by the rude bridge that spans the flood their flag to aprils airs unfurled here once onca the embattled farmers stood and fired the shot heard round the worta world the bamm tar mets of lexington carried the cornet or 07 standard of the three county troop this banner was devised in the counties ol of essex suffolk and middlesex massachusetts in 1659 the office of color bearer of this s broo troop p was a sort of inheritance in the page family the stan standard aard was carried in xing philips war in 1676 when the minute men were organized nathaniel page III of bedford took the old flag tor for use ucb at drill at the midnight alarm captain page snatched up the standard and crris it with him to concord where it waved above the smoke of that battle 1 tho th flag la is now preserved under aws in a fireproof eafe of tho the public library at bedford Dedford can seen S en by arrangement with the librarian according to peleg D il harrison arrison in whose volume the stars star s and S stripes I 1 and other amerlean american flags the history 0 ot the banner it in related the ground Is maroon or crimson colored satin damask em blazoned with an stretches outstretches out arm in the hand of which Is an uplifted sword this representation resen tation is ie the color of 0 silver as aa are three circular figures that are ara probably intended to represent cannon balls upon it a gold colored scroll axe are the words vince aut moritaro Morl Mori ture turo conquer or die the tha flag Is about two feet by one act six inches the original fringe appears to have been taken by a dedford bedford girt girk to aim a dress tor for a military ball that was of course before the st standard audaM WAS born bome by the embattled farmers