the; earliest perfect representation oe the grand union ensign 



(see no. 364) 



The flag is a part of the decorations appearing on North Carolina currency of the issue of 



April 2, 1776 



Congress as distinguished from the sol- 

 dier-manned fleet under General Wash- 

 ington. Immediately following his ap- 

 pointment Commodore Hopkins (the first 

 and only commander-in-chief the navy 

 ever had) set sail from Rhode Island in 

 that colony's armed vessel Katy and ar- 

 rived in the Delaware River on December 

 3, 1775. The same day the commodore 

 assumed the formal command of the little 

 squadron which the Congress had placed 

 under him. 



PAUL JONES RAISES THE ELAG 



The manner in which that command 

 was assumed is of signal importance, in 

 that the ceremony marked the hoisting of 

 the first truly American flag. And the 

 distinction of having released the banner 

 to the breeze belongs to that daring spirit, 

 John Paul Jones, one of the chief among 

 heroes in the hearts of American naval 

 officers and seamen. Jones, at that time 

 senior lieutenant (corresponding to exec- 

 utive officer in the navy today) of Hop- 

 kins' flagship, the Alfred, in a letter to 

 ''the United States Minister of Marine, 

 Hon. Robert Morris," preserved in the 



Library of Congress, thus describes the 

 historic event : 



"It was my fortune, as the senior of 

 the first Lieutenants, to hoist myself the 

 Flag of America (I chose to do it with 

 my own hands) the first time it was dis- 

 played. Though this was but a slight 

 Circumstance, yet I feel for its Honor, 

 more than I think I should have done, if 

 it had not happened." A line is drawn 

 through the words in parentheses and the 

 word "myself" has been inserted. 



This was the flag (364) which after- 

 ward figured so extensively in the litera- 

 ture of the day as the Congress Colors, 

 from the fact that it first floated over the 

 navy controlled by Congress. Also known 

 as the Grand Union Flag and the First 

 Navy Ensign, it was the Colonial stand- 

 ard from that day until it was superseded 

 by the Stars and Stripes, in 1777. It 

 consisted of thirteen stripes, alternately 

 red and white, typifying the thirteen colo- 

 nies, with a union bearing the crosses of 

 St. George and St. Andrew combined 

 (the national flag of Great Britain, 361) 

 and signifying the Mother Country. 



There has been much confusion about 



28S 



