"NEWBERN, NORTH CAROLINA, February 9, 1776.
"By a gentleman from Philadelphia, we have received the pleasing
account of the actual sailing from that place of the first American
fleet that ever swelled their sails on the Western Ocean, &c.
"This fleet consists of five sail, fitted out from Philadelphia,
which are to be joined at the capes of Virginia by two more ships
from Maryland, and is commanded by Admiral Hopkins, a most
experienced and venerable sea captain."
"They sailed from Philadelphia amidst the acclamations of thousands
assembled on the joyful occasion, under the display of a Union
flag, with thirteen stripes in the field, emblematical of the
thirteen United Colonies."[52]
[52] American Archives, 4th series, vol. iv. p. 965.
And the following extract from a letter, dated New Providence, West
Indies, of which Island Admiral Hopkins took prisoner the governor,
&c.[53]
[53] Ibid. vol. v. p. 823.
This letter was kindly furnished by Colonel Peter Force, editor of
the _American Archives_, and may be found in the _London Ladies'
Magazine_, vol. vii. July 1776, p. 390.
"NEW PROVIDENCE, May 18, 1776.
"The colors of the American fleet were striped under the
_Union_, with thirteen strokes, called the United Colonies,
and their standard, a rattlesnake; motto--'Don't tread on me.'"
The following extract was furnished by the same gentleman, to whom I
cannot too warmly return my thanks for the facilities and assistance he
has afforded me.
"WILLIAMSBURG, VA., April 10, 1776.
"The Roebuck [a British cruiser] has taken two prizes in Delaware
Bay, which she decoyed within her reach, by hoisting a
_Continental Union Flag_."
Reference to this letter not obtained, but in support of its
correctness, see affidavit of Mr. Barry, master's mate, ship Grace,
captured by the Roebuck, to be found in the _Pennsylvania Evening
Post_, June 20, 1776, vol. ii. No. 221.
It is unnecessary to multiply proof on this subject. The term _union_,
in these accounts, both by American and British writers, at sea and
land, by the interpretation we give it, explains and harmonizes all
of them. We therefore proceed to consider the other and what may be
called the distinctive devices--we mean the stripes on this
Continental Union Flag.
Under the head of Ensign (_Brande's Dictionary_), we are told: "Men of
war carry a red, white, or blue ensign, according to the color of the
flag of the admiral." By the 1st Article of the union between England
and Scotland, we have seen that the ensigns, both "at sea and land,"
were to embody the union of the crosses of St. George and St. Andrew
conjoined; hence the colors, red, white, &c., only apply to the field
of the ensign.
In the extract from the King's Regulations for the British Army, we
have shown that the ensign of the different regiments differed in color
according as the facings of the uniforms of the particular regiments to
which they belonged differed. We have seen, in the Crusades, the
different nations were distinguished by different colored crosses on
their surcoats, from which the particular colored cross was transferred
to the national banners of at least Scotland and England. Here the
striking distinction was color. The same practice prevailed at the time
of the Revolution in the colonies.--See the Proceedings of the
Provincial Congress of Connecticut, "July 1, 1775. One standard for
each regiment, distinguished by their color, as follows, viz.: For the
seventh, blue; for the eighth, orange."[54]
[54] American Archives, 4th series, vol. ii. p. 1582.
With this practice of nations, then, before them, and evidently applied
by them, viz.: that of applying some badge of distinction in use in
their armies to their national banner, combined with that of indicating
different portions of their armies by different colors for their flags;
and of two nations, when uniting, adopting as a common ensign something
to indicate their union, and still preserve the original banners (both
as to devices and color), under which they had respectively achieved
signal triumphs, especially as this last example was that of the mother
country, we may expect to see the colonies carrying out this practice
in their Union flag.
They were British colonies: and, as we have shown, they used the
British Union, but now, they were to distinguish their flag by its
color from other British ensigns, preserve a trace of the colors under
which they had previously fought with success, and, at the same time,
represent this combination in some form peculiar to themselves.
The mode of distinction by color could not well be applied by the
United Colonies in a single color, as the simpler and most striking
were exhausted in application to British ensigns; but, if applied,
must have been used in a complex form or combination of colors. This
being the case, stripes of color would naturally be suggested as being
striking, as enabling them to show the number and union of the
colonies, _as preserving the colors of the flags previously used by
them_; and also the badge of distinction, which, at the time of the
adoption of this flag, marked the different grades in the ununiformed
army before Boston. Hence, probably, the name, _The Great Union Flag_,
given to it by the writer in the _Philadelphia Gazette_, before
quoted, doubtless Colonel Joseph Reed, inasmuch as this flag
indicated, as respected the Colonies, precisely what the Great Union
Flag of Great Britain indicated respecting the mother country.
The only point that now remains for us to establish is, that a stripe
or ribbon was the badge in common use in the army of the colonists
before Boston. In proof of this, we quote the following extracts from
the orders of General Washington.
"HEAD-QUARTERS, CAMBRIDGE, July 14, 1775.
("Countersign, Inverness. Parole, Halifax.)
"There being something awkward as well as improper in the general
officers being stopped at the outposts, asked for passes by the
sentries, and obliged, often, to send for the officer of the guard
(who, it frequently happens, is as much unacquainted with the
persons of the generals as the private men), before they can pass
in or out, it is recommended to both officers and men, to make
themselves acquainted with the persons of all officers in general
command, and, in the mean time, to prevent mistakes, the general
officers and their aides-de-camp will be distinguished in the
following manner: The commander-in-chief, by a light blue ribbon
worn across his breast, between his coat and waistcoat; the majors
and brigadiers general by a pink ribbon worn in like manner; the
aides-de-camp, by a green ribbon."[55]
[55] American Archives, 4th series, vol. ii. p. 1662.
"HEAD-QUARTERS, CAMBRIDGE, July 28, 1775.
("Parole, Brunswick. Countersign, Princeton.)
"As the continental army have unfortunately no uniforms, and
consequently many inconveniences must arise from not being able
always to distinguish the commissioned officers from the
non-commissioned, and the non-commissioned from the privates, it is
desired that some badges of distinction may be immediately
provided; for instance, the field officers may have red or pink
colored cockades in their hats, the captains yellow or buff, and
the subalterns green. They are to furnish themselves accordingly.
The sergeants may be distinguished by an epaulette or stripe of red
cloth sewed upon the right shoulder, the corporals by one of
green."[56]
[56] American Archives, 4th series, vol. ii. p. 1738.
"HEAD-QUARTERS, CAMBRIDGE, July 24, 1775.
("Parole, Salisbury. Countersign, Cumberland.)
"It being thought proper to distinguish the majors from brigadiers
general, by some particular mark for the future, the majors general
will wear a broad purple ribbon."
Having thus established the use of the stripe as a badge of
distinction, we have completed our proofs in reference to the Union
flag displayed by General Washington before Boston, January 2,
1776. And to perceive how simple and natural is the deduction of
the ensign of the army and fleet of the United English Colonies of
North America, from the national ensign of Great Britain, it is
only necessary to compare Fig. 7, Plate I. and Fig. 2, Plate II.
Having made some observations in reference to the mottoes on
several of the flags given in our table, we would now invite
attention to the religious character of those on the colonial
flags, viz.: _Qui transtulit sustinet_, and an "Appeal to Heaven."
In the famous effort of colonial vigor, which, resulting in the
capture of Louisburg, surprised the world in 1745, we learn, from
Belknap's _History of New Hampshire_, vol ii. p. 157, that the
flag used bore the motto, _Nil desperandum Christo Duce_. A
motto furnished by the celebrated George Whitfield. This last
flag, under the treaty of union, must have been an Union flag,
probably, similar to the British ensign above given, or perhaps
with a white field, to which color the New England people were
partial (see the colors of the Massachusetts cruisers, Flag No. 8,
in our table), with the motto above given inscribed on the field.
May we not conclude that, when the flags embodying such mottoes
were dispensed with, some reference to them would still be
preserved, as would be the case by preserving in the flag which
replaced them the colors of the flags laid aside?