment and beckon the to-morrows of progress with hope and confidence; it her- alds the noble purposes of a mighty people and carries a message of hope and inspiration to all mankind. Its glowing splen- dor appeals to us to demand international justice and arbitra- tion ; it commands us to self-sacrifice, and to universal obligation of service which alone can maintain equality of rights and full- ness of opportunity in our Republic. Its stars and its stripes voice the spirit of America calling to a Nation of indomitable courage and infinite possibilities to live the tenets of Christianity, to teach the gospel of work and usefulness, to advance education, to demand purity of thought and action in public life and to protect the liberties of free government from the aggressions of despotic power. This is the call of the flag of the Union in this hour of crisis and turmoil, when civilization and the laws of nations and of humanity are being engulfed in the maelstrom of death and destruction. In the words of Robert G. Ingersoll — The flag for which the heroes fought, for which they died, is the symbol of all we are, of all we hope to be. It is the emblem of equal rights. It means universal education — light for every mind, knowledge for every child. It means that it is the duty of every citizen to bear 32539— 1S061 j 8 bis share of the public harden. It means that all distinctions based on birth or blood have perished from our laws; that our Government shall stand between capital and labor, between the weak and the strong, between the Individual and the corporation, between want and wealth and give the guaranty of simple justice to each and all. That flag Is the emblem of a supreme will of a Nation's power. Beneath its folds the weakest must be protected and the strongest must obey. It shields and canopies alike the loftiest mansion and the rudest but. That flag was given to the air In the Revolution's darkest days. It represents the sufferings of the past, the glories yet to be, and, like the bow of heaven, it Is the child of storm and sun. While no authentic history prevails relating to the banners and standards used by the peoples of remote antiquity. It ts probable that as soon as men began to form themselves into tribes and clans or unite for a common purpose, some symbol was used to express the common sentiment. Among many ancient ruins, representations of the objects used as ensigns have been discovered. History, both sacred and profane, records the use of standards or banners by the armies of all nations in the distant past. From the sculptures .and paintings on the monuments of Egypt, it Is evident that the use of standards and flags was common In the Valley of the Nile thousands of years before the Christian era. It was the custom among the Egyptians for each battalion to carry a distinguishing emblem representing some sacred object, or a tablet bearing a name or device. Excavations among the ruins of the Assyrian civ- ilization prove that these peoples were also accustomed to the use of standards. The ancient Hebrews had banners for the various tribes and in the Old Testament, Book of Numbers, Chapter I, we find : " And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp and every man by his own standard." In Chapter II : "And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, ' Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard, with the ensign of their father's house * * *.'" The Persians at the time of Cyrus used as their standard a ■white flag on which was displayed a golden eagle. The Romans had many standards and they were held in the greatest rever- ence by the people, who in the temples of the Eternal City guarded these emblems of their sovereignty with religious veneration. In primitive times each company of the army bore a pole with a bundle of hay attached. Later the figure of a horse, a bear, a wolf, or other tribal emblem was substituted. In the time of Marius a silver eagle, with spreading wings and with claws grasping the thunderbolts of Jove, was the emblem of the Roman Republic. This device, so common in various forms in 32530— 18061 9 countries of modern Europe, was taken from the Etruscans, who were the first to adopt It as the symbol of royal power. The Roman standards changed with their conquests and each emperor displayed new emblems. Augustus adopted a globe to symbolize his rule over the world, and Constantlne the cross to commemorate his vision. The cities of Greece also used standards In their military campaigns, carrying on their staffs various devices and emblems. Sometimes It was a piece of armor attached to a spear, or an initial letter, or an emblem of the gods. According to Homer, Agamemnon raised a purple veil to rally his soldiers. During the Middle Ages, and notably In the crusades, banners and emblems of every description roused the mail-clad warriors In defense of the cross against the crescent. From ancient times the dragon has been a favorite emblem for standards, especially among eastern nations. It was adopted by the Romans as the standard of their cohorts and was probably the device on the banner of Harold at the Buttle of Hastings, the Saxons having for many centuries used the dragon symbol. Richard Cceur de Lion In 1190, It is maintained, adopted the legend of St. George and the dragon to typify his exploits in the crusades " to the terror of the heathen beyond the sea." Henry III, in 12C4, at the Battle of Lewes, fought under the dragon ; and Edward III, at the Battle of Crecy in 1346. according to an old writer, displayed a standard " with a dragon of red silk adorned and beaten with fair lilies of gold." The word " ancient " was formerly frequently used to denote an ensign or standard bearer and in Shakespeare's Othello, Cassio, in speak- ing of Iago, says, " the lieutenant is to be saved before the ancient." Medieval flags were of various shapes, some long and pointed, some square and others ending in two or more points. The banner which the Pope sent Charlemagne was oblong with three points. The standards of Henry VIII of England were long streamers rather than flags as we know them. Time does not permit the description of all these emblems, and they have no relation to the flag that floats over us to-day, except as an Illus- tration, showing that through all ages and among all races of humanity, some flag has been used as an emblem to inspire men's hearts with confidence, hope and reverence. The flags used by the American Colonies prior to the Revolu- tion were naturally those of England, though there were some exceptions, for while the colonists considered themselves Eng- lishmen, the ties between them and the mother country did not prevent them from showing their independence. 32539—18061 10 The ancient standard of England, the cross of St. George, a white flag with a rectangular red cross extending its entire length and breadth, was the emblem usually carried by the English soldiery as early as the fourteenth century, though " first used by King Richard I as the British ensign." It con- tinued as the national flag until 1606, when James I by procla- mation united it with the cross of St. Andrew, a blue flag with a diagonal white cross extending from corner to corner. This flag, intended to represent the union of Scotland and Englnnd, was called the " King's colors " or " Union " flag, and was to be displayed from the maintops of all British vessels. In addition, ships were to fly from their foretops, flags to designate the part of the kingdom from which they came; those from south Britain — England — carrying the St. George cross, and those hailing from north Britain — Scotland — the cross of St. Andrew. It is presumed that, as the Mayflower belonged to south Britain, the flags under which our Pilgrim fathers sailed on their memorable voyage were the King's colors and the banner of St. George. The same inference can be drawn in. reference to the early voyages to the southern colonies. As the King's colors had been prescribed for ships only, the flag of St. George's cross continued to be used by English sub- jects on land. On the death of Charles I, in 1649, the union between Scotland and England was dissolved, and in 1651 the St. George's cross was adopted by the Commonwealth Parlia- ment as the national standard of England. While the Union flag again came into use upon the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, under Charles II, it is probable that the St. George's cross flag, with occasional variations, was the one displayed in the American Colonies until 1707, when Parliament ratified the union of Scotland and England. Under this act the " Union " flag of James I, the " King's colors," was ordained as the banner for all subjects of the British realm " both at sea and land." The famous " meteor flag of England " was a modification of the King's colors, being a red ensign with the device of the crosses in the canton. As Ireland was not incorporated into the British Kingdom until 1801, at which time the cross of St. Patrick — a red diagonal saltier on a white ground — was conjoined with the other two, the present ensign of Great Britain was never used by the American Colonies. It may be of interest to note other flags which were flown on American soil in the days of its discovery and early settlement. The first flag planted upon our shores, if we exclude the possi- bility of the Norsemen having reached our continent, was that of Spain, a banner with four quarters, two of which were red, 32539—18061 11 embellished with golden castles, find two white, emblazoned with red lions. This was the standard of Spain during most of the period of her conquests. Columbus also bore a personal flag, which had been presented to him by Queen Isabella, con- sisting of a white ensign with a green cross, having on either side the letters F-Y surmounted by golden crowns. It is stated that Cnbot, by reason of his being a Venetian, upon one of his expeditions, in addition to the flag of England, whose commis- sion he bore, carried the banner of his native city. This was a scarlet ensign bordered by a broad band of blue, impaled by the winged lion of St. Mark holding a cross in his right paw. The flag of France — what hallowed associations cluster around that noble banner, as we remember the heroism, the sacrifice and the loyalty of France in the dark days of our struggle for liberty. Washington declared that the remembrance of the generosity of France " must inspire every citizen of the States with sentiments of the most unalterable gratitude." The memories of 150 years ago recall the glories of victory, when the flag of France and the new-born standard of America waved side by side in the cause of human freedom. Inspired by that heroic past and in the spirit of Washington and Lafayette and the patriots of our Revolution, we extend our hand of sympathy and friendship and love to our sister Repub- lic across the seas, in this hour of her affliction. The laurel wreaths of triumph, faded but not forgotten in the flight of years, will again entwine the flags of America and France, as' they are carried onward to victory and to glory. The flag Jacques Cartier planted on the shores of the New World in 1534 was a blue ensign emblazoned with the golden fleur-de-lis of France. Later a white flag was adopted by the Huguenot party but it is probable that the Tlourbon flag — the fleur-de-lis emblem — floated over the vast territory occupied by the French. Henry Hudson brought the Dutch flag to America when the Half Moon sailed into New York Harbor in 1609. It was a flag with three equal horizontal stripes, orange, white, and blue, with the letters "A. O. C," standing for the Dutch name of the East India Co. of Amsterdam — then in control of maritime affairs of the Netherlands — in the middle of the white stripe. In 1621, when the Dutch West India Co. came into power, the let- ters "A. O C." were replaced by the letters " G. W. C." In 1650 the orange stripe was changed to red, the design of the present flag, and this banner waved over the future metropolis of the world until it was supplanted by the flag of St. George's cross. The flag of Sweden — a yellow cross on a blue field — also has a place in our history, as that nation for a number of years maintained settlements on the banks of the Delaware River. 325:;0— 18061 12 In the records of Massachusetts, as early as 1634, mention Is made of the use of the flag of St. George's cross. In 1643, a confederacy known as the United Colonies of New England was formed, but It was not until 1686 that a flag was adopted, being the cross of St. George with the initials " J. R." surmounted by a crown at the intersection of the two bars of the cross. This flag was modified and in the design most generally used had a red field, with the crose of St. George in the upper corner next the mast. A tree or a globe was usually represented in the upper canton next the staff. This was the famous New England flag. Occasionally the field was blue, and this later design is the flag supposed to have been used at Bunker Hill. Long before the smoldering embers of revolt blazed Into the fires of the Revolution, nearly every colony had adopted a flag of its own. The Massachusetts flng bore a pine tree; South Carolina displayed a rattlesnake ; New York had a white flag with a black beaver, symbolical of her industry and the wealth of the fur trade; and Rhode Island a white flag with a blue anchor and the word " Hope " upon it. The growing discontent of the Colonies was productive of numerous devices for flags and banners, the larger portion inscribed with mottoes more or less defiant of British authority. In 1774, at Taunton, Mass., a " union " flag was raised, bearing the words, " Liberty or Death." In New York in 1775 a " union " flag with a red field, charged with the inscription, " George Rex and the Liberties of America," was displayed. Other devices were employed, the most famous being the pine-tree flag, a white ensign with the motto "An appeal to Heaven " above a green pine tree, and the rattlesnake flag, a yellow banner bearing the significant words, " Don't Tread on Me," beneath a coiled snake. The Massachusetts cruisers frequently carried a flag which combined the pine tree and rattlesnake emblems in one design, the snake being coiled at the roots of the tree. Many pri- vateers adopted a device consisting of a mailed hand grasp- ing a bundle of thirteen arrows. The most famous flag used in the South at the beginning of the Revolution was one de- signed by Col. Moultrie, of South Carolina. It was a blue ensign with a white crescent In the upper corner near the staff. This was the flag which Sergt. Jasper rescued so gallantly when the fort of palmetto logs on Sullivan's Island was attacked by the British on June 28, 1776. It was under this flag that the Declaration of Independence was read to the citizens of Charles- ton on August 5, 1776. The word " Liberty " was frequently In- scribed upon it. When South Carolina officially adopted a State flag, she took this famous blue banner with its white crescent, 32539—18061 13 and in recognition of the services rendered by the palmetto logs, placed the figure of a palmetto tree In the center of the field. While some doubt exists as to whether a standard was carried at Concord and Lexington, it Is asserted by many authorities that Capt. Nathaniel Page, a minute man of Bedford, Mass.. was flag bearer of his company at Concord and that his banner had a maroon ground, upon which was described in silver, an armored, outstretched hand grasping a sword, with the inscription in a scroll of gold, " Vlnce aut morire," signifying "Conquer or die." Three silver disks were also described upon it. I feel we can safely assume that it was this flag, " the most precious memorial of its kind of which we have any knowl- edge," that waved over the "embattled farmers" at Concord, April 19, 1775, when in response to the midnight alarm of Paul Revere, they " fired the shot heard round the world." Many writers assert that it is doubtful whether the patriots at Bunker Hill were marshaled under any flag. Benson J. Lossing, however, in his Field Book of the Revolution, states that the standard raised on that fateful Saturday, was the time- honored New England flag, with its field blue instead of red. In the upper quarter was St. George's cross and In the upper canton the design of a pine tree was shown. Mr. Botta, a Revo- lutionary historian, was evidently of the opinion that the pine- tree flag was carried, for in his account of the battle he states that Gen. Warren in endeavoring to rally his men, reminded them of the motto inscribed on their banners, "An appeal to Heaven." Shortly after the Battle of Bunker Hill, Gen. Putnam unfurled at Cambridge a flag with a red ground, having on one side the Connecticut motto, " He who transplanted us will sus- tain us," and on the reverse side a pine tree with the motto, "An appeal to Heaven." While the various forerunners of the American flag are in- separably associated with its history, they afford little or no clue to the origin of the Stars and Stripes. It has been con- jectured that the stripes as an emblem of unity may have been suggested by the flag of the Netherlands, where for many years the combination of stripes had been used to symbolize the union of the Dutch Republic. As early as 1704 the flag used by the Honorable East India Co. of England, strangely enough, con- sisted of thirteen red and white stripes with the cross of St. George in the canton. Another theory is, that as the different grades in the ununlformed Continental Army were distinguished by stripes or ribbons, these distinguishing marks suggested the stripes in the flag. It has been frequently asserted, though without tangible evidence, that the stripes as well as the stars 82539—18061 14 on his own coat of arms, may have suggested the design to Washington. One of the earliest instances of the use of the thirteen stripes upon an American flag is found in the banner of the Philadelphia Light Horse Troop. This standard was presented to the company by Abram Markoe in 1775 and is known as the Markoe flag. It was made of yellow silk and both sides were alike. In the cen- ter was an armorial design, above which were the letters " L. II." and below the words, " For these we strive." The striking feature of this flag is the representation of thirteen stripes, alter- nate blue and silver, placed in the upper corner next the staff. As Gen. Washington, when en route to take command of the Con- tinental Army at Cambridge in 1775, was escorted from Phila- delphia to New York by this troop, he was undoubtedly familiar with the standard it carried, and the- significance of the stripes as indicative of the union between the Colonies, may have sug- gested the flag raised over his headquarters six months later. It is claimed that the Markoe banner was carried in the battles of Trenton. Princeton, Brandywine and Germantown. Reference should also be made to the two banners of the Tall- madge Dragoons, one pink and the other blue. The first has a pink field, in the center of which is a blue disk with silver wings. From the disk ten golden thunderbolts radiate like the sun's rays. Under this device is a silver scroll with the motto in black letters, " PAT* CONCITA FULM>'t NATL." The canton, bordered by a silver thread, has six stripes of white ribbon, making with the background thirteen pink and white stripes. The blue standard has the same device and motto and in addi- tion, above the disk in a scroll of gold, the inscription, " 2d Regt. Lt. Dragoons." The canton is edged with a gold line and has seven gold stripes painted on the blue silk, which, with the back- ground, gives the combination of thirteen stripes, alternate blue and gold. While having no bearing on the design of the Stars and .Stripes, it may be of interest to note another flag, the Eutaw flag, to which is attached a sentimental story. Col. William Washington, a kinsman of Gen. Washington, in 1780 was or- dered to Charleston, S. C, and while there fell in lov« with a Miss Elliot. Learning one day, when the colonel was paying her a visit, that his troop was without a flag, Miss Elliot, so it is related, with her scissors cut off a portion of a large damask cur- tain, which she afterward fringed and attached to a curtain pole and presented to him for a standard. This flag was carried in the Battle of Cowpens and at Eutaw Springs and is now the property of the Washington Light Infantry, of Charleston. 32539—18061 15 Another flag which has a romantic history is Pulaski's ban- ner, now in the possession of the Maryland Historical Society. Count Pulaski, the son of a Polish nobleman, was a soldier of fortune who, at the age of 24, found himself outlawed and his estates confiscated. At the beginning of the Revolution he volunteered in the American Army and in 1778 was commis- sioned an officer in the cavalry force. Congress authorized him to raise what is known as Pulaski's Legion and this body of troops was recruited in the summer of 1778. The patriotic women of Baltimore presented the count with the banner which had been made by the Moravian Single Sisters of Bethlehem, Pa. It is of yellow silk, with the letters " U. S." in the center and in a circle around them the words, in Latin, " Union makes valor." On the reverse side, surrounding an eye, is the motto, also in Latin, " No other governs." This banner was carried in the Battle of Savannah, when Pulaski commanded both the American and the French cavalry. The flag of Proctor's brigade, of Westmoreland, Pa., should also be mentioned. It is a crimson flag, cantoned with the Brit- ish union jack. In the center of the field a coiled rattlesnake with thirteen rattles is represented, with the familiar words, " Don't Tread on Me." This banner belonged to a company of Pennsylvania patriots, organized in pursuance to a set of resolu- tions adopted at Hannastown, then the county seat of West- moreland County, and it was carried in the Battle of Trenton. At the Battle of Long Island, August 27, 1776, the American patriots fought under a banner made of red damask on which was the word " Liberty." The Second New Hampshire Regiment had a buff flag, in the center of which was a golden disk with thirteen rays surrounded by a chain of thirteen links. The disk bore the motto, " We are one." In the canton were two crosses somewhat similar to the king's colors. Another emblem expressing the spirit of unity between the Colonies, was a flag with thirteen mailed hands grasping thirteen links of a chain arranged in a circle. Refer- ence should also be made to a banner known as the " Flag of the Bucks of America," a yellow flag with a pine tree in the center. Beneath the branches of the tree stands a deer. The canton is blue, on which thirteen yellow stars are painted. It is asserted, that this flag was carried in the Revolution by a regi- ment of Massachusetts colored troops. In addition to these flags there was the Three County Troop flag of Massachusetts — an earlier banner — carried in King Phil- lip's war by a body of cavalry organized in the counties of Essex, Suffolk and Middlesex. There was also the Bennington flag carried by the Green Mountain boys at the Battle of Ben- 32539—18061 16 nington, August 16, 1777. This flng had seven white and six red stripes, with a canton of blue, on which were thirteen stars, one in each of the two upj>er cornel's and eleven arranged In a half circle over the figures 76. There was also the flag of the First Pennsylvania Ritles, described as having " a deep green ground, the device of a tiger, partly inclosed by toils, attempting the pass defended by a hunter with a spear, on a crimson Held." Above the lion were the initials, " P. M. b.," while below was the motto " Domari nolo." This banner was carried at Trenton, Brandywine, Monmouth and Yorktown. The origin of the first flag distinctly colonial and representing a union of the Colonies Is shrouded in mystery. In October, 1775, the Continental Congress, then in session in Philadelphia, sent a committee to Cambridge to confer with Washington on military matters. It has been stated that this committee suggested the design for a flag, but there are no records to substantiate the assertion. Neither in Washington's correspondence nor In the report of the committee to Congress is there any reference to a new flag. Who designed the flag which Washington raised at Cambridge on January 2, 1776, is not known, but there and then were displayed the stripes emblematic of the union of the Colonies. In the words of Washington, " We hoisted the Union flag in compliment to the United Colonies." The standard con- sisted of thirteen red and white stripes, with the " union " or " King's colors " in the canton — the familiar combination of the crosses of St. George and St. Andrew. It was a singular flag, half American and half British, for while the Colonies still acknowledged their allegiance to England they were determined that their rights should be respected even at the point of the sword. In the fall of 1775 the Continental Navy was established and the several ships placed in commission probably carried as their ensign the " union " or Cambridge flag. It was not until the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. that a complete separation was decided upon, so the Cam- bridge flag with Its thirteen stripes represented the union of the Colonies in their protest against taxation without representation, while the union of crosses acknowledged their allegiance to the mother country. This flag was variously designated as the union flag, the grand union flag, Congress colors, and the grand striped flag, but is now referred to as the Cambridge flag, and it seems most probable that the banner officially adopted In 1777 was copied, at least so far as the stripes are concerned, from the flag Washington unfurled the year previous. The first authoritative action to establish a flag for a new sov- ereignty is fraught with particular interest and it is regrettable that we know so little as to the origin of the Stars and Stripes. 32539—18001 17 While the Cambridge flag had the thirteen stripes, there Is no evidence that any flag bearing the union of stars had been in public use prior to the resolution of 1777 and it will prob- ably never be known who designed or suggested this beautiful, distinctive and emblematic feature of our banner. The rec- ords of Congress are silent upon the subject and no authentic reference to it has ever been discovered in the correspondence, papers or diaries which have been examined. It is claimed in popular tradition that the honor of making the first flag com- bining the Stars and Stripes belongs to Betsy Ross, a Quaker upholsteress and flag maker who resided in Arch Street, Phila- delphia. It is asserted by her descendants that Congress ap- pointed a committee composed of Gen. Washington, Robert Morris, and George Ross, the latter an uncle of Mrs. Ross's late husband, who called upon her in May or June, 1776, and com- missioned her to make a flag from an Imperfectly drawn design embodying the stripes and the union of thirteen six-pointed stars. As the six-pointed stars were peculiar to the British, it Is said Mrs. Ross suggested that a star of five points would be more sym- metrical and appropriate and the committee at once adopted the new design. While this story is interesting and I hope may be well founded, there is however little evidence to support It. . It rests on the traditions of the Ross family and upon affidavits made by Mrs. Ross's descendants as to their understanding of the particulars as related by Mrs. Ross herself, or by those to whom she told the story. Unfortunately the annals of Congress make no reference to the appointment of a flag committee and yet so important a matter must have beej under consideration previous to the final adoption of the flag. In Washington's cor- respondence and writings no mention is made of a visit to Mrs. Ross's house or when or by whom the first flag was made. Neither do any of the historians of the Revolutionary period or any con;emporaneous writers, so far as I have been able to discover, throw light upon the subject. The principal argument against the story has been that the flag evidently was not used during any portion of 1776 and was not adopted until a year after Mrs. Ross is supposed to have made it. It is further stated by those who discredit the story that Washington when he caused the Declaration of Independence to be read to his troops in New York, on July 10, 1776, would Lave raised this new flag, had such a flag been in existence, instead of the Cambridge banner, which was unfurled. Those who have had experience in congressional matters will not be convinced by the argument of delay In not adopting the new flag at once, and had Mrs. Ross made the flag it is not probable that Washington or anyone else would have used it until Congress had approved It. 32530—18061 2 18 While the official records of the time offer no evidence of the use of the Stars and Stripes previous to 1777, some writers point to the historical paintings of Trumbull, Leutze and Peale as furnishing proofs of its earlier adoption. Where the flag ap- pears in their pictures it is undoubtedly a case of anachronism and not an historical fact. In Leutze's painting of " Washington Crossing the Delaware " the display of the colors is most prob- ably an instance of " artists' license." Whatever uncertainty may exist as to the true origin of the Stars and Stripes, we know that Congress, on June 14, 1777, adopted the following resolution : Resolved, That the flag of the 13 United States be 13 stripes, alter- nate red and white ; that the Union be 13 stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation. This is the first legislative action of which there is any record establishing a national flag for the sovereign United States of America, declared independent July 4, 1776, and proclaiming the official birth of a new constellation as the symbol of their Union. Thus were born the Stars and Stripes, which through al the ages shall be the emblem of liberty and justice for all mankind. In the words of the late Mr. Justice Harlan of the Supreme Court: To every true American the flag Is the symbol of the Nation's power, the emblem of freedom In Its truest, best sense. It Is not extravagant to say that to all lovers of the country it signifies government resting on the consent of the governed, liberty regulated by law ; the protection of the weak against the exercise of arbitrary power ; and absolute safety for free institutions against foreign aggression. The following description has frequently been referred to as a quotation frou- Washington's writings but I have been unable to verify it and question its authenticity. We take the star from heaven, the red from the mother country, sepa- rating It by white stripes, thus showing that we have separated from her, and the white stripes shall go down to posterity representing liberty. It has been said that — Every nation has Its symbolic ensign in their banners. Our fathers chose the Stars and Stripes, the red telling of the blood shed by them for their country, the blue of the heavens and their protection, and the stars of the separate States embodied in one nationality, E pluribus unum. The stars of the new flag represent a constellation of States rising In the west. The Idea was taken from the constellation Lyra, which In the hands of Orpheus signified harmony. The blue of the field was taken from the edges of the Covenanter's banner in Scotland, signifi- cant also of the league and covenant of the United Colonies against oppression, incidentally involving the virtues of vigilance, perseverance, and Justice. The stars were disposed in a circle, symbolizing the per- petuity of the Union, the ring like the circling serpent of the Egyptians signifying eternity. 32539—18061 19 What eloquence do the stars breathe when their fnll significance Is known : A new constellation, union ; perpetuity ; a covenant against oppression ; justice, equality, subordination, courage, and purity. I doubt if these poetic and fanciful descriptions, however, have any basis other than the imagination of the writer. While the flag was adopted June 14, 1777, it was not until September 3 following that Congress officially promulgated the design. The honor of first displaying the Stars and Stripes in battle belongs to the State of New York, when on August 3, 1777, an improvised flag was raised on the northeast bastion of old Fort Stanwix, or Schuyler as it was sometimes called, the site of the present city of Rome. Anticipating an attack by the British, u garrison of some 550 soldiers, under the command of Col. Peter Gansevoort. jr., with Lieut. Col. Marinus Willett sec- ond in command, had been placed in the fort. On August 2, the garrison was reinforced by about two hundred men of the Ninth Massachusetts Regiment, led by Lieut. Col. Mellon. This detach- ment brought news of the recently enacted flag statute, and as the garrison was without a standard the fort was ransacked for material of which to make the new flag. According to accounts, shirts were cut up to form the white stripes, a woman's petticoat supplied the red, while the blue ground for the stars was taken from a cloak belonging to Capt. Abraham Swartwort, of Dutchess County, who was then in the fort. This account is confirmed in part by a letter from Col. Swartwort to his commanding officer, asking for an order on the paymaster to reimburse him for the loss of his cloak. The narrative of Col. Willett, however, gives a somewhat different version of the story. He says : The white stripes were cut out of ammunition shirts, the blue out of the camlet cloak taken from the enemy at Pceksklll, while the red stripes were made of different pieces of stuff procured from one and another of the expedition. Howsoever the flag was made, it was the Stars and Stripes that floated over the brave Americans from August 3 to August 22, when the siege was raised. John Fiske, the eminent his- torian, further substantiates the claim that to New York belongs the honor of having first unfurled the Stars and Stripes in battle when he says, speaking of the flag : Hastily extemporized out of a white shirt and an old blue jacket and some strips of red cloth from the petticoat of a soldier's wife, this was the first American flag with Stars and Stripes that was ever hoisted. Delaware also claims the distinction, maintaining that the flag was first raised in battle at Cooch's bridge, near Wilming- ton, on September 3, 1777. The claim is based on the presump- tion that the American forces had a flag at that time, and even though they had, this skirmish took place a month after the flag on Fort Stanwix had been unfurled to the breeze. One of 32539— 1S061 20 the local Delaware historians, Judge Conrad, defeats his own contention when he says: On August 2, 1777, a short skirmish or sally occurred at Fort Schuyler, N. Y., In which the Americans floated a rudely devised flag, intended to represent the ideas embodied In the resolve of Congress, and all historians agree that the flag floated on that occasion was merely an Improvised one, and in no sense a complete and regular flag of the United States, The absurdity of Mr. Conrad's theory is dismissed by Mr. Edward H. Hall, secretary of the American Scenic and His- torical Preservation Society, who says : Thus the 20 days' siege at Fort Schuyler, so courageously and suc- cessfully resisted, Is dismissed by Mr. Conrad as a short skirmish or sally, and the fine distinction drawn between a heroic siege, with all its terrors of possible starvation and barbarous massacre, and a morn- ing's skirmish at Coocb's bridge between two small bodies of troops formally diawn up in line of battle. I do not know of any historian who says that the Fort Schuyler flag was not " complete," although they do agree that It was improvised. The Stars and Stripes first went Into action upon the sea on September 4, 1777, and the victory won at the close of that day was an auspicious augury for the triumphs and the glories which were to shed their luster on the American Navy In the years to follow. To Capt. Thompson belongs this honor. He records the engagement : " We up sails, out guns, hoisted con- tinental colors and bid them strike to the thirteen United Stntes." His reference to the continental colors was undoubt- edly an error, due to the fact that the new flag had only just come into use. The Stars and Stripes were carried in the Battle of the Brandy- wine September 11, 1777; they waved in triumph over the vic- torious field of Saratoga and cheered the ragged patriots of Washington's army amid their sufferings around the camp fires at Valley Forge. Beneath their folds, Cornwallls surrendered his sword at Yorktown, October 19, 1781. They floated over New York when the British evacuated the city November 25, 1783, and roused the patriotism of our soldiers during the later days of the Revolution, as the immortal Washington marched onward to undying fame. Soon after its adoption the new flag was hoisted on the naval vessels of the United States. It has been stated that the Naval Committee of Congress presented to John Paul Jones the first official flag of the United States ever made but there Is no official record to confirm this statement. Buell, in his life of Paul Jones, states that the captain displayed the Stars and Stripes on the Ranger, then being fitted up at Portsmouth, on the 4th of July, 1777. The Ranger, however, did not go to sea until No- 32539—18061 21 vember 1. With .Tones In command — his commission was issued on the same day the flag was established — the Ranger reached Quiberon Bay, France, about December 1, 1777, and on Febru- ary 14, 1778, her flag received the first salute ever paid the United States flag by a foreign power. No less an authority than John Adams has stated that the first American vessel to obtain a foreign salute for the flag, was the Andrea Doria in the Dutch West Indies, in November, 1776. This ship, however, carried only a continental ensign, probably the Cambridge flag, which was never legalized or officially established by the Conti- nental Congress and while the salute was undoubtedly given, even though it was afterwards disavowed, it was not the national ensign which the French commander saluted, for the West Indies incident occurred eight months before the Stars and Stripes existed. The confusion in this case, as in many others pertaining to the flag, is due to the uncertainty as to what was meant by the term "American flag." A question has been raised as to the exact date on which Jones raised the flag on the Ranger, some old reports of the incident stating that it was July 12. In De Koven's "Life and Letters of John Paul Jones," doubt is expressed about the claim made by Buell for Jones in connection with the raising of the ■flag on the Ranger in July, 1777, for he says: But the honor of first unfurl'ng the Stars and Stripes from a ship of war. which has been claimed for Jones, Is not supported by historical evidence. If he bad been lucky enough to have had the opportunity of first unfurling the new national banner from the Ranger, It Is not to be believed that he would have omitted to mention the fact. As there has been much controversy over the first display of the flag from a warship, it is of interest to note the several claims that have been advanced for this honor. In Griffin's " History of Commodore Barry " there is this reference to the flag: Under this flag Hopkins was the first to get to sea, and Barry's Lcrhiyton, hearing It, was the first to cause the British flag to sur- render to the Bag of Washington. And again: His cruiser (the Lexington) was the first Union flag to make the first capture that was first reported to the Marine Committee of Con- gress. John Fiske, in speaking of the Lexington'* capture of the British vessel Edward on April 7, 1776, says: This was the first capture of a British warship by an American. As this exploit occurred over a year before the Stars and Stripes were officially adopted, the flag borne by Barry was not the national ensign. The "Union" flag referred to by Griffin 3253a— 18061 22 was the Cambridge standard, and other accounts bear out the assumption that Barry's flag on the Lexington was the flag which Washington unfurled at Cambridge. This is further con- firmed by Preble in his history when he says: The Lexington was the Qrst vessel that bore the Continental flag to victory on the ocean. Capt. Manley's name has also been mentioned for the honor, and while it is true that his ship, the Lee, captured the British vessel Nancy in October or November, 1775, the flag that waved from the peak of the Lee was undoubtedly the famous " Pine Tree " emblem, with its motto "An appeal to Heaven," for the Lee was one of six ships under the command of Gen. Washing- ton which at that time carried this ensign. One writer, how- ever, speaks " of a flag being made in 1775 by a patriotic vessel owner of Massachusetts, having thirteen white stars in a blue union, the body of the flag being white, with an anchor upon it having over the top the word ' Hope.' It was hoisted on the armed schooner Lee, Capt. John Manley." This same author states that "either this or the stars on the Washington book plate in the absence of any record may be taken as reasons for the adoption of the stars in the union." I have been unable to substantiate the statement made by this historian that the thir- teen stars were displayed previous to 1777, and as Rhode Island had already adopted the design of the anchor surmounted by the word " Hope," it is not probable that a shipowner of Massa- chusetts would have used, even in part, the emblem of a rival colony. It is only fair to state that some historians maintain that the colonial flag of Rhode Island was frequently designated by a canton of blue, on which were displayed thirteen white stars. If such were the case, this striking design may have been the source for the adoption of the stars in our national ensign, but I can find no evidence on the subject. There does seem to be substantial reason to believe, however, that the flag carried by the First Rhode Island Regiment at the Battle of the Brandy- wine and during the siege of Torktown was similar to the flag just described, with the exception that the stars were gold. As these engagements took place after the adoption of the Stars and Stripes, they furnish no proof of the earlier use of tl.e stars. John Paul Jones asserted that he was the first to raise the flag. " It was my fortune to hoist myself the flag of Amer- ica," and this is confirmed by evidence which shows that during the winter of 1775-76, while the Alfred was lying at anchor at Philadelphia. Commander Hopkins was placed in com- mand of the newly commissioned ship. When he reached the deck of the Alfred, Jones, then a lieutenant, raised the flag in 32539—18061 23 honor of the commander. But this American flag hoisted by Jones, and which the patriots of Philadelphia cheered on that wintry day, was probably the striped "Union" flag which Washington displayed over his headquarters at Cambridge. From the fact that this flag was carried by all ships under the control of the Continental Congress it is also frequently referred to as the " Congress colors." It seems evident that the Alfred carried at the main mast the famous rattlesnake flag designed by Col. Gadsden, which was frequently used on ships of war as the flag of the commander. In this connection the following reference is of interest : February 9, 1776. Col. Gadsden presented to the Congress an elegant standard, such as Is to be used by the commander in chief of the American Navy, being a yellow geld, with a lively representation of a rattlesnake in the middle in the attitude of going to strike and these words underneath, " Don't tread on me.'' Ordered, that the said standard be carefully preserved and suspended in the Congress room. It should be remembered, however, that this refers to the Provincial Congress of South Carolina and not to the Conti- nental Congress as frequently erroneously stated. It was this rattlesnake flag, with the addition of a pine tree — the flag carried by the Massachusetts privateers — which an Eng- lish writer of the period referred to In the following words : A strange flag latterly appeared in our seas bearing a pine tree with the portraiture of a rattlesnake coiled up at its root, with the daring words, " Don't tread on me." We learned yesterday that the vessels bearing th'.s flag have a sort of « commission from a society of people In Philadelphia calling themselves the Continental Congress. The " jack " displayed at the bow in conjunction with the Congress colors was probably a flag of thirteen horizontal red and white stripes running the full length of the fly, across which was represented a couchant rattlesnake with the words underneath, " Don't Tread on Me." The difficulty of identifying the first flag raised is largely due to the uncertainty of what the historians of that period meant when using the phrase " American flag." Some writers speak of the " Cambridge " banner, while others refer to the " Pine Tree " and the " Rattlesnake " emblems as the American flag. To make the designation clear and positive, the flag of the United States is the national ensign adopted June 14, 1777, and all flags used prior to this date were state, colonial, or continental em- blems and not the Stars and Stripes. While there is a contro- versy regarding the initial display of the national flag from a war vessel, there seems to be no doubt but that Jones received the first salute ever given the Stars and Stripes by a foreign power. No reference to the early history of the flag upon the seas would be complete without a brief allusion to the battle between 32539—18061 24 the Bon Homme Richard and the Serapis in the evening of September 23, 1779. Thackeray once told a friend that the capture of the Serapis by Paul Jones was one of the most extraordinary stories ever recorded in naval history. Without question, that moonlight battle was the greatest exploit in the annals of the sea, and the courage of John Paul Jones and his brave crew, fighting to victory from the decks of a sinking ship, forms one of the brightest pages in our history. Ameri- cans will ever pay tribute to the sublime confidence and daring of Paul Jones. Bidding defiance to all human calculations which had predoomed him to defeat, with a foundering ship, half his men dead or dying, when hope and chance seemed irretrievably lost, he fought on and won immortal glory. All great events seem to invite controversies and it is so with reference to the flag borne by the Richard. In 1898 the Gov- ernment received what was purported to be the original ensign of Jones's old ship. According to the story, which for a time ha J some support in the popular fancy, the Richard, several days before encountering the Serapis, captured a British vessel, the Kitty, which had formerly been an American ship. Among the crew was one Stafford, who volunteered for service on the Richard, and who, it is alleged, during the action with the Serapis plunged into the sea and recovered the Richard's flag, which had been shot away. When Jones transferred his crew from his sinking ship, it is stated that this sailor rescued the flag and later accompanied Jones to the Alliance upon his as- suming command of that vessel. When the Alliance was sold, the flag was presented to Stafford in recognition of his services. It is alleged that a letter was sent by Joseph Myler, secretary pro tempore of the Marine Committee, to Joseph B. Stafford, presenting to him " Paul Jones's ' Starry Flag ' of the Bon Homme Richard, which was transferred to the Alliance," in recognition of his meritorious services. Beyond this letter there is no positive evidence that this Stafford flag, which has only twelve stars, was the one that waved from the ensign gaff of the Richard in the most desperate of all sea conflicts. Those who doubt the authenticity of the Stafford flag, assert that the bunting of which it is made, is of a date subsequent to the battle with the Serapis. It is also maintained that Stafford's name does not appear on any ships' papers of that time. Another story, which has gained considerable vogue, is to the effect that the flag of the Richard had been made by two maiden ladies of Philadelphia, who presented it to Capt. Jones shortly after Congress had adopted the Stars and Stripes. It is supposed that this flag, which bore thirteen stripes but only 82539 — 18061 25 twelve stars, was flown from the Ranger and was afterwards transferred to the Richard. There does not seem to be any foundation whatever for this legend. Buell, In his " Life of Paul Jones," gives a rather fanciful account of this much-disputed flag: The " unconquered and unstricken " flag that went down with the Richard was the same one which the girls of Portsmouth made from slices of their best silk gowns, and presented to Jones to hoist on the Ranger, July 4, 1777, and he considered It his personal property or, perhaps, the property of the girls who made It, Intrusted to his keep- ing. On relinquishing command of the Ranger in 1778, he kept this flag with him and used it on the Richard. It was made by a quilting party according to specifications which Jones furnished. The 13 white stars were cut from the bridal dress In which Helen Seary had been wedded In May, 1777. This was the first edition of the Stars and Stripes that Europe ever saw; the first to be saluted by the guns of a European naval power; but, far beyond that, and beyond anything, It was the first and last flag that ever went down or ever will go down flying on the ship that conquered and captured the ship that sunk her. When Jones returned to this country In February, 1781, he found Miss Langdon, of the " quilting party," a guest of the Ross family, whose house was always his home in Philadelphia. By way of apology be explained to her that his most ardent desire had been to bring that flag borne to America, with all its glories, and give it back untarnished Into the fair bands that had given It to him nearly four years before. " But, Miss Mary," he said, " I couldn't bear to strip it from the poor old ship in her last agony, nor could I deny to my dead on her decks, who bad given their lives to keep it flying, the glory of taking it with them." " You did exactly right. Commodore," exclaimed Miss Langdon ; " that flag Is just where we all wish It to be — flying at the bottom of the sea over the only ship that ever sunk in victory !" I fear sentiment has been interwoven with history In this Interesting story, for while the records are very complete in describing the battle, their reference to the colors Is most meager. In Jones's memoirs, compiled from papers in the pos- session of his niece, Mrs. Taylor, there is a reference stating that few of the personal effects of the officers were saved. In the journal prepared by Jones for the King of France, he speaks of everything going down with the ship except signal flags. As the national flag is never used as a signal in the sense In which Jones referred to the signal flags which were saved, Buell evidently assumed that the Stars and Stripes were left flying at the peak when the Richard sank beneath the waves. In July, 1905, Scribner's Magazine published the " Narrative of John Kilby," quarter gunner of the Richard. In this narra- tive, written In 1810, the sinking of the Richard is described as follows: O Heavens ! It was enough to bring tears from the most unthinking man. She went down head foremost with all sails set — studding sails, 32530— 180G1 26 top-gallant sails, royals, skyscrapers, and every sail that could be put on a sbip — jack, pennant, and that beautiful ensign that she so gal- lantly wore while in action and when she conquered. It has been asserted that Jones referred to the loss of the flag in his report of the engagement to Congress, but, unfortunately, the records do not disclose this fact. The several letters written by the great commander to numerous friends describing the battle, are silent on the flag episode. Yet Mr. Buell states that Jones made a report in which he said : No one was now left aboard the Richard but ber dead. To them I gave the good old ship for their coffin, and in her they found a sublime sepulcher. She rolled heavily in the long swell : her gun declt, awash to the port sills, settled slowly by the head and sank peacefully in_ about 40 fathoms. The ensign gaff, shot away In action, had been fished and put in place soon after firing ceased, and our torn and tattered flag was left flying when we abandoned her. As she plunged down by the head at the last, her taffrail momentarily rose In the air ; so the very last vestige mortal eyes ever saw of the livn Homme Richard was the defiant waving of her unconquered and unstrk'ken flag as she went down. And, as 1 had given them the good old ship for their sepulcher, I now bequeathed to my immortal dead the flag they had so desperately de- fended, for their winding sheet. For the sake of history and in honor of the memory of the great sailor, let us^hope that Buell based his eloquent and pathetic account of the sinking of the Bon Homme Richard upon substantial grounds. The flag as originally adopted remained unchanged until May 1, 1795. By this time two more States, Vermont and Kentucky, had been admitted into the Union, and a change in the flag was made necessary. Not foreseeing the growth of the flag in the addition of both a stripe and a star for each new State, Con- gress on January 13, 1794. enacted — That from and after the 1st day of May, 1795, the flag of the United States be 15 stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be 15 stars, white in a blue field. In the first flag, the stars were evidently arranged in a circle, at least in one instance, but this custom was not generally adopted. At Annapolis, there is preserved the flag of the Third Maryland Regiment, with a union showing twelve stars in a circle, surrounding one in the center. In the flag of fifteen stripes the stars were placed in three parallel rows of five stars each, and this flag was the national banner from 1795 to 1818, during which period occurred the War of 1S12. It was this flag waving over Fort McHenry that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the " Star-Spangled Banner." By 1818 five additional States — Tennessee, -Ohio, Louisiana, Indiana and Mississippi — had been admitted into the Union 32539—18061 27 and therefore truly to represent the Union, a further change in the flag was demanded. After considerable discussion tn Congress on the subject, the act of April 4, 1818, was passed, which provided : First. That from and after the 4th of July next the flag of the United States be 13 horizontal stripes, alternate red and white ; that the union have 20 stars, white In a blue field. Second. That on the admission of every new State Into the Union 1 star be added to the union of the flag and that such addition shall take effect on the 4th of July next succeeding such admission. To Hon. Peter H. Wendover, a Member from New York, be- longs the credit of pressing it to final passage. The return to the thirteen stripes of the 1777 flag, was due largely to the fact that it would not be practicable to continue adding a stripe for each new State, for a further increase in the number of stripes would have made the width of the flag disproportionate to its length, unless the stripes were narrowed, and this would have impaired its distinctness. Upon the suggestion of Capt. Reid, of the Navy, who had suggested the return to the thirteen stripes, the stars were to be arranged in the form of one great star in the center of the union. This design, however, did not meet with favor, and the stars were arranged in rows. A news- paper of the times said : By this regulation the 13 stripes will represent the number of States whose valor and resources originally effected American independence, and the additional stars will mark the increase of the United States since the establishment of the Constitution. No act has since been passed by Congress altering the general design of the flag and it is the same as originally adopted ex- cept for the increase in the number of stars in the union. In the War with Mexico the flag displayed twenty-nine stars in its union ; during the Civil War, thirty-five ; during the Spanish- American War, forty-five stars; and since July 4, 1912, forty- eight stars. Congress has never legislated upon the arrange- ment of the stars in the union and in consequence there has been a lack of uniformity in the matter, although the early confusion has now disappeared and in the absence of direct legislation an agreement has been reached between the Navy and War Depart- ments on the subject. The present arrangement of the stars is in six horizontal rows of eight stars each. The term " Old Glory " was evidently first applied to the flag by William Driver in 1831, a skipper from Salem, Mass., who was at that time in command of the brig, Charles Doggett. It is related, that as he was about to sail for the South Seas a party of friends presented him with the flag and when it was broken from the gaff the captain christened it " Old Glory." In 1837 the captain removed to Nashville, Tenn., taking with him Old 32539—18061 28 Glory, which he afterwards displayed on all public occasions. His pronounced Union sentiments frequently led him into trouble with his southern neighbors and during the war he was obliged to conceal the flag in the coverlet of his bed. In 18G2 when a detachment of Buell's army occupied the city, Capt. Driver, with his own hands, hoisted Old Glory over the capitol building. The history of the flag from this time seems clouded in un- certainty, and I will refer briefly to three statements that have been made in regard to it. The Rev. Henry N. Couden, chaplain of the House, a veteran of the Sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, feels confident that the Old Glory flag no longer exists. The respect and veneration in which Dr. Couden is held by every Member of Congress, entitles his contribution to the history of this famous flag to be accepted as evidence that the flag was accidentally destroyed. He states that in February, 1862, his regiment had been ordered to relieve Grant at Donelson, but while they were on the transports word came that the fort had surrendered. They were then ordered to Nashville, where on February 25 they took part in the ceremonies incident to the raising of the Stars and Stripes over the capitol. The next day Capt. Driver obtained Col. Anderson's permission to hoist Old Glory to the mast and a squad of soldiers were detached to pro- cure the flag, which the captain with his own hands raised over the building. The captain then presented the flag to the Sixth Ohio and this regiment fought under Old Glory at Shiloh and Stone River. In keeping it aloft in the Battle of Stone River six men were shot down but Old Glory was kept waving and did not touch the ground. For about a year Old Glory, the name having then been adopted by other regiments, was the regimental flag of the Sixth Ohio. For safe-keeping the flag after sunset each day was deposited in one of the quartermaster's wagons, but one night some of the animals, having broken loose, destroyed the flag. Dr. Couden's statement is amply verified, if any verifica- tion be necessary, by the following paragraph taken from Han- naford's " History of the Sixth Ohio Regiment " : The flag, with whose history so many Interesting associations were connected, was presented to the Sixth Ohio, by which it was regarded as a most precious souvenir. It passed safely through all the campaigns of the regiment, until October, 1863, when Fred Schnell's mules discovered It one night where it was stowed away In the headquarters' wagon and before morning had eaten Old Glory up, leaving only a few shreds to tell the sacrilegious tale. In order to make the record complete, I insert extracts from a letter sent me by the Essex Institute, of Salem, Mass., which claims it has in its possession the original flag. The secretary states that the original Old Glory was presented to the institute 32539—18061 29 by a niece of Capt. Driver, who sent with the flag the following letter, written by the captain himself: Nashville, Tenn., September 25, 1880. My Dear Niece : I send you this my oldest flag. It has been every- where, my companion around the world, waved at Pitcalrn, and among the Icebergs of Cape Horn. This is my Old Glory, like me neglected and worn out, but there is no stain upon it. I kept it for my winding sheet, a sailor's whim, and now feeling like old Mordecal at the gate, I give it to you as a proof of the kindness and reward a patriot receives at the hand of a soon-to-be-broken-up Government. The secretary of the institute then closes his letter with this statement : The traditional story In relation to the flag eaten by the mule has also come down to us but is said to refer to another flag. Let me say this also In this connection, that a descendant of Capt. Driver, living in the far West, I think Nevada, also has a flag of Capt. Driver's, which she claims to be the original. But in view of the evidence of this letter, which came to us with our flag, there can be no doubt as to the facts in the case. The above statements are refuted by Mrs. Mary Roland, of Nevada, a daughter of Capt. Driver, who, under date of August 15, 1913, stated that: The original flag Old Glory has never been out of the possession of our family. This flag, my father named Old Glory, he gave me in July, 1873, and it has remained in my possession ever since. Mrs. Roland asserts that when her father, in 18S0, asked her to send him Old Glory she sent him, without his knowledge, another flag and that it was this substitute flag and not Old Glory which was deposited by his niece in the Essex Institute shortly after the captain's death. While it would seem that the Stars and Stripes were carried in battle in many of the later campaigns of the Revolution, it Is evident that the national ensign was not generally used by troops until the Mexican War. In reference to its use by regiments in the field, I quote from a statement made by the Smithsonian Institution : It seems, that for many years, the Army did not carry the Stars and Stripes In battle, though It had been In general use as a garrison flag. The land forces, during this period and before, carried what was known as national colors or standards of blue, with the coat of arms of the United States, comprising an eagle surmounted by a number of stars emblazoned thereon, with the designation of the body of troops. In 1834 War Department regulations gave the Artillery the right to carry the Stars and Stripes. The Infantry and Cavalry still used the national standards, which remained the colors of the Infantry until 1S41 and of the Cavalry untli 1887, when that branch of the Army was ordered to carry the Stars and Stripes. From its adoption in 1777, however, naval vessels universally displayed the national flag. 3^539—18061 30 Mr. Gherardi Davis, in his monumental wort, " The Colors of the United States Army," says: After the adoption by Congress In June, 1777, of the United States flag, the Stars and Stripes appear to have been very generally used at sea. But this flag does not seem to have been adopted generally by the Army. Mr. R. C. Ballard Thruston, of Louisville, also states — that the flags or colors made by the War Department for the Army were in the hands of the field commissary stores but not distributed till March, 1783. The war was then over. So we now know that the entire Eevolutionary War was fought through without the Army being fur- nished any flags by the Government. Those they did use were made by the ladies for some company, battalion, or officer. Sergt. Schopper, in charge of the ordnance museum at West Point, is of the opinion that — The Stars and Stripes were not commonly carried by troops during the Revolution ; and in the few Isolated cases where it is claimed that they were, they were privately made and not issued by the Board of War. The official correspondence of Gen. Washington shows that it was not until several years after the adoption of the Stars and Stripes, that the War Board obtained material to make national colors for the Army " as variant from the marine flag." While this evidence shows that the Government did not fur- nish the national ensign to troops in the field, it does not prove that the Stars and Stripes were not displayed, for it is evident that flags privately made were presented to different com- panies, which, while not official, were true representations of the national flag. It seems only reasonable to conclude, that at many of the most important events in the closing years of the Revolution, the Stars and Stripes cheered our troops to victory. While we have but one flag for use on sea, as well as land, by merchant ships and men-of-war alike, Congress very early In our history adopted a special flag for the Revenue-Cutter Service consisting of sixteen perpendicular stripes, alternately red and white. The union is white, on which is depicted in blue the national coat of arms — the eagle surmounted by a half circle of thirteen stars. The large number of stripes is accounted for by the fact, that at the time the " ensign and pendant " of the Revenue-Cutter Service was established, in 1799, there were sixteen States in the Union and the arrangement has never been altered. Under the act of January 28, 1915, the Life-Saving Service and the Revenue-Cutter Service were combined under the title United States Coast Guard, and the revenue flag adopted as a distinguishing flag, to be flown from the foretruck or pennant staff. The union jack, commonly called the " jack," consists of the union of the national flag— a blue field with forty-eight white 32539—18061 31 stars arranged In six parallel rows of eight stars each. The Navy regulations specify that " when at anchor the union jack shall be flown from the jack staff from morning colors to even- ing colors." The jack is used also as a signal for a pilot and to denote the session of a court-martial. " When a diplomatic official of the United States of and above the rank of charg