America, it is reported that the Americans have hoisted their standard of liberty at Salem."

Neither contemporary accounts nor the recollections of old soldiers are satisfactory respecting the flags used by the continentals at the battle of Bunker Hill, on the 17th of June, 1775. The British used the following signals: "Signals for boats in divisions, moving to the attack on the rebels on the Heights of Charleston, June 17, 1775; viz., 1. Blue flag, to advance. Yellow ditto, to lay on oars. Red ditto, to land." It is not positively ascertained that any were used by the Americans; certainly, none were captured from them by the British.

A eulogy on Warren, however, written soon after the battle, describing the astonishment of the British on the morning of the battle, says:"Columbia's troops are seen in dread array,

And waving streamers in the air display."

It is to be regretted that the poet has not described these fanciful waving streamers; probably, says another writer, but without stating his authority," they were as various as the troops were motley."

At a patriotic celebration in 1825, a flag was borne which was said to have been unfurled at Bunker Hill; and tradition states that one was hoisted at the redoubt, and that Gage and his officers were puzzled to read by their glasses its motto. A whig told them it was "Come, if you dare." Trumbull, in his celebrated picture of the battle, now in the rotunda of the Capitol at Washington, has represented a red flag having a white canton and red cross and a green pine-tree.2

1 Orderly Book of Major-General Howe.

·

2 This cannot be considered authoritative. Painters frequently take a poet's license, and are not always particular in the accuracy of the accessories of their paintings. Thus Leutze, in his Washington crossing the Delaware,' Dec. 25, 1776, conspicuously displays the American flag with the blue field and union of white stars, although the flag had no existence before the 14th of June, 1777, and was not published until September, 1777. Yet this inaccurate historical tableau has been selected to embellish the face of the fiftydollar notes of our national banks. In Powell's 'Battle of Lake Erie,' at the Capitol, the flag in Perry's boat has only thirteen stripes and thirteen stars, although fifteen of each had been the legal number for twenty years, or since 1794.

The gold medal awarded to General Daniel Morgan for the 'Battle of Cowpens,' which occurred Jan. 17, 1781, has on its reverse a mounted officer at the head of his troops charging a flying foe, while behind and over the officer are two large and prominent banners simply striped with thirteen stripes, alternate red and white without the stars, though the stars had been for more than three years blazoned on the American ensigns. * The medal was probably struck in France.

Bacon, in his picture of the Boston Boys and General Gage,' hangs out over the porch of the Province House an English ensign showing the union jack of 1801, adopted a quarter of a century later than the scene represented. But this is excusable, since, in

In a manuscript plan of the battle, colors are represented in the centre of each British regiment.

1

Botta says that Doctor Warren, finding the corps he commanded pursued by the enemy, despising all danger, stood alone before the ranks, endeavoring to rally his men and to encourage them by his example. He reminded them of the motto inscribed on their ensigns, on the one side of which were these words, "An appeal to Heaven," and on the other, "Qui transtulit sustinet," meaning that the same Providence which brought their ancestors through so many perils to a place of refuge would also deign to support their descendants.

Mrs. Manning, an intelligent old lady, informed Mr. Lossing2 that her father, who was in the battle, assisted in hoisting the standard, and she had heard him speak of it as a noble flag; the ground of which was blue, with one corner quartered by the red cross of St. George, in one section of which was a pine-tree.

Bunker Hill Flag.

Washington arrived in Cambridge, Sunday, July 2, accompanied by Major-General Charles Luce, and the New England Chronicle' says:

"None of the men who have been raised by this and several other colonies are in

future to be distinguished as the troops of any particular colony, but as the forces of "THE UNITED COLONIES OF NORTH AMERICA," into whose joint service they have been taken by the Continental Congress, and are to be paid and supported accordingly."

"8

On the 18th of July, a month after the battle of Bunker's Hill, Major-General Putnam assembled his division on the height of Prospect Hill, to have read to it the manifesto of Congress, signed by John Hancock, its president, and countersigned by Charles Thomson, secretary. The reading was followed by a prayer suited to the occasion, and at the close of the prayer, at signal from the general, the troops cried 'Amen,' and at the same instant the artillery of the fort thundered a general salute, and the scarlet standard of the Third Connecticut Regiment recently sent to General Putnam, bearing on

a fresco on the walls of the new Houses of Parliament or Palace of Westminster, the artist represents Charles II. landing under this union jack of 1801, which has the saltire gules for Ireland.

1 History of American Revolution.

2 Field-Book of the American Revolution, vol. i. p. 541.

The New England Chronicle, and the Essex Gazette, from Thursday, June 29, to Thursday, July 6, 1775.

the one side the Connecticut motto, "Qui transtulit sustinet," and on the other the recognized motto of Massachusetts, "An appeal to Heaven," were unfurled. The same ceremony was observed in the other divisions.1

Lieutenant Paul Lunt, in his Diary, which has been printed, says: "May 10, 1775, marched from Newburyport with sixty men, Captain Ezra Lunt, commander, and May 12, at 11 o'clock, arrived at Cambridge. .. June 16, our men went to Charlestown and entrenched on a hill beyond Bunker's Hill. . . . June 17, the regulars landed a number of troops, and we engaged them. They drove us off the hill and burned Charlestown. July July 2, General Washington came into the camp. July 18th. This morning a manifesto from the grand Continental Congress was read by the Rev. Mr. Leonard, chaplain of the Connecticut forces upon Prospect Hill in Charlestown. Our standard was presented in the midst of the regiments, with this inscription upon it, "Appeal to Heaven," after which Mr. Leonard made a short prayer, and then we were dismissed, by the discharge of a cannon, three cheers, and a war-whoop by the Indians."

The New England Chronicle' for July 21, 1775, says: "Cambridge, July 21. On Tuesday morning the standard lately sent to General Putnam was exhibited flourishing in the air, bearing on one side this motto, AN APPEAL TO HEAVEN,' and on the other, 'QUI TRANSTULIT SUSTINET.' The whole was conducted with the utmost

decency, good order, and regularity, and to the universal acceptance of all present. And the Philistines on Bunker's Hill heard the shout of the Israelites, and, being very fearful, paraded themselves in battle array."

June 19, 1775, two days after the battle of Bunker Hill, and before the news had reached Georgia, there was a meeting of a committee of the leading men of Savannah, to enforce the requirements of the American Association. After the meeting, a dinner was had at Tondee's tavern, where a 'union flag' was hoisted upon a liberty pole, and two pieces of artillery

From a map published in Paris, placed under it.

1776.

Aug. 1, 1775, there was raised at Prospect Hill, Charlestown, for a flag-staff, a mast seventy-six feet high, which came out of a schooner that was burnt at Chelsea.

1 Bancroft's History of the United States; Frothingham's Siege of Boston; I. J. Greenwood.

In September, 1775, Arnold made his famous expedition through Maine to Canada, and, when drifting down the gentle current of the Dead River, came suddenly in sight of a lofty mountain covered with snow, at the foot of which he encamped three days, raising the continental flag over his tent. What its color was, or the devices upon it, we have no means of ascertaining. The mountain is now known as 'Mount Bigelow,' — tradition asserting that Major Bigelow, of Arnold's little army, ascended to its summit, hoping to see the spires of Quebec.

During September, 1775, two strong floating batteries were launched on the Charles River, and opened a fire, in October, upon Boston, that caused great alarm and damaged several houses. They appear to have been scows made of strong planks, pierced near the water-line for oars,

and along the sides higher up for light, and musketry. A heavy gun was placed at each end, and upon the top were four swivels. American Floating Battery, used at Their ensign was a pine-tree flag.1 The six schooners first commissioned by Washington and the first vessels commissioned by the United Colonies sailed under the pine-tree flag.2 Colonel Reed, in a

the Siege of Boston.

From an English Manuscript.

1 Lossing's Field-Book of the Revolution.

2 Captain John Selman and Nicholas Broughton were commissioned by General Washington (according to the statement of Selman to Elbridge Gerry), in the fall of 1775, both living at Marblehead. "The latter as commodore of two small schooners, one the Lynch, mounting six 4-pounders and ten swivels, and manned by seventy seamen, and the other the Franklin, of less force, having sixty-five. The commodore hoisted his broad pendant on board the Lynch, and Selman commanded the latter.

"These vessels were ordered to the river St. Lawrence, to intercept an ammunition vessel bound to Quebec, but missing her, they took ten other vessels, and Governor Wright, of St. Johns, all of which were released, as we had waged a ministerial war, and not one against our most gracious sovereign." - Letter of E. Gerry to John Adams, dated Feb. 9, 1813.

The form of commission issued by General Washington to the officers of the vessels fitted out by him, under authority of the Continental Congress, and the officers so commissioned, were as follows:

By his Excellency GEORGE WASHINGTON, Esq., Commander-in-chief of the Army of the United Colonies.

TO WILLIAM BURKE, Esq.

By virtue of the powers and authorities to me given by the honorable Continental Congress, I do hereby constitute and appoint you captain and commander of the schooner Warren, now lying at Beverly port, in the service of the United Colonics of North America, to have, hold, exercise, and enjoy the said office of captain and commander of the said vessel, and to perform and execute all matters and things which to your said office do, or may of right belong or appertain, until further order shall be given herein by the honorable Continental Congress, myself, or any future commander-in-chief of said army, willing and commanding all officers, soldiers, and persons whatsoever any