The Jack, or Union, or Union Jack, as it was and is called, was and is, to this day, in the navy of Great Britain, the flag of the admiral of the fleet; and was probably, as such, worn by the vessel of the commander-in-chief of this expedition, and its use probably suggested the adoption of a standard for the commander-in-chief of the first American fleet, Flag No. 7, in our table. The date of sailing of the above fleet was Sept. 19, 1775, before the letter of Colonels Glover and Moylan, speaking of the "old colors," was written (the date of the latter was Oct. 21, 1775), and the use of the terms jack and ensign strengthens the conclusion that the term "old colors" meant British colors, for we shall find, in the orders of the first American fleet, that the ensign and jack are called the striped ensign and Jack. In this connection, we give a few extracts from the sailing orders of the first American fleet, "given the several captains in the fleet, at sailing from the Capes of Delaware, Feb. 17, 1776."[51] [51] American Archives, 4th series, vol. iv. p. 1179. "Sir: You are hereby ordered to keep company with me, if possible, and truly observe the signals given by the ship I am in." "In case you are in any very great danger of being taken, you are to destroy these orders and your signals." SIGNALS FOR THE AMERICAN FLEET BY DAY. "For chasing: For the whole fleet to chase, a red pennant at the foretopmast head." We have already said that, since the time of the Romans, a red flag has been the signal to prepare for battle. "For seeing a strange vessel: Hoist the ensign, and lower and hoist it as many times as you see vessels, allowing two minutes between each time." Supposing this _ensign_ to be a Union flag, observe the similarity between this signal and that for the lighthouse and castle in Boston Harbor in 1720; "the lighthouse," as we have already stated, "in time of war makes a signal to the castle, and the castle to the town, by hoisting and lowering the Union flag so many times as there are ships approaching." "For the Providence to chase: A St. George's ensign with stripes at the mizzen peak." "For a general attack, or the whole fleet to engage, the standard at the maintopmast head, with the _striped_ Jack and ensign at their proper places." Now let us look at some of the descriptions of the colors of this fleet, both by American and British writers. SAILING OF THE FIRST AMERICAN FLEET. "NEWBERN, NORTH CAROLINA, February 9, 1776. "By a gentleman from Philadelphia, we have received the pleasing account of the actual sailing from that place of the first American fleet that ever swelled their sails on the Western Ocean, &c. "This fleet consists of five sail, fitted out from Philadelphia, which are to be joined at the capes of Virginia by two more ships from Maryland, and is commanded by Admiral Hopkins, a most experienced and venerable sea captain."