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Show THE AMERICAN FLAC. a condensed iiistoky of the adoption: ok the stabs and STIUrES. , The recent discussions concerning the alteration of the United Btatea flag, In recognition Of Uie admission of Uie newStates Into the Unbn naturally nat-urally provoked a certain amount of Inquiry Into the history of Uie stars and stri jc. The general facts I n regard re-gard to the adoption of the national flag arc more or less well known, including in-cluding the much-debated question as to whether or not tho emblem iwea its present form to .the fact that the family arms of George Washington Washing-ton included the stars and stripes that are no w so familiar. However this may It, It Is certain that the flag was by act of Congress passed June 14, 1777, established as having thirteen thir-teen red and whltestripes and aun-Ion aun-Ion of thirteen white suus in a blue field, and the ttars, instead of being tho six-pointed stars of heraldry, as they arc on our coin--, are, and always al-ways have been, the five pointed stars of Washington's coat-of-arms, known In heraldry as mullets." The flag was, January 13, 1794, decreed by act of Congress to have the number of both stars and stripes changed to fifteen, and this was the flag that flew at the battles of Fort McIIenry and New Orleans in the war of ISIS, and which was snngfor the first time as the "Star-Spangled Banner." By an act of Congress passed April 1-1, ISIS, the flag was again changed finally, and it was resolved re-solved that ibeEtripesahouId be thirteen thir-teen In number, and that the blue field should contain as many stars as there might be States in the Onion. On-ion. This much Is generally known, but only a few perhaps are aware that the flag as It Is no w was designed design-ed by Captain Samuel C. Btod, and that the one made byhlswlfe,asllk-en byhlswlfe,asllk-en design of the present form, flew at the masthead of the brig 'General Armstrong" when It was destrojed by the British squadron in the port ofFayal InlSU. Congress pasoJ a resolution of thanks to Capt. Held In 1B59. and he died shortly after In New York. It was the claim of bis son, Colonel Colo-nel Samnel C. Reed, now living and practicing as a lawyer In Washing ton, fortho aIuoofa ship thus destroyed de-stroyed in a neutral port a claim which lingered for-yearx aud years-before years-before Congress whlchave to the late David D. IJoyJ the groundwork ground-work of the story of. "The Senator," while old Colonel Reedjilmself, to whose stubborn perseverance the passage of the claim was due, formed the original model for Mr. Crane'g character of "Silas Denman" In the comedy. Colonel Samuel C. Reed Is said to be somewhat of a character In his way, and it Is certain that be never tires of recounting the details of the action in which his father's ship was lost, and Irt which It Is claimed that the English lost over three hundred men and officers, while the American loss was only two killed and seven wounded. The "Gen. Armstrong" was finally ecu t-tled t-tled near the beach, and subsequently subsequent-ly fired and blown up by the enemy. ene-my. .V. y. Time. |