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VOL. V., NO. 23.
PINEIIURST, N. C, APRIL 18, 1902.
PRICE THREE CENTS
LONG MAY IT WAVE!
Beautiful Flag Presented to Dickinson
School.
IMPRESSIYE CEREMONIES.
A large number of our guests gathered
at Dickinson school on Wednesday,
afternoon April 9th, to witness the pre
sentation and raising of the fine United
States flag, a gift of Lafayette Post, G.
A. R., of New York. General R. II.
Hall, U. S. A., a member of the post was
instrumental in obtaining this honor for
Dickinson school.
At about four o'clock the visitors
assembled in the school house and Gen
eral Hall made the following interesting
and historical address :
"The Grand Army of the Republic is a
society composed of men who, during the
civil war, fought for the preservation of
the Union, and who since that war, have
had for the purpose of their being the
teaching of loyalty to the country and
reverence of the flag which is the coun
try's symbol. One branch of this society
has especially devoted itself in carrying
out these purposes, to the distribution of
flags to the schools of the country and
its colonies, believing that in schools can
best be laid the foundations of this loy
alty and reverence; and to this branch,
known as Lafayette Post of the Grand
Army of the Republic, of New York
City, Dickinson school is indebted for
the beautiful flag to-day intrusted to its
care.
"It is well that you should know some
thing of the flag which is hereafter ever
to remind you of your duties as citizens
of the country, because in the outline of
its origin and history which you are now
to hear it is hoped you will find some
thing to inspire in you that reverence
and affection which the mere sight of the
flag should create in the minds and hearts
of all who are permitted to call them
selves Americans.
"In the first place the Stars and Stripes
compose one of the oldest flags of the
world. The only nation that has a flag
of a more ancient date is the kingdom of
Denmark, whose flag was established in
the thirteenth century and is the oldest
in existence. On the 14th day of June,
1777, the Continental Congress, in ses
sion in Philadelphia, Jiesolved, 'That
the flag of the thirteen United States be
thirteen stripes, alternate red and white ;
that the union be thirteen stars, white in
a blue field, representing a new constel
lation.' This date is the birth-day of
our Stars and Stripes and is one to be
remembered. It is remembered in very
many of the public schools of the United
States. The flag of Spain is eight years
younger; that of France; seventeen
years younger; that of Great Britain,
twenty-four years; that of Italy, seventy-one
years; that of Germany, ninety
three years ; and so, as you will find by
reading and study, of all the prominent
countries of the world, all except Den
mark, have adopted their present forms
of flags since June 14th, 1777, when the
Stars and Stripes came into existence.
"In August, 1777, about two months
after the flag was adopted, some seven
hundred and fifty brave Americans were
in Fort Schuyler, where the city of
Rome, Onedia County, New York, now
stands, and were there attacked and
beseiged for twenty-one days by an
immensely superior force of Indians,
Canadians, Tories and British troops.
The Americans made a flag of pieces of
red petticoats, white shirts and a blue
cloak, and under this flag they repulsed
the continued and furious attacks of the
enemy. This is the first instance of the
still flying over the dead left on her
decks, who had died to keep it flying. It
is the only flag that ever went down fly
ing on a ship which had conquered and
captured the ship that sunk her.
"When the Stars and Stripes were
adopted as the flag of the United States,
there were only thirteen states in the
union, and therefore Congress decreed
that the flag should carry thirteen stripes
and thirteen stars. But by the year
1795, the number of states had been
increased to fifteen, and Congress then
increased to fifteen the number of stars
stripes in the flag. The flag of fifteen
stars and fifteen stripes was the one car
ried by our army and navy during the
war of 1812 with Great Britain, and to it
surrendered the British frigates at sea
and the British squadrons on Lake Erie
and Lake Champlain. It was carried by
the force which defeated and destroyed
General Packenhara's command at the
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display of the new flag in battle on land.
"On the 24th of April 1778, Captain
John Paul Jones, of the American navy,
commanding the American sloop-of-war
Ranger, attacked and captured the Brit
ish sloop-of-war Drake, near Carrick
fugus, Ireland, this being the first
appearance of the new flag in battle at
sea. And this battle is the first instance
of the capture of a British war vessel by
a vessel of smaller force. The Ranger
carried a flag made expressly for Cap
tain Jones by a party of ladies of Ports
mouth, New Hampshire, who cut up
their best silk gowns for the purpose.
Under this identical flag, Captain Jones,
then commanding the American ship
Bon Homme Richard, fought and
defeated the British ship Serapis, off
Flamborough Head, England, September
23th, 1779. The Richard was so much
injured in this fight that thirty hours
afterwards she sunk ; and she was per
mitted to take down with her this flag
battle of New Orleans.
"By the last of the year 1817 the num
ber of states in the union had been
increased to twenty, and in April, 1818,
Congress enacted that the flag should be
thirteen horizontal stripes, alternate red
and white, and that in a blue field should
be a white star for each state in the
union. The thirteen stripes represent
the thirteen states which won their inde
pendence from Great Britain in the war
of the revolution. The stars represent
the whole number of states in the union
which constitutes the United States of
America.
"There are seven red and six white
stripes in the flag, the red being at the
top and bottom. The blue union which
contains the stars is placed in the upper
quarter, next to the staff, and extends to
the lower edge of the fourth red stripe
from the top, and is one third the length
of the flag. The stars are arranged in
six horizontal rows, the first, third and
fifth rows having eight stars each, and
the second, fourth and sixth rows hav
ing each seven stars, making the total of
forty-five the number of states now
forming the United States of America.
"At every military post garrisoned by
United States troops a flag is kept flying
every day. It is hoisted by a non-commissioned
officer and two privates imme
diately after the gun is fired in the morn
ing, usually at five o'clock in the sum
mer and six o'clock in the winter months.
It is lowered at sunset by a similar party
and this is attended by ceremony. The
garrison is paraded and stands at atten
tion while the band plays 'The Star
Spangled Banner,' and the lowering of
the flag is so timed that as the band
finishes playing the flag reaches the bot
tom of the staff'. It is not permitted to
touch the ground. While the flag is
flying it is saluted by all officers and
men on passing it.
i "On every ship of our navy the flag is
hoisted, if the weather permits, at eight
o'clock in the morning and is kept flying
till sunset. While it is ascending the
band plays 'The Star Spangled Banner,'
and all officers and men stand facing it
and salute it when it reaches the peak.
While it is being lowered at sunset the
baud plays 'Hail Columbia' and the offi
cers and men stand facing it and salute
it as it touches the deck. Every officer
and man on reaching the quarter-deck, .
or on leaving it to go over the ship's
side, salutes the flag.
. "Our flag was first carried around the
world on the ship Columbia, which
sailed from Boston, September 30, 1787,
and going around Cape Horn returned to
the same port by the way of the Cape of
Good Hope, August 10th, 1790. It was
curried to latitude 83 degrees, 24 minutes
North, on May 30th, 1882, by Lieutenant
Lock wood, of the 23d United States
Infantry, its furthest north. It was car
ried to latitude 70 degrees, 14 minutes
South, March 24th 1839, by Lieutenant
Walker of the Navy, its furthest South.
When there were twenty-eight stars in
the union of the flag it was gallantly
upheld at the. battle of Buena Vista,
Mexico, against odds of four to one. It
was carried with twenty-nine stars from
Vera Cruz to the city of Mexico with
never a defeat or even hesitation,
although always opposed by greatly,
superior forces. At the outbreak of the
civil war it held thirty-four stars. Blood
and money without limit were expended
to preserve it, and in the end, thirty-seven
years ago to-day, it shone triumphant
with thirty-six stars. The flag with
forty-five stars saw the destruction of
the Spanish fleets in 1898, in Manilla
harbor and off Santiago, and was carried
ii triumph up San Juan hill and through
the swamps and jungles of the Philip
pines. ' "This flag now belongs to Dickinson
school. Remember that it deserves care,
and that it does not take care of itself.
Always men have been ready and willing