The True Story of the American FlagFow, John Henry
History
The True Story of the American Flag
Fow, John Henry
Flags -- United States
The claim is one of that legendary type that the Rabbins of old handed
down for centuries, and which were believed to be true, until modern
investigation proved their falsity, or like the imagination of artists
who attempt to paint historical events without consulting details,
historical, and geographical. The two most notorious in our history are
Leutze's painting of Washington crossing the Delaware, and Benjamin
West's painting of William Penn treating with the Indians. As to the
first, I write from authority, having been designated to represent the
Legislature of Pennsylvania as one of a committee of three to act in
conjunction with the Trenton Battle Monument Committee to select an
historical subject for the medallion to be placed upon one of the four
sides of a monument, erected at Trenton, to represent Pennsylvania's
part in that memorable event, we chose as the subject "Washington
Crossing the Delaware," and the result of our labor, and investigation
in conjunction with the Monument Committee can be seen to-day on the
west side of the monument. The bronze tablet placed there by the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania truthfully delineates that notable event.
The late General Stryker, of New Jersey, aided us, and furnished us
books, and documents to obtain part of the data. The tablet represents
a small rowboat, with General Knox sitting in the bow of the boat, and
Washington in the stern, the man rowing the boat was a Mr. Cadwalader.
He lived at McKonkey's Ferry, on the Pennsylvania side of the river.
Leutze in his painting has Washington standing alongside of a horse in a
large scow, such as were used in those days on the upper Delaware to
take produce to the Philadelphia markets. A number of others are in the
same boat, one holding aloft a flag containing a blue union with
thirteen white stars--a flag that did not come into existence until six
months after the battle was fought.
[Illustration: FLAG CARRIED IN THE REVOLUTION BY COUNT PULASKI'S LEGION:
UNITA VIRTUS FORCIOR.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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