Perhaps it may be of interest to give some slight sketch of the history
of the Flag, in this connection, the flag of which we are all so proud,
and which flies over such an extent of country and has penetrated the
most remote seas. The hoisting of the “colors,” or national flag, on
board a ship-of-war is a matter of considerable ceremony, and the same
is the case when it is hauled down at sunset.
When the time for “colors” comes--which is generally at eight o’clock
in the morning--the music is called (the band paraded, if there is
one), and, as the bell strikes, the flag is run up to the gaff, or the
staff, while everyone faces toward it and raises the cap and the band
plays one of the national airs. In the evening, as the sun dips below
the horizon, the same ceremony takes place. Different-sized flags are
used according to the weather; from the “storm-flag,” hardly bigger
than a boat-ensign, to the great flag which flies on the Fourth of July
and other grand occasions, but always, when in port, a ship-of-war in
commission has the flag flying during the day. During the day, also,
every boat which leaves a man-of-war for any purpose, must show her
flag, and this is especially necessary in foreign ports, where so much
of the time of our national vessels is passed. Most persons know that
the “stars and stripes,” or “old glory,” as the soldiers used to call
it during the civil war, was not at once adopted upon the breaking out
of hostilities between England and her American colonies. The national
flag of the United States assumed the form which it now has after many
experiments, and was the subject of much thought and discussion.
The flags used by the Colonies before their separation from the mother
country would naturally be those of England, and these were mostly
borne during such times as the French and Indian wars. But it was not
always the case, for several flags, differing more or less from those
of the kingdom, were adopted by some of the Colonies at different times
previous to the Revolution which was followed by independence. But the
Colonies, as a rule, used what was called the “Union Flag,” which was
the cross of St. George and that of St. Andrew combined, and typifying
the union of England and Scotland.
When the Colonies revolted a committee was appointed by the Continental
Congress to consider the subject of a proper flag. Dr. Franklin
was the chairman of the committee, which assembled in the camp at
Cambridge, on January 1, 1776. They selected and displayed the flag
of the “United Colonies.” It was composed of seven red and six white
stripes, with the red and white crosses of St. George and St. Andrew
conjoined on a blue field in the corner, denoting the union of the
Colonies. This was the basis of our present national colors, but it was
some time before these were adopted.
In the beginning of the hostilities the Connecticut troops had
standards displaying the arms of the Colony, with the motto. The
flag displayed by General Putnam had a red field with the motto of
Connecticut: “_Qui transtulit sustinet_” (“He who transplanted us will
sustain us”), on one side; on the other, “An appeal to Heaven.” The
floating batteries at the same time had a flag with a white ground, a
tree in the middle, and the motto “Appeal to Heaven.”
Trumbull, who was both soldier and artist, in his celebrated picture of
the battle of Bunker Hill, represents our troops as displaying a flag
combined of the two last mentioned--a red flag with a pine tree on a
white field in the corner--and it is probable that just such a flag was
used in that battle.
When, in 1775, South Carolina displayed a flag at the taking of Fort
Johnson by Colonel Moultrie, it is described as one having a crescent
in the quarter of a blue field. There were various others, but they
were soon supplanted by the “Great Union Flag” we have spoken of
already.
In 1776, a flag was presented to Congress by Colonel Gadsden for the
use of the infant navy. It had a yellow field, a rattlesnake with
thirteen rattles, coiled to strike, and the motto, “Don’t tread on me.”
The device of a rattlesnake was a favorite one with the colonists at
this period, and was frequently adopted as a heading by the newspapers
of the day; being represented as cut into thirteen parts, and the
initial of one of the colonies on each, with the motto “Join or die.”
The British used to make great fun in those times of many peculiarities
of the Rebels, as they were called, and one of the jokes was directed
against the fondness of the Americans for the number thirteen, which
was suggested, of course, by the number of the Colonies. Some of the
witticisms in this connection were personal and rather vulgar, but one
was that “every well-organized rebel household has thirteen children,
all of whom expect to be generals and members of the high and mighty
Congress of the thirteen United States when they attain thirteen years;
that Mrs. Washington has a mottled tom cat (which she calls in a
complimentary way Hamilton) with thirteen yellow rings round his tail,
and that his flaunting it suggested to the Congress the adoption of the
same number of stripes for the rebel flag.”
The Province of Massachusetts adopted a flag to be worn by the cruisers
of that Colony, which was white, with a green pine tree in the middle,
and the inscription “Appeal to Heaven;” being the same as that used on
the floating batteries. The great Union flag, without the crosses, and
with a rattlesnake and “Don’t tread on me,” was also used as a naval
flag. Different corps also carried different flags, with many devices,
in the land service, but the “Great Union Flag,” which was first
unfurled on the first of January, 1776, over the new Continental army
at Cambridge, was particularly the banner of the United States.
The stars and stripes, substantially as we see them to-day, were not
adopted for the standard of the United States until some time after
the Declaration of Independence. On the 14th of June, 1777, Congress
passed a resolution, which was not made public until the following
September, that the “flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen
stripes, alternate red and white, that the union be thirteen stars,
white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” The new
constellation, which it was intended should be represented, is supposed
to be Lyra, which in ancient times was the symbol of harmony and
unity among men. The difficulty of representing a constellation on a
standard probably led to a modification of the plan, and a circle of
thirteen stars was chosen, signifying union and eternal endurance. Red
is the emblem of courage and fortitude; white, of purity; and blue, of
constancy, love, and faith.
The flag, as thus authorized, was used at the surrender of Burgoyne at
Saratoga, October, 17th, 1777. Admiral George Preble, whose history of
the flag is the greatest and most exhaustive work upon the subject,
says: “It will probably never be known who designed our union of stars,
the records of Congress being silent upon the subject, and there being
no mention or suggestion of it in any of the voluminous correspondence
or diaries of the time, public or private, which have been published.
It has been asked why the stars on our banner are five-pointed, while
those on our coins are six-pointed, and always have been so. The answer
is, that the designer of our early coins followed the English, and the
designer of our flag, the European custom. In the heraldic language of
England, the star has six points; in the heraldry of Holland, France,
and Germany, the star is five-pointed.”
[Illustration: U. S. S. CINCINNATI.
Protected cruiser. Twin screw. Main battery, ten 5-inch and one 6-inch
rapid fire guns. Secondary battery, eight 6-pounder and two 1-pounder
rapid fire guns and two Gatlings. Thickness of protective deck, 2¹⁄₂
inches on slopes, 1 inch on the flat. 20 officers, 202 men.]
But, in the same work, an account is given, which is of the highest
interest, in regard to the actual manufacture of the flag which we
know so well, and revere so greatly.
In June, 1776, almost a year before the present flag was adopted by
solemn resolution of Congress, General Washington was in Philadelphia
for about a fortnight, being called on from New York to advise with
Congress on the state of affairs just previous to the Declaration of
Independence.
At that time there lived in Philadelphia a Mrs. Ross, whose house is
still standing at what was formerly No. 89, and now 239 Arch street.
It is little changed to-day from its general appearance of more than a
century ago.
Mrs. Ross was a well-known upholsterer, and a committee, which had
been considering the important question of a flag, visited her, in
company with General Washington, as the most likely person to be able
to carry out their views, and asked her to make a flag from a certain
design of which they produced a rough drawing. At her suggestion, it is
said, this was redrawn by General Washington in pencil in Mrs. Ross’
back parlor. From this she made a specimen flag, which was afterwards
adopted by Congress. Mr. Canby, who wrote a paper about this origin
of the actual flag, which he read before the Pennsylvania Historical
Society, in 1870, was a descendant of Mrs. Ross on the mother’s side,
and at the time he wrote the paper there were three daughters of Mrs.
Ross living, and a niece, then ninety-five, who all relied for their
accounts of the transaction upon what Mrs. Ross had told them. They
said that when “Colonel George Ross and General Washington visited Mrs.
Ross and asked her to make the flag, she said: “I don’t know whether I
can, but I’ll try;” and directly suggested to the gentlemen that the
design was wrong, the stars being six-cornered and not five-cornered
(pointed), as they should be. This was altered and other changes made.”
Whether this account is correct or not has been made a matter of much
discussion by persons interested in the early history of our country.
There is one thing certain; it came from _report_ of three people,
reduced to writing, and _not_ from tradition. Mr. Canby said that he
was eleven years old when Mrs. Ross died in his father’s house, and
he well remembered her telling the story. The mother and two of the
sisters of Mr. Canby were then living and in good memory. One of his
aunts succeeded to the business, and continued making flags for the
navy-yard and arsenals, and for the mercantile marine for many years,
until, being conscientious on the subject of war, she gave up the
government business, but continued the mercantile until 1857.
It is altogether probable that General Washington, with Colonel Ross,
who was no relation of Mrs. Ross, and Robert Morris, did call upon Mrs.
Ross to make flags, for General Washington knew Mrs. Ross very well.
In fact, she made his shirt ruffles and many other things, especially
while he resided in Philadelphia as President of the United States.
The first change in the flag provided by the Act of Congress which we
have quoted was in the year 1794. Then Congress passed a resolution:
“That from and after the first day of May, Anno Domini one thousand
seven hundred and ninety-five, the flag of the United States be fifteen
stripes, alternate red and white. That the union be fifteen stars,
white in a blue field.” This was approved on January 13th, 1794.
Already new States had been formed.
The next change was in 1818; when the resolution of Congress was that:
“From and after the fourth day of July next, the flag of the United
States be thirteen horizontal stripes, alternate red and white; that
the union be twenty stars, white on a blue field; and that, on the
addition of a new State into the Union, one star be added to the union
of the flag; and that such addition shall take effect on the fourth day
of July next succeeding such admission.” The present arrangement of
the stars on the flag is well known, and the arrangement is such as to
admit of addition when a new State is admitted.
In regard to the use of flags in the navy we may say that there are no
admirals or vice-admirals at present allowed by law. Our navy now has
only rear-admirals. When the three grades existed the distinguishing
flags were of blue bunting, bearing four, three, or two stars,
according to the rank of the officer: and, in the same way, carried at
the main, fore, or mizzen.
Sometimes it happens that two or more admirals are in company, and then
the senior flies the blue flag, the next in rank the red, and the last
the white, each with the stars as described. The Secretary of the Navy,
when on aboard a vessel of the navy always flies a flag peculiar to his
office--being a blue flag with the stars--in other words, the union of
the national flag.
When the President embarks in a naval vessel the fact is denoted by
hoisting the national colors at the main, he being Commander-in-chief
of the Army and Navy.
The courtesy of the flag on board a man-of-war embraces so many points
that they would be wearisome to the ordinary reader. We may only say
that, in the case of two vessels meeting at sea, the national flag is
always displayed. If one ship is a warship and the other a merchant
vessel of another country, or of her own, and she does not respond,
the man-of-war is apt to compel her to do so, especially under any
suspicious circumstances. When a man-of-war leaves a harbor at an
earlier hour than that usual for hoisting the colors she always hoists
hers first as she proceeds seawards, and each ship lying in the port
hoists her ensign until the outgoing vessel has passed, when it is
hauled down again, to await the regular hour for hoisting it with the
honors.
In seaports, when the flag of a newly-arrived man-of-war is saluted,
that flag is always shown at the fore, of the saluting vessels at the
first gun, and promptly hauled down when the last gun of the salute is
fired.
[Illustration: U. S. S. NEWARK.
Protected steel cruiser. Twin screw. Main battery, twelve 6-inch breech
loading rifles. Secondary battery, four 6-pounder, four 3-pounder and
two 1-pounder rapid fire guns, four Hotchkiss revolving cannons and
four Gatlings. 34 officers, 350 men.]