I am very involved in Scouting and  we use a Queen Anne flag at our Woodbadge training--I don't seem to be able to find a history about it.  Is it a US flag or is it possible it is an English flag that we use in honor of Lord Baden-Powell who started the Scouting movement?  Can you answer the question or direct me?   

Second question: I am an Advisor for a military careers Explorer Post and one of our functions is flag education and history.  Can you direct me to or provide me with written info re: the justification that if a flag patch on a right shoulder or a decal on the right side of a car is to have the union being forward ( in this case on the right as you look at the shoulder).  I am in the AF Reserves and I recently saw a Lt. Col. with a flag patch on the right shoulder with the union forward.  He explained that that is appropriate and referenced looking at the right side of an airplane.  The bottom line is that the Boy Scouts of America has a flag on the right shoulder of the uniform with the union being posterior or on the left as you look at it.  If this is in fact incorrect I would like to direct a letter to them stating so but I would like to be able to back it with documentation.  I feel like this may be confusing you--Is it proper to have a reverse flag on the right shoulder.  Our Explorer Post has done this on our uniforms and we educate folks that this is correct but I have based this on hearsay not written documentation.  In advance, I appreciate your time and direction.
Thanks, Mike 

A: Hello Mike,

Thanks for your letter.

To begin with, the so-called "Queen Anne Flag" is actually a misnomer for the first British Union Ensign.  It is a red flag bearing the original Union Jack in the canton (that's where the blue field with the stars is on the US Flag).  It is sometimes named after Queen Anne by misguided American historians because they think it only existed after the union of the two kingdoms (England and Scotland) which occurred in 1707 during Queen Anne's reign.  Although technically correct from a legal point of view, there is some evidence to suggest the design pre-dated her reign unofficially.  The correct term should
be First British Ensign.

As for the shoulder patch question, I am no expert in regalia, but understand it is the custom in the US Military to always show the flag being flown to the front no matter if it is an actual flag, a painting, decal or patch.  It is customary on boats and airplanes and motor vehicles to have the union of the flag always towards the front of the vehicle regardless as to which side it is painted on or applied to.  Same seems to be the custom on uniforms.  There is, however, no language I am aware of that would prohibit this type of display.  The Flag Code does state that the flag should not be "used as any portion of a costume or athletic uniform" but this is usually interpreted as meaning being sewn into a portion or a complete garment, not meaning having a patch sewn onto a garment.  Dave Martucci

Q: Hello, I am a member of NAVA and have already printed the NEJV article "Fringe on the Flag?"  My customer has a further question: Is this Executive Order still in effect and how does it relate to flags used by various military and/or civilian uses.  Reference: Title 4: USA Codes: Chapter:1: Section: 1& 2 and under Presidential: Executive Order: #10834, dated August the 25th of 1959.

Thank you kindly for your assistance! Jan

A: Hello Jan:
Thanks for your inquiry to the NAVA Q&A pages.  Executive Order No. 10834 is still in effect.  It includes the following text in its preamble:

"WHEREAS the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (63 Stat. 377), as amended authorizes the President to prescribe policies and directives governing the procurement and utilization of property by executive agencies; and WHEREAS the interests of the Government require that orderly and reasonable provision be made for various matters pertaining to the flag and that appropriate regulations governing the procurement and utilization of national flags and union jacks by executive agencies be prescribed: NOW, THEREFORE, by virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States and as Commander in Chief of the armed forces of the United States, and the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, as amended, it is hereby ordered as follows:"

You will note the reference to "executive agencies" and the authority vested in the President as "Commander in Chief of the armed forces of the United States, and the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, as amended."  This order is only binding on the Executive Agencies of the Federal Government and the Military.  Further in the Executive Order it is stated "As used in this order, the term ''executive agencies'' means the executive departments and independent establishments in the executive branch of the Government, including wholly-owned Government corporations."

Although the order further states "July 4, 1960, and on that date the flag prescribed by Part I of this order shall become the official flag of the United States," it is my contention that it does not apply to Congress, the Judiciary or to the people, since the President's orders do not have any legal effect on them.  What does apply to everyone is the following language:

"Sec. 1. Flag; stripes and stars on 

"The flag of the United States shall be thirteen horizontal stripes, alternate red and white; and the union of the flag shall be forty-eight stars, white in a blue field. 

"Sec. 2. Same; additional stars 

"On the admission of a new State into the Union one star shall be added to the union of the flag; and such addition shall take effect on the fourth day of July then next succeeding such admission."

This is a re-codification of the third Flag Resolution of Congress that was adopted in 1818 and re-codified in 1947.  You will notice there is no statement giving the President the authority to prescribe the design of the flag for the country at large. Indeed, although Presidents and others have issued specifications for the US Flag over the years, one of the most beautiful things about our flag is how it is redesigned and reinterpreted over and over again by the people.  Notice also there is no requirement that there be more red stripes than white ones or that the stars be five-pointed.  Check out my design of a
50-star flag at <http://www.midcoast.com/~martucci/flags/us-hist7.html.  Dave Martucci

(..this follow-up is provided by NAVA member and former president Charles Spain)

While the flag defined in Presidential Executive Order 10834 may not have applied to Congress, the Judiciary or to the people when it was proclaimed in 1959, it has applied since 1976.

The congressional description of the U.S. flag is found in title 4, United States Code, sections 1 and 2.  In a 1976 amendment to the Flag Code (Public Law 94-344), Congress specifically recognized Executive Order 10834 
and provided that the general definition of "the flag of the United States" is the flag described by both the congressional statute (title 4, United States Code sections 1-2) and Executive Order 10834:

"The following codification of existing rules and customs pertaining to the display and use of the flag of the United States of America is established for the use of such civilians or civilian groups or organizations as may not be required to conform with regulations promulgated by one or more executive departments of the Government of the United States.  The flag of the United States for the purpose of this chapter [1] shall be defined according to sections 1 and 2 of this title [4 United States Code] and Executive Order 10834 issued pursuant thereto."

Even if we assume that President Eisenhower did not have the authority in 1959 to define the flag beyond those flags used by the military and the executive branch, Congress recognized the August 21, 1959 design in Executive Order 10834 as "the" design on July 7, 1976, the effective date of Public Law 94-344.  Charles Spain

(NOTE: Webmaster Richard R. Gideon questioned Mr. Spain as to the implications of this executive order on private citizens.  Taking it to the extreme, for the sake of illustration, would the US government prosecute its citizens over violations of the "flag code?"  Mr. Spain responds...Ed)

Dear Dick,
As there are no penalties for violating the U.S. Flag Code, it doesn't matter if you violate it--at least from a legal standpoint. Read the advertising section of any daily newspaper to see egregious violations of the Code.  It also doesn't really matter, in my opinion, that manufacturers make and sell 3'x5' U.S. flags (or other ratios) that don't comply with the official design.  I doubt anyone in the government is concerned about this, unless they are crazy.  The issue is whether there is an official design for the U.S. flag, and the answer to that is "Yes."  It doesn't follow from the existence of an official design that deviations from the official design are not U.S. flags or that the deviations are "wrong" or "improper."  It's not a black-or-white issue, and I can't see any evidence that Congress and the President have ever intended to prohibit reasonable variations of the official design.  In fact, President Eisenhower recognized such reasonable variations for the military and federal executive agencies, the parts of the government over which he had authority.  Absent some future congressional prohibition, the rest of us certainly have the right to use reasonable variations of the flag, too.  After all, this is the United States, not Great Britain (where the Union flag is a royal symbol under the monarch's control)!  
Sincerely,
Charles Spain

A: Dear Sharon:
Yes, I do know this flag.

South Carolina seceded from the union on 20 December 1860, but the current South Carolina flag was not adopted until 28 January 1861.  In the intervening period, a number of flag designs were used, usually with a palmetto tree (though not always).

During this time, a seacoast artillery battery north of Sullivan's Island was manned by cadets from the Citadel.  The flag that they flew at their battery was almost the same as the State flag adopted, on the 28th of January 1861, but the palmetto and crescent were on a red field instead of blue.  That is the flag you are seeing.

President Buchanan sent a ship, the "Star of the West", to resupply the US Army garrison at Fort Sumter.  The Citadel cadets fired warning shots at the ship, which turned back and returned to the North.  These shots were the first fired in the secession crisis, although they did not lead to war at the time.  This incident, and the flag used, have become part of the legend of the Citadel, and the red version of the South Carolina flag has been used by the Citadel ever since.

So, I imagine that most of the folks you see with that flag have a connection to the Citadel, if only to support their football team.  Devereaux D. Cannon, Jr.

A: Dear Mr. B:

To my knowledge, there is no "official" or traditional way to fold a Confederate battle flag.  Traditions have to start somewhere, so why don't we start one.

The traditional method for Portugal is to fold the flag in such a way that the shield at the (slightly off) centre of the flag is left showing.  If we fold a Confederate battle flag in a similar manner it creates a fairly handsome display.  Here is how I did it with my 4 x 6 foot flag that flew over the South Carolina capitol in 1989.

1st - fold the hoist and fly (left and right) edges of the flag in to the centre of the centre star on the back of the flag.

2nd - fold again in the same way on the back of the flag, so that the two edges created in the first folds are folded in to the center.

3rd - fold the bottom edge of the flag 1/3 of the way up on the back of the flag.

4th - fold the top edge of the flag down the back of the flag 1/3, which will take it to the bottom of the last fold.

With this you will have a flag folded for display, similar to the attached image, in which the form of the St. Andrew's cross is preserved, along with the centre star, and all or most of the first four stars on the arms of the cross (depending on the dimensions of the cross and stars on any given flag).

For ceremonial occasions this folding procedure would require three members of a colour team (one at each end, and one in the centre to assist alignment (as is the case with the Portuguese flag), rather than the two members necessary for a US Army colour team to fold the US flag.

For storage the flag is easily folded once or twice more in the centre.

I hope this approach meets with your approval.  By blind copy I am sending this to some other folks for their feedback, and will share with you what they may say.   Devereaux D. Cannon, Jr.

Dear Sid,
I am familiar with the discussion, and know that the allegation is that the flag with which we are familiar is strictly a military flag, and that the civil flag has blue stars and a white union, with vertical red and white  stripes. According to the tale, the Lincolnites eradicated the civil flag as a part of their military conquest, not only of the Confederacy, but of the US as well.

I am looking at a set of books, with the long 19th century style title, "Laws of the United States of America from the 4th of March, 1789, to the 4th of March, 1815, including the Constitution of the United States, the old Act of Confederation, Treaties, and many other valuable Ordinances and Documents; with copious Notes and References."  These books were published in 1815, when Abe was only 6 years old.  They were from the law library of my kinsman, the late Governor of Tennessee, Newton Cannon.  Among the "many other valuable Ordinances and Documents" included in these books are Resolutions of the Continental and Confederation Congresses.  The one in question is the Resolution of the Continental Congress of 14 June 1777, which reads: "Resolved, 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 constellation."

Now granted, this resolution does not specify that the stripes be horizontal.  However, there is plenty of historical record of flags from the period between 1777 and 1795 having horizontal stripes, and no record I have ever seen of flags having vertical stripes.

I will also grant that most of the surviving flags, and references on flag charts, of the period of the 18th century are to military or naval flags.  However, not all are military or naval flags. Furthermore, some foreign flag charts do make reference to a "merchant ensign" of the United States, but this merchant ensign is not the flag described in Hawthorne's novel, but
rather a flag of horizontal red and white (or sometimes red, white and blue) stripes without the blue union and stars.

By an act dated 13 January 1794, and effective on 1 May 1795, the Third Congress of the United States amended the flag law, changing the number of stripes to 15 and the number of stars to 15.  Again, the law does not specific whether the stripes are to be vertical or horizontal.

By an act dated 4 April 1818, effective 4 July 1818, the 15th Congress of the United States again amended the flag law. This act reduced the number of stripes back to 13, and specified that the stars will increase to 20, and that a new star will be added on the 4th of July following the admission of a new State or States to the union.  SIGNIFICANTLY, the act of 4 April 1818 DOES specify that "the flag of the United States be thirteen HORIZONTAL stripes."

Now, the original flag law of 1777, and the amendments of 1794 and 1818, refer to the "flag of the United States", not the "civil flag of the United States" or the "military and/or naval flag of the United States"; and while the 1777 and 1794 acts do not specify the direction of the stripes, the act of 1818 clearly specifies that the stripes are to be horizontal.

So where does this flag with vertical stripes come from?

The flag of vertical stripes originates in the act adopted by the Fifth Congress of the United States on 2 March 1799, which was "An act to regulate the collection of duties on imports and tonnage." This was a huge act, divided into 112 sections, and covering 96 pages in the 1815 compilation of US statutes. Section 102 of that act provided, "And be it further enacted,
That the cutters and boats, employed in the service of the revenue, shall be distinguished from other vessels by an ensign and pennant, with such marks thereon as shall be prescribed and directed by the president of the United States".

Later that year President Adams authorized the revenue cutters to use as their ensign a flag.  The flag President Adams authorized for the revenue service was also flown at customs houses. It is still used by the customs service, and you can see one displayed at the customs office at the Nashville International Airport.

It is a flag of 16 VERTICAL red and white stripes. There are 16 stripes because that was the number of States in the union in 1799 (Tennessee being the 16th as of 1796). It has a white canton or union, on which is a blue federal eagle (with 13 red and white stripes on his chest shield, as on the Great Seal of the US).  Over the eagle were 15 blue stars in a double arch
(15 being the number of stars authorised for the "flag of the United States" in the Flag Act of 13 January 1794, although common civilian practice was to use flags with more than 15 stars and/or stripes [horizontal stripes on all of these unofficial civilian flags]). You can see an image of the original version of this flag on the US Coast Guard web site at
<http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-cp/history/1799Ensign.jpg>.

Over the decades the revenue flag has gone through some changes in the design of the eagle and stars, and the version now used by the Coast Guard has the Coast Guard seal on the striped field.  But other than those changes, the same flag with 16 red and white vertical stripes has been used by the customs service and the revenue marine/coast guard continuously since 1799.

As I said before, this whole business about a "civil flag" of the United States supposedly suppressed by the Lincolnites has as its sole foundation one passing reference in a novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne.  ...this whole "civil flag" myth is founded on a very thin thread that is contrary to all contemporary documentation and artifacts.
Devereaux D Cannon Jr.

(The following is a reply to Mr. Cannon from NAVA president Dave Martucci)

Dev,

Good reply. I get these kinds of questions (accusations) all the time. The Hawthorne "Civil Flag" theory is treated on the NAVA Q&A pages, but if it is okay with you, I'd like to use the material you wrote as an adjunct.

One thing, you said:

> However, there is plenty of historical record of flags from the period between 1777 and 1795 having horizontal stripes, and no record I have ever seen of flags having vertical stripes.<

There are actually several records of flags in the early US having vertical stripes.  The Boston Sons of Liberty Flag that flew in 1767 had nine vertical stripes; there are several references to US colors bearing vertical stripes during the Revolution although no exact description, sketch or painting of any exists.  Aside from the Revenue Cutters Ensign there are a few references and one delightful painting I have a copy of.  It shows a steamboat c.1850 bearing an ensign of 13 vertical stripes with the canton bearing stars, white on blue.  I think there were probably more usages of this design than we have record of, but it was edged out by horizontal stripes, particularly after 1818.
Dave Martucci

Q: Did the Mississippi state flag traditionally have the confederate flag design? Or was it more like the state flag of Georgia, which traditionally used another design (I think a red-white-red stripe arrangement) and then adopted the stars-and-bars pattern as a sign of opposition to the 1960's desegregation laws?
Jeremy

A: Dick,

The answer to the Mississippi flag question is this:

The Mississippi flag as it currently exists is essentially unchanged since it was first adopted in 1894. The only change had do do with whether or not there should be a narrow white border separating the battle flag canton from the blue and red bars. The original specifications did not say, and for about 100 years the flag was made in versions with and without the white
border. About 1995 Governor Fordice issued an executive order requiring the use of the white border.

The questioner also raised issues about the Georgia flag which I would like to address. He has accepted without question the assertion by parties wishing to change the current Georgia flag that is was changed "as a sign of opposition to the 1960's desegregation laws." Actually, the assertion by the anti-flag parties is that it was changed in 1956 as a sign of opposition to
the school desegregation decision of the US Supreme Court in the 1954 case of Brown vs. Board of Education.

There is no period evidence supporting the asserting that the Georgia flag was changed for this purpose. Pro-flag parties state that, had such an intent been the purpose, the tenor of the times was such that no effort to hide that intent would have been made. Even as strong an anti-flag source as the Atlanta Constitution has admitted such evidence does not exist.

The anti-flag parties rest their assertion on the fact that the change was made two years after Brown vs. Board of Education. Pro-flag parties counter that, as attested to by the designer of the 1956 flag, the change was made to honour the last Georgia Confederate veteran, who had recently died, and to prepare for the opening of the Civil War Centennial celebration four years later.

On another point, the inquirer makes the common mistake in referring to the battle flag on the 1956 Georgia flag as the "Stars and Bars". The "Stars and Bars" was not the battle flag, but was the original Confederate national flag. The Georgia flag, before 1956, and dating back to 1879, had been based on the Confederate "Stars and Bars" national flag.
Devereaux D. Cannon, Jr.

(The following is another view of the subject from Charles Spain...Ed)

Although no one has yet found direct evidence that Georgia changed its flag in response to Brown v. Board of Education, there is no question that then-Alabama Governor George Wallace in the 1960s instigated flying a rectangular version of the Confederate battle flag over the Alabama state house as a segregationist response to the U.S. Supreme Court's action in 
Brown. This evidence came to light in the early 1990s when a lawsuit was filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) to remove the Confederate flag from the flagpole on top of the Alabama state house. While preparing the case, SPLC lawyers took the sworn depositions of several members of Wallace's administration from the 1960s, and these gentlemen testified that Wallace's intent in flying the Confederate flag was racist. The SPLC eventually won the lawsuit, and the Confederate flag no longer flies over the state house.
Charles Spain

(..which brought a follow-up question from Ron...Ed)

Q: Dave,
     Thanks for the reply. It all makes sense at least for the origin of the ratios.  However, why is the US flag 10:19?  So close to 1:2, and yet it's just a bit different.
Ron

A: Ron,
     Ahhh, now we are into the realm of vexiwonder!  There is a very long and convoluted reason for the 10:19 proportions that boil down to two factors: long US Navy tradition and the fact that as the flag wears, cutting off the frayed end and re-sewing it makes for a longer lasting flag (the long fly can be fixed at least three times and still "look" right).

Dave Martucci

Babs

A: Dear Babs:
Thanks for your message. Dr. Smith, The Flag Research Center and the Flag Heritage Foundation do not yet have a web presence. They can be contacted the old fashioned way, via postal mail:

At any rate, your question is easily answered. There was no such thing as a "standard" design in the 18th century.  Each flag was hand made and unique in its own way.  There was no single pattern either for the rattlesnake flags, the pine tree flags or even the stars and stripes.

Only a few contemporary illustrations and only one actual flag featuring a rattlesnake have survived.  Of course there was Ben Franklin's original cartoon published in the Pennsylvania Gazette on May 9, 1754 showing the snake cut into 9 pieces with the motto "Join, or Die", which was the granddaddy of all snake emblems that followed.  This cartoon was widely copied and reprinted in the early to mid 1770s.  Another cartoon published in 1778 shows a white flag with 13 vertical (presumably red) stripes and a snake stretched out over all sprouting from the hairdo of "Miss Mud Island" (Fort Mifflin in Philadelphia, captured by the British in 1777).

An engraving of Commodore Hopkins by Thomas Hart and dated 22 August 1776 shows two ships, each with an ensign, one of which is 13 white and red stripes (note there are 7 white and 6 red stripes in the engraving, which is proper heraldry) with a rattlesnake running diagonally across and the motto wrapped around the lower part of the snake "Dont Tread
Upon Me."  Another engraving of Hopkins shows a rattlesnake flag with the snake almost vertical bisecting the motto "Dont tread upon Me" on a plain field.  It is undated but believed to date from 1776 or 1777. 

Peale's portrait of Col. Walter Stewart, commander of the 2nd PA Regiment shows a very small flag in the background that appears to have a coiled snake on it.  It is dated 1782.  The only extant rattlesnake flag is that of the Rhode Island Militia AKA Sullivan's Life Guard used in Western PA and NY in 1778-79.  It features 13 Red-Blue-White alternating stripes with a white canton bearing a painting of a coiled snake and the motto "DONT TREAD ON ME."

There are a few other references that do not describe any design details.  So that's the sum of all of the evidence we have about this critically important political symbol of the late 18th century!  All the rest is sheer speculation by mainly 19th century historians.

As far as purchasing a copy of a rattlesnake flag, I am aware that at least three different designs are somewhat commonly available: the so-called Gadsden flag of yellow bearing a coiled snake and the motto; the so-called First Navy Jack of 13 White-Red stripes with the snake and motto; and the 1976 variant of the last of 13 Red-White stripes with the motto along one of the stripes.  As far as I know all of these are screen printed on nylon (but you can get them on a heavy-weight nylon) and may be available printed on cotton.  Check the NAVA Commercial Members page on our website http://www.nava.org for suppliers.   Dave Martucci

A: Hello April:
     Unfortunately, the only "Benson" I know is a guy I used to work with when I was a radio announcer, years ago.  Seriously, I think Dave may be on to something when he refers you to a "Garrison Flag," which runs 20 feet by 38 feet, and would certainly qualify as "literally huge."  But you might be interested to know that a Garrison flag is a baby compared to the largest US flag ever made: a 505ft. x 255ft. version of "Old Glory" was hung on cables across the Hoover Dam to mark the 1996 Olympic torch relay.  It made the the Guinness Book of World Records, but barely so, as shortly after the minimum time had elapsed one cable snapped!  Brazil has a huge flag as well.  According to information posted on the Flags Of The World web site, "the largest flag that actually flies from a flagpole is the flag of Brazil displayed at the federal capital, Brasilia. This flag is 230 ft. by 328 ft. (70m by 100m) It flies on the world's tallest flagpole, one specially designed to bear its weight."  (Source: Dr. William Crampton)   Richard R. Gideon

Q: Hi: 
     I am a college freshman and am in the process of writing a major English paper on confederate flags. I would appreciate assistance with the following -
 a. meaning of design - stars, stripes, etc
 b. meaning of colors on the following Civil War flags -
 1. Bonnie Blue Flag
 2. First Official Flag of the Confederacy
 3. Second Official Flag of the Confederacy
 4. Third Official Flag of the Confederacy
 5. Confederate Navy Jack
 6. Confederate Battle Flag
 
 Any and all information would be greatly appreciated.
 Thank you.


A: Hello: [In the future, would you please use your real name? Thanks.]
Check out the "Flags of the Confederacy" web site: http://www.confederateflags.org/
Dave Martucci

Q: Dear Sir,
I am a pretty new flag collector and have come across a 48 star Naval Jack flag. I have done a little research and know that the size of the naval jack has to equal the size of the canton in the stars and stripes flying on the ship. This naval jack is 36" wide X approx. 58" long. (I say approx. because it is frayed from use.) The large size of the flag makes me think that it might have been on a large boat or ship.  I am curious to find out any information about the history of this flag. The first question I have deals with the tag that is on the flag. It has a label that says "Sterling." I wasn't sure if it was an official Navy flag because it did not have something like a quartermaster label on it, as does a 48 star fringed Army flag I have. Another question is whether or not you could lead me to a web page or an association of people that would know if the letters  FS-165 mean anything. They are written in ink pen by one of the grommets with the date 1945 written beside them. It seems that they might be the call letters of a boat, but I have looked around and have not found anything. I am really intrigued by the history of any flag especially when it is a history that has been documented. I really appreciate your time and effort. Thank you very much.

Rob

Dear Rob:
For right now I can tell you that the jack that you posses was in all likelihood from a large ship such as a battleship or aircraft carrier or even a large auxiliary vessel such as a combat cargo ship, and was part of a "Holiday" colors set. The ensign (a U.S. flag aboard a naval vessel is called the "ensign") that went along with that size jack was approximately 12 feet in length and about 6 feet in width. The very large size indicates that it would have been used on federal holidays and Sundays. During my 8 years in the U.S. Navy, I handled many a flag and I don't ever recall seeing any sort of labeling, this however, does not mean that they are not labeled. "Quartermasters" in the Navy are navigation specialists and in a crunch double as Signalmen (the rate responsible for flags and visual signaling). When I was discharged my rate was Quartermaster 2nd Class.  You mentioned the designation "FS-165" and the date 1945. Although I am not familiar with the "FS" designation, It is similar to the "AFS" used in the modern navy. The "AFS" was adopted for a new series of Auxiliary Combat Stores ships (or as the sailors aboard those ships call them "Auxiliary Fleet Supermarkets"). "FS" could simply be the designation of that type of ship prior to the 1960's. The Navy has done the same with other types of vessels. Destroyer Escorts used to be designated "DE", then the same type of ship was designated "FF" for "Frigate". When missiles were added they became "FFG" but the numbering system started back at 1 again.  During all of World War II there were 48 stars on the ensign and jack, this then would be consistent.  During world War II, all if not most naval flags were made in the Brooklyn shipyard so the "Sterling" that was marked on the flag is a mystery to myself as well.  I have a couple of Navy websites book marked which might be able to help:
http://www.spear.navy.mil/ships/
http://www.multied.com/navy/NavyLinks.html
http://www.spear.navy.mil/ships/lpd4/links.html (this was the last ship I was on, so in a way I am still connected)
http://www.navy.mil/
http://www.history.navy.mil/index.html (Naval Historical Center)
http://www.iaw.on.ca/~awoolley/lwlinks.html (World Wide Military Links)
http://www.nava.org/ (NAVA page and the gateway to many flag links world wide)

I'm sorry that I could not have given you a more definitive answer, but I hope the above information helps. Good luck on your research.  John H. Gamez

(...and the following addition as of 15 April 2000...Ed)

I can add one small piece of info. "Sterling" was a brand name of a cotton bunting manufactured by the Valley Forge Flag Co., I believe.  Dave Martucci

Hello Deanna,
The short answer to the question of what the Catholic and Protestant flags looked like during the 30 years War is simple; they looked very much the same!  There is a representative illustration on page 116 of Whitney Smith's "Flags Through The Ages and Across The World" published in 1975.  It shows flags on both sides containing crosses and saltires and stripes and cheques.  I know that in some battles of the period, the opposing armies bore the devices of their leaders as opposed to religious flags.  Many of the present Swiss Canton flags originated in this period (but I don't know which side they were on!) Hope this helps!    Dave Martucci

Dear Betsy:
Your question concerns a U.S. Army artillery guidon from the period of the Spanish American War.  Here is the best answer that I can give to.  My source is a reprint edition of "U.S. Army Uniforms and Equipment, 1889", which was issued by the Quartermaster General of the Army. Page 132 states the following:

Specifications for Artillery Guidons.

Silk. - To be a single piece of best quality banner silk of exact shade of scarlet as the standard sample.

Size. - To be three (3) feet five (5) inches fly from the lance, and two (2) feet three (3) inches on the lance; to be cut and swallow-tailed fifteen (15) to the fork.

Design. - To bear in the center, on both sides of the guidon, two cannon crossing (about fourteen and one-half (14 1/2) in length), with the number of the regiment above and the letter of the battery below.  The crossed cannon, letter, and number to be of yellow silk, and to be held in place by a border of needle-work embroidery three sixteenths (3/16) of an inch wide, of the same color.  The letter and number to be block shaped, four and one-half (4 1/2) inches high.

OK, so what does this mean to you?  The Guidon was probably of The 1st (Coast?) Artillery Regiment with the "Battery" designation below it.  A Battery is the the artillery equivalent to an Infantry Company.  Just for the sake of argument we will call it "B" battery, which would have been the second battery of the Regiment.  Now if the entire regiment was stationed
there, then we are looking at another flag entirely.  Actually, we are talking about a set of flags if the entire regiment was posted there.  My question to you, was the entire artillery regiment posted there or just one or more batteries?   The colors. "Scarlet" often refers to the red of the U.S. Flag.  "Yellow", I would have to guess would be a bright, but not pale shade of
yellow.  The same color as the helmet of the Green Bay Packers pro football team would probably be a good choice.  If you don't have access to the above mentioned volume, you can go to the library and find an illustration of an artillery battery guidon in the October 1917 edition of the National Geographic.  You will find the Guidon on page 314, illustration #24.  I hope that this was helpful.  If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask.    John H. Gamez

Hello Butch:
I assume you are referring to the illustration on my web site on the history of the US Flag http://www.midcoast.com/~martucci/flags/us-hist1.html.  It is representative, based on numerous drawings, paintings and the very few surviving flags from the period. It indeed shows 7 white and six red stripes, deliberately, which is the correct depiction according to the rules of heraldry.

In fact, there are almost as many depictions of US Flags with more white stripes than red from the late 18th and early 19th century.  The shield of the US Coat of Arms (see the back of any $1 bill) has the "bars" arranged this way to this day.  None of the three US Flag Resolutions by Congress (1777, 1795 and 1818) specify if there should be more of one color stripe or the other (nor do they specify if the stars have 5 points or not). 

It wasn't until the President issued the first Proclamation regarding the design of the US Flag in 1916 that any Official specs showed more red ones than white, and the Presidential Orders only apply to the Executive Branch and Military.  Even today, any flag that corresponds to the Third Flag Resolution is an Official US Flag for non-governmental and non-military use. 

Here are the specs: 
13 alternate red and white horizontal stripes; a blue Union bearing a white star for each state representing a new constellation. 

Beyond that, you are free to interpret the flag any way you want.  Dave Martucci

A: Hi Marcus,

This is an interesting quote. The United States does have a customs flag (as many countries do) which does have the stripes go vertical, instead of horizontal, and a while canton with a blue US Seal, i.e. the Eagle with arrow, laurels, etc.

This flag is flown at international airports and sea ports where there is a customs office.

Hope this helps.  Lee Herold

A: Hi Mary,

The actual origin of flags is difficult to pin down. In the World Encyclopedia of Flags by Alfred Znamierowski (1999) he describes on page 9 vexilloids of Assyrian, Roman, Aztec, Mongolian, Japanese, etc. origin. These were staffs with symbols of state or religious authority on top. Feathers & streamers were attached which created flag-like emblems.

On page 10 he describes a flag in China from 1500BC.The Vikings used flags at sea, armies began using flags to identify units for battle. During the age of heraldry, flags and banners of the shields and coats of arms of knights and nobles became common.

In the 16th century modern flags were developed, stripes, colors, and simple symbols to represent the monarch and state.

There is some mystery about the origin since few documents have survived.  Also there is not a lot of study into the human relationships with flags. The most recent is the book by Dr. Carolyn Marvin.

There is more information in Flags Through The Ages And Across The World by Dr. Whitney Smith (1975).

Hope this helps some.  Lee Herold

A: Sorry that I have not been able to respond any sooner to your question, but this one really stumped me.  It sounds like you are describing a "festive" or "holiday" banner.  I speak of the types that you hang horizontally on your porch or what not. Considering the information that you have given me, this is the best answer that I can offer.  These types have been very popular for the last decade or so, but without a photo or any other information, determining the age would be quite difficult.  I hope that this information helps.
Sincerely,
John H. Gamez

Several years ago, NAVA published "The Flags Of The Native Peoples of the United States" which detailed the known contemporary and historical Native American flags. There was a companion chart also. Please send me more details about your project, what grade you are in, what school you go to, your teacher's name and your name, and I will try to help you further.  Dave Martucci

A: Hi Cindy,

Thanks for your inquiry and interest in flags.  NAVA is a very interesting organization and I hope you will look us over. 

Information on the Ohio State Flag is available in "The Flag Book of the United States" by Dr. Whitney Smith, the world's expert on flags. pp 182 & 183.  Below is information from this book:

"....It seems apparent that the flag of Ohio designed by John Eisenmann was inspired by (the) cavalry guidon, although the guidon had been out of use for sixteen years at the time."  "He patented his design in 1901; the General Assemble (State Legislature) adopted the flag officially on 9 May 1902.  At that time John Eisenmann signed over his patent on the design."

"The originator explained his design as follows: 'The triangles formed by the main lines of the flag represent the hills and valleys as typified in the State Seal, and the stripes {represent} the roads and waterways.  The stars, indicating the thirteen original states of the Union, are grouped about the circle which represents the Northwest Territory; and that Ohio was the 
seventeenth state admitted into the Union is shown by adding four more stars.  The white circle with its red center, not only represents the initial letter of Ohio, but is suggestive of its being "the Buckeye State.'' {The buckeye was made the official State tree in 1953.)  The flag of Ohio first received public attention when if flew over the Ohio Building at the Pan-American Exposition in 1901 in Buffalo, New York.  President McKinley saw it there just before his assassination at that Exposition. The bill to legalize the design was submitted by the Speaker of the Ohio House, William S. McKinnon, who had been a member of the commission which organized the Pan-American Exposition."

Of course the Ohio flag is unique in the U.S.A. and even around the world as no other state, and few countries have a swallow-tail flag (a triangle cut in the flag end) and a non-rectangular shape as well.  Lee L. Herold

(NOTE:  For many reasons, both legal and practical, NAVA cannot appraise flags.  However, many of our commercial members are equipped to do just that.  See our "Commercial Members" page. ..Ed)

A: Dear Bruce:
I can say with certainty that the flag in the attached illustration is not the flag of the USS CONSTITUTION.  As I had noted, it is in fact the flag of John Paul Jones' ship the SERAPIS*.  The flag of the USS CONSTITUTION in 1815 appears to have been a standard US flag (i.e. 13 red and white stripes with a blue canton or union) with the stars in a similar pattern to the SERAPIS flag.  She also wore a jack with the stars in a circular or "wreath" pattern**   It is also doubtful that an ensign would have been considered his "personal" flag.  Captain Talbot may have ordered and paid for the flag (assuming that this was the case) but he would not have considered it his "personal" flag.  The links below are to the Naval Historical Center and the USS CONSTITUTION.  They may have more answers concerning the link between your ancestor and the flag.
http://www.history.navy.mil/
http://www.ussconstitution.navy.mil/
Fair winds and following seas,  John H. Gamez

*Boleslaw and Marie-Loise D'Otrange Mastai. "The Stars and the Stripes".
(New York. Alfred A. Knopf, 1973). p. 59.
**Ibid. p. 68