i ASh A Shrine o of Flags JA JAr JAv at r i West Point v r s lyt yr ti Ea q 1 1 r h 4 1 i rt 1 1 ti t i i s ra 1 e s ctr tm i I I I w J 7 k w 3 Y By ELMO SCOTT WATSON UNU UNK 14 l Is Flag Hag day and on that day patriotic Americans will pay tribute to the emblem which symbolizes the J e J freedom t equality justice and humanity human ity for tor which our forefathers sacrificed start rfd their lIn Ilves and personal fortunes fortunes for for- tunes and which represents a ana na nation tion of over free 1 people 11 0 Its Constitution Con and institutions Its l achievements tint ami aspirations I Everywhere over Everywhere over homes bust busl- ness ne offices and public buildings the buildings s the lied HII White and Blue will be tie displayed In celebration rt of the tbt anniversary of th the da day when the Ct Continental congress In session In That the Flag of the Ihl thirteen United States Slates tnt b be thirteen stripes alternate rod red and white that thattie the tie Union be thirteen stars white In a blue bluefield geld field representing a new constellation There are several places In the United Stator States tall which have hare become brome Hag flag shrines ba 1 of their association with the history of our flag and there could rouM be It no more appropriate celebration bration bra bra- tion of Fla Flag day than Ihan a n visit to one of these shrines on that da day One of them theiu Is III the little house at Ar Arch street treet In Philadelphia hlll where once heed Elizabeth Eliza beth Deth com coma om nO II famous In Amerle American nn Ir legend d as U Betsy Ross Hoss who even en though she he may not have bave been as lIS the legend has It the Ihl maker of ot the first American flag was certainly one of th the early arly ones Another I Is hI the reconstructed 1 Fort lu Maryland where WI was II the flag flar which provided the Inspiration IMI for far Francis Francl Scott Keys Key's Star Spangled Hanner Still another Is the case In the Ibe National museum mu mil seum eum nm In Washington where Is displayed the very flat flag which Key n saw by the dawns dawn's early It was wa this flag which gave him the inspiration in tn for the Immortal poem re that has become be come Orne our national anthem The The Star Star Spangled Banner Danner Then too there Is the monument in Old City cemetery In to Nashville Tenn which marks mark the tbt last lut resting place of Capt William Driver the New ew Fn England sea captain who first called the flag Old Glory Interesting as all aU of these are because of or their Individual tal parts parrs In the history of our national emblem there Is no place perhaps where so flO much flag history can be found In one lne place as In the museum at the United States Unitary Military academy at West Point In It Its cases are displayed colors which not only cover more mort than a century of American history but hut which as Individual flags played their part In stirring treats events In all of ot our wars from the Revolution to the Spanish American war One group of flags Js which has a special appeal during this the Washington ashington bicentennial year 1 is I composed of and Hessian lan colors which w were once onre the property of Gen George Washington Wash Vash ington having probably been surrendered at Yorktown Yorktown York York- town In 1781 with the command of I Lord ord C Corn Cern rn wame wallis These flags were WE're bequeathed to Gf George r r Washington Parke Custis son of Washington's adopted son con and grandson of or Martha Washington Castle Custis bequeathed them to the War Var department who ho ho received them In IS ISM whereupon Secretary Secre Secre- tary Floyd sent them to West Vest Point Meager as are the records for the these e flags the 1111 labels label on them Fu suggest rt Innumerable thrilling stories of Jf the Ibe days das when Washington loo and his bIa Continentals were fighting what hat BO so often seemed to b be a hopeless tight fight for tor A American liberties here lIere Is on one described as III British kings kin colon tolon U- U r j 11 f 1 l' l f r I It I q 1 f ft t t h 1 The t. The museum at the United States Statu Military academy at West Point Note X X ment of the stars atar on the American flap flag In the middle 2 One One of the Hessian flaps flags captured at Trenton and once the property of George Wash ington 3 Ansbach Bayreuth Bayreuth German mercenaries mercenaries' colors colon captured at Yorktown 4 A A battle torn battle torn British flag flap which became the property ef of the Americans when Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown 5 British British king kings color colors or regimental Union Jack of the Seventh Royal Fusiliers Fusilier Probably the first British flag flaa captured during the Revo lution or regimental Union n Jock Jack of the the Seventh Royal Hoyal Iu I llers Iro Probably captured 1 at l Port ort Chambly October IS 18 1775 and was therefore the first British Brit ish flag captured In the Revolution n What hat memories mem mem- ories of the brilliant e exploits of Sled Mad Iad Anthony Va an ne or of the stubborn fighting In the redoubts at nt Yorktown are called i up t t t h by the label on this one near by Iy h kings king's colors or Union Jack Jalc Quern Queen A Anne 1111 I pattern 1707 History not known kown n but t this hi s ma may t be hI d the flag of t the he Seventeenth Seven I regiment lost at al Stony Stony Point or the third Forty Se sixth or Eightieth regiments regiments regi ments lost at Yorktown There nr are half n a dozen or more flags described d dall ns as Ansbach Ansbach German mercenaries colors col colors ors bearing the Ihl date dale of 1770 captured at Yorktown Yorktown Yorktown York York- town and Flags Klags captured from the Hessians one taken at Trenton and two others either captured captured cap cap- at Trenton or at Yorktown No o doubt Washington often looked upon these colors while they wore wc-rr In his possession with particular pride for they thy were relics reliC'S of the two high points in his career as a lIol soldier Reminiscent of the fierce border wars in New NewYork NewYork York during the Revolution when green coated Tory Tor and painted black IroquoIs carried the tomahawk tomahawk toma hawk and the torch against their erstwhile neighbors neigh hors bors ors who had rs espoused the Patriot cause luse are areto two to flags close by those previously described One Is U labeled Captured C t Jon English lIsh colors probably ably Revolutionary w war ar or War of ISI 1812 1313 Imitation Imitation tion British kings king's colors cokes or Union Jack Jark Queen Anne pattern 1707 10 Probably a Tory er renegade renegade rene rene- gade flag and believed to be he the fla flag of Colonel Hollers Holler's Rangers carried In the Susquehanna region during durIn the Revolution and at the Wyoming massacre also believed fd to have bave been taken at lit 1 ort Fort George In Upper r Canada Slay May 27 27 1 ISIS ISIs' The Tile other is even en more historic If it the following inscription n is correct Captured British colors Revolution devolution or War of 1512 Imitation British kings king's colors or Union Jack Jark Queen Anne pattern pat pattern tern Irn 1707 liOi A Tory tin flag flae which I has baa an olive olin green St. St I Georges George's Cross May be either elther Sir John Johnsons Johnson's Royal Greens Greens' flag captured l at Fort ort George GlOrge In Upper Canada May 7 27 1313 Or It Is possible that this flag was captured by Colonel Willett at Fort Stanwix New ew York August C 6 1777 1111 Close by the British and Hessian colors rolon captured captured cap rap lured during the Revolution are the colors of another foreign enemy captured In a later war war- Mexican flags taken by the troops of Scott and Taylor below the Rio mo Grande And there are Av American flags there too ton which played an Important Important Im Im- part in that conflict On One of them Lade U La de The first fint hoisted designated as flag over Vera I Cruz and the Citadel at lit Mexico City The halyards halyards hal hal- yards ards on It carried the Mexican flag on the National National Na unlace In the City of Mexico and by the same am halyards was carried this American ensign on September r 14 18 1817 Ii But nut even ln more Interesting Is the story which the placard on another American flag tells It i rends reads HI Regimental lm colors colon of the EI Eighth United j I States Infantry carried by James Longstreet Longstreet Long Long- street regimental adjutant In the Hie storming of j I Churubusco It was wa the first flag planted on the I i fortifications by Capt J. J I Ion Longstreet and It was the second flag planted on the battlements of Chapultepec by I George K F. Pickett It was claimed by the regiment regiment regi regi- ment to be the first American flag lIag to enter the I city of ot Mexico Such Is II the record of ot this flag flagIn flagin I In the Mexican war ar Is It necessary to remind any American that these same ame men who carried It then rose to greater fame In a II greater conflict later later Longstreet Longstreet as a II general In the Confederate Confederate erate army on many a B hard fought field from 1801 1301 t to 1805 5 and Pickett as ns the lender of that Immortal charge up the slope at Gettysburg burg I The Civil war flags In the museum are legion Including such notable colors as General Sheridan's Sheri dans dan's headquarters flag ag for tor the Ca alry Reserve I Brigade adt First I Division Cavalry Corps Army o of I Ithe Ithe the Potomac with It Its record of 5 W 55 battles and the till colors of the Fifth cavalry the Fighting Fifth I of later Indian fighter fame with 01 Gt battles on Its record Rut But perhaps the tile most hIstorIc lilt CUil Ivil war flag there therl Is one on which Is labeled thus Ihus Ila Flag Ilag of ot the Fr t New few IW York Zona es Col Ephram Elmer K Eo worth's Xoua es It Is la claimed that thaI this fla flag was pIa placed Id on the Ihl stair staff of ot the lI I house In Alexandria Va Ya May Y 24 4 1 by Col ol Colonel 01 onel endl Ellsworth after he had pulled down ln 11 tL c I Stars and Bars Itara He lie was wa shot phot dead ead by the Intel proprietor while descending ug the Ihl stairs There Is some doubt as to 10 whether or not nOI this Is re III I the till flag since It has 30 10 stars on It and the American flag did dIll not ha have e that number of stars stars' until between October 31 II and March I I 1 1 1807 Not so historic perhaps as the Ellsworth I flag ag if It Is Indeed the Ihl Ellsworth flap flag ag but hav hay I log ing connected with It a remarkable story Is another another an In other carried by the Ibe Thirteenth United States Statts I Missouri Volunteer Infantry rl regiment Here Is i i the story On Sunday morning April 0 6 1882 1802 at I the Battle Rattle of Shiloh the Confederates attacked soon after sunrise The regiment advanced to a bridge near Shiloh lea ln leaving Its camp flag lIag flying II and only a few sick men to protect It One Onen n a boy named Been Beem w was wal aa a member r of the color I guard The regiment was vas forced to 10 retreat I through Its own camp Cannon balls were flying I through the air and ani one of them passed through I I the fia flag Beem tIm hauled down ln the Ihl flag undressed i wrapped the flag around his body and dressed In larger garments made his hll way safely through I the thick of ot the in time t to save the nil regimental regi- regi mental menial flag For or this he was commissioned an officer This flat fla was waR presented to Professor as Church of ot the I military academy faculty In 4 19 by Col Crafts J J. Wr Wright lt of Glendale Glendale Ohio who commanded the Thirteenth Missouri durIng durine that historic Sunday battle It was not such a peaceful Sunday mornIng wrote Colonel My My regiment lost 89 81 killed an and ana wounded WrIght In about an hour them among all of my field f and staff officers The story of ot the improvised flag lIag at Fort Stanwix Stanwix Stan Stan- wix I Is b somewhat paralleled by another r improvised I flag g which Is IB on display In the West Point i museum described as follows e flag made of a colored handkerchief stars In a blue field Used by United United States eight troops In an expedition In the Philippines Philippine is the official dal record but It I Is probable thaT Above Abole that a small number of men were WE're detached from the main body bo and sent on sn an expedition Mon Ion of ot during the the Not ot wishing to without a flag lIag wherever be they went they made ma this one from the material available I 10 by Wera wt p. p I