The American Flag

The Army of the American Revolution formally formed on 14 Jun 1775 when the 2nd Continental Congress authorized its creation. That day holds two patriotic meanings.  It is the birthday of the US Army and it is the celebration of the adoption of the American Flag in 1777.

During the American Revolution, multiple flags were flown. Here are some of the more well-known flags. 

- The Grand Union Flag: Early compromise that displayed Britian's Union Jack in the canton section.

- Green Mountain Boys Flag: Flown by Ethan Allen's Vermont Militia

- Bedford Flag: Carried at Concord

- Taunton Liberty Flag: Red Field with "Liberty and Union" in white letters

- Rhode Island Regiment Flag: Much like today's State flag of Rhode Island

- Philadelphia Light Horse Flag: Carried by elite calvary that escorted George Washington

- Gadsden Flag: Yellow, "Don't tread on me" flag

These flags flew before Congress formally defined a national standard. On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress resolved:  That the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.

That wording left room for ambiguity and variability.  Consequently, there were at least three variations shortly after the adoption of the standard.  (This reminds me of a saying a co-worker of mine often quipped:  Our Standards is, "We have no standard.")

The commonly remembered flag is the Betsy Ross Flag. This flag contained thirteen stars arranged in a circle on a blue square accompanying thirteen alternating red and white stripes. This flag may or may not have actually been originally designed and produced by Betsy, but it is purported to have existed since June of 1776, a year before the adoption by Congress.  Betsy would have been twenty-four and a recent widow.  Her husband of three years, John Ross, was killed (probably in Philadelphia) while on guard duty in a gunpowder explosion.

It may be that Congress attempted to describe the Betsy Ross Flag - but the description was insufficient to preclude variations.

The Cowpens Flag appears in this fragment of the artwork shown on this blog by Robert Windsor Wilson. It is displayed at the Ninety-Six National Historic Site and titled Siege of Ninety-Six. The Cowpens Flag was similar to the Betsy Ross version except that it contained twelve stars in a circle with a single star in the center of the circle. It was used regularly by the 3rd Maryland Regiment. It is said to have been carried into the Battle of Cowpens, but the 3rd Maryland Regiment wasn't at that battle. The artist was probably influenced by this tradition, though. Ninety-Six is not far from Cowpens.

The Hopkinson Flag staggered the arrangement of the star in a 3-2-3-2-3 pattern.  The design is attributed to Francis Hopkinson. If it sounds familiar - it is similar to what has been done since - arranging stars in patterns to approximate a square. 

The imprecise standard specification permitted a wide variability of US Flags until President Howard Taft's executive order in 1912 specified that the pattern should be of horizontal rows and the stars were to point upward.

I'm glad we have a standard. I'm glad it was designed to tell a story.  The flag's 13 red and white stripes represent the original colonies; its white stars on a blue background represent the number of states; and, its colors are meant to represent:

• Red: valor and bravery (or hardiness)
• White: purity and innocence
• Blue: vigilance, perseverance, and justice

Howard Schnauber described in his poem titled: "I Am Old Glory"

“I am your symbol of freedom, I am your reminder of opportunity, I am your guarantee of justice, I am your flag.”

Remembering the 250th Anniversary of this nation - when we look at our flag, consider these words that it represents. Remember it is these things that made and make us great. Consider what it took to obtain it. Consider, what it takes to keep it. 

 

American Revolution - Along the Shore

 Rhode Island's Newport Harbor 

Newport Harbor was occupied by British forces during the American Revolution from December 1776 to October 1779. This created a constant threat to patriot militias in the region. It was a short distance across these waters along the shores of Warwick Neck and East Greenwich that my wife's seventh great grandfather, Matthew Manchester, assured those militia were provisioned.

Matthew was approaching sixty years of age when the Continental Congress declared its independence from British rule. Born in Rhode Island and living in Cranston - Matthew would have been very much aware of the pre-Tea Party, Gaspee Affair in 1772, where Colonist set fire to a British Customs Schooner in Narragansett Bay.

Matthew was conducting land transactions in the region as early as the 1760s and was respected in the community. That respect grew as he served to review lists of men eligible for the militia, tax collection and financial accountability for the town, represent at the Rhode Island General Assembly, and deciding upon public health initiatives such as Smallpox inoculation plans.  He held the title of Captain so he was likely in the militia at one point - though the title was probably more honorary by the time of the American Revolution. Even so, we might speculate whether he had prior knowledge or involvement in the Gaspee Affair.

After the war, Capt. Matthew Manchester became an early participant in Northwest Territory land speculation, acquiring shares within two years of the Ohio Company’s formal land grant phase in 1792. By 1794, he was conducting transactions involving hundreds of thousands of acres—land originally entrusted to Rufus Putnam (who turns out to be my 4th cousin) and others for distribution. His grandson, also named Matthew, later managed the business end of these holdings in the region that would become Marietta, Ohio.

Matthew appears to have prospered substantially during his lifetime. He also fathered twenty children most of whom remained in Rhode Island. Some of those children prospered well, and others faced harder times during their lifetimes. My wife's third great grandfather, Sanford Manchester, was Matthew's great-great grandson. Sanford was making his living as a coachman in the shadow what would soon be a playground of the Gilded Age elite.

Fortunes and fame of families are won, lost, and diluted as time, opportunities, and choices transpire. Matthew wasn't famous.  Newport affairs associated with the American Revolution are not well known or publicized.  And yet, like everything, each event, each opportunity, and each choice collectively and somewhat unwittingly shapes the future. In every case, choices matter.

Unsung American Revolution Civilians

I've spent some time focused on stories of the Revolution looking at my family history connections. The following blogs will look at the contributions of some of my wife, Tammy's, ancestors. Like many of my ancestors several of hers are noted for their willingness to contribute to the cause in ways that did not involve direct combat. The circumstances and details of those contributions are often lost to history, but here I will tease out probable involvements based upon location, time, and any finds I've uncovered. 

Tammy's sixth great grandfather (through her biological father), Mathew Myatt, furnished supplies in North Carolina in 1781. Matthew had nearly 400 acres in Wake County, NC and would likely have contributed to Nathaniel Greene's party that ultimately encountered Cornwallis' forces at Guilford Courthouse on 15 Mar 1781. Matthew's father-in-law, William Utley, in his mid-sixties at the time is also credited with assisting the Revolutionary cause through his actions during the tumultuous period as a Grand Juror and Road Supervisor. 

Like my ancestors, Benjamin Brown and Edward Richardson, Tammy's seventh great grandfather, Matthew Manchester, served on a committee in Rhode Island. While he likely served on many committees, in July and August 1780, he served as Second Deputy to the Rhode Island General Assembly and participated in town meetings that implemented the state’s classing system for military enlistment. His committee work contributed directly to Cranston’s wartime mobilization.

Benjamin Norris, Tammy's seventh great-grandfather, was in New Hampshire during the time of the American Revolution. His contribution to the war effort was associated with his civic roles as an Assessor, Auditor, Constable, Coroner, Culler of Lumber, and Doomer. Benjamin's sons, Andrew (Tammy's sixth great-grandfather), and Eliphalet also served as soldiers in the conflict.

Tammy also had ancestors through her adoptive father's lineage who contributed to the patriot cause through civilian roles.  John Chappell, provided services in North Carolina for which he received some financial compensation. Nathaniel Lancaster, despite being born in England, rendered material aid, in Virginia. Sadly, Nathaniel contributed more than just material aid, as his son, William, died at Valley Forge in May of 1778.

The tales of these ancestors don't make it into the history books. Their actions don't evoke moments of terror or excitement in the heart of some pivotal battle. Nonetheless, each contribution was part of the cumulative efforts of the many others that ultimately gave the patriots the victory. 

Next time I'll look at Tammy's soldier ancestors.

 

Revolutionary War - Women and War

Monument at Valley Forge

 In a previous post I introduced some of my grandmothers that contributed to the efforts of the American Revolution at Valley Forge.  These grandmothers contributed because they lived in the valley where George Washington decided to winter his weary warriors. 

Priscilla Stephens, one of my sixth great grandmothers embraced her Christian duty to be hospitable to the soldiers. According to Burk's Guide to Valley Forge,  

 An officer hastily rode up to the farmhouse of Abijah Stephens and chalked on the door "Headquarters of General Weedon," and ordered the family to make ready to receive its uninvited guests. Mrs. Stephens had a large quantity of buckwheat and at once mixed a tub full of batter. While others baked cakes she prepared soup, roast beef, etc. Much to the rage of the General those who first reached the house did not stand upon ceremony, but satisfied their hunger before he arrived.

Her daughter, Mary "Elizabeth" Rossiter, also played a role in hosting guests at their home during the encampment. The guests included recognizable names such as: Benedict Arnold, Marquis de la Fayette, Nathaniel Greene, and Henry Knox.

Other more prominent women have been recognized in publications. No doubt many more women participated in the American Revolution in ways that have not been documented.  Here are three women known to have participated directly in the battles.

On June 28, 1778, during the Battle of Monmouth near Freehold, New Jersey, a woman known as Molly Pitcher (likely Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley) earned her place in legend. Initially serving water to overheated soldiers (hence the nickname), she took over her husband’s cannon after he collapsed, continuing to fire through the heat and chaos of battle. Though her exact contributions at Brandywine and Valley Forge are debated, her presence at Monmouth is well documented. Her courage became a rallying image for female patriotism, and she was later granted a pension for her service.

Born in Massachusetts in 1760, Deborah Sampson disguised herself as a man and enlisting in the Continental Army under the name Robert Shurtliff. (The alias does invite speculation about her wit as well as her grit.) She served for over a year, participating in skirmishes and enduring wounds she treated herself to avoid discovery. Her story was later chronicled in a memoir titled The Female Review, written by Herman Mann (Wikipedia), which preserved her legacy as a real-life counterpart to the fictional Mulan. Sampson was eventually honorably discharged and later received a military pension, one of the few women to do so.

On November 16, 1776, during the Battle of Fort Washington in New York, Margaret Corbin’s life changed forever. Her husband, John Corbin, was killed while manning a cannon. Rather than retreat, Margaret stepped into his place, declaring, “I know all about it, Jack has shown me.” She continued firing until she was severely wounded. Margaret became the first woman to receive a military pension from the United States, and her bravery is commemorated at West Point, where she is buried among fellow soldiers.

Revolutionary Soldier - Torn on every side

Ninety-Six Battlefield, South Carolina

In commemorating the 250th anniversary of America's transformation from colony to republic, I’ve chosen to honor not just the celebrated patriots—but the forgotten ones, especially those whose choices challenge our grade-school narratives.

The teaching of this period of history in grade school is often painted with brushes of idealism and patriotism. The British were tyrants and bad! The Colonist were enlightened and good! The truth is much more complicated and nuanced. 

All of the ancestors I have discussed made choices based upon how they viewed their environments. Some, like Benjamin Brown and Edward Richardson, were motivated to defend the liberties of self-rule they and their ancestors had come to expect. Some, like Oliver Brown, were caught up in the revolutionary fever. Others, like Robert Goad and Francis Summers, simply chose to pay taxes. Southern soldiers, like Andrew Walker, were motivated because they associated the British with the Cherokee hostilities.

Naturally, when goals and motivations differ - decisions and choices differ. One discovered ancestor of mine made a decision that, in grade school, I would have been ashamed of.  He was a LOYALIST!  He supported the tyranny of King George! How could he make such an uninformed and unenlightened decision? 

That ancestor was Joseph Carmichael. Joseph was an ancestor that I knew nothing about.  I discovered him through Wikitree and the experience I have gained in searching records through my association with fellow genealogy enthusiasts I have encountered in that community. 

My maternal great-grandfather was adopted from his birth mother, Melinda Hamil. Melinda's maternal grandfather was Joseph Carmichael, the son of my loyalist ancestor. The exact place and time of Joseph the Loyalist's birth is uncertain.  His father, William, was born in Scotland and received a 300-acre land grant in 1762 in what is now Abbeville, South Carolina. Joseph was probably born in Scotland, but no record has been found.

Joseph found himself in a place of turmoil, the backcountry. This frontier of South Carolina was a law unto itself - blending the cultures of German, Scottish, and Irish settlers with native Cherokees. Lawlessness and vigilante behaviors were common - surviving meant picking the right sides at the right time. Loyalties were flexible.

Andrew Pickens is a notable revolutionary patriot soldier who lived in very close proximity to the Carmichaels at the time of the American Revolution. In fact, Joseph, served under Col. Richard King's Regiment, Long Cane Militia, Upper Ninety-Six Brigade - the same unit Pickens had commanded. It is possible he had served directly under Pickens before the militia unit was reorganized under Robert Cunningham.  

Andrew fought the Cherokee in the 1760s under British command. He led a decisive victory at Kettle Creek in 1779 defeating Loyalist forces and disrupting British recruitment, but after the fall of Charleston in 1780 - he surrendered to the British and pledged neutrality. Then Loyalist raided his plantation, and he abandoned his pledge playing a key role at the Battle of Cowpens in 1781.

All the while, his neighbor and my ancestor, Joseph Carmichael chose to remain attached to the British forces.  Afterall they would probably win. Charleston was taken. The market for his family's plantation was in Charleston. The British had repelled the patriot rebels at the fortifications at Ninety-six - right in his neighborhood. Betting on Britain was the logical choice. 

Joseph spent time at Ninety-six. Unfortunately, Joseph seems to have died of injuries associated with the Nathaniel Greene's initiatives or some retaliatory violence. His wife, Eleanor, was a refugee as a result of the violence and loss of her husband prior to 10 August 1782 when she is identified as a widow. Somehow she managed to keep the family going and get reintegrated into the community, at least for a time, after the war. Nonetheless, their son moved to Captain Walker's District of Morgan County, GA before 1820.

Conclusion

In the northern campaign and along the coasts of the colonies - the fighting was inspired by desire for liberty of trade, from perceived tyranny, or a desire for self-determination. But in the backcountry of South Carolina fighting was for survival yet choosing alliances was simultaneously critical and precarious.

In the backcountry, choosing sides was not about ideology—it was about survival. What do we make of ancestors who chose wrong for the right reasons, or right for the wrong ones? How do you choose sides when choosing is mandatory but both choices are wrong?

Revolution and Symbols

Sons of Freedom Pulling Down the Statue of King George III

Print from Steel Engraving, John C. McCrae (1859)

Growing up, it seemed every time I brought a history textbook home, my dad would turn to a page on American History and point to an image in the book much like the one above. Then he would say, "Your great-great-great granddad pulled that statue down." Of course, no school textbook, ever, said who pulled it down.  Most simply read, "A crowd of colonist gathered in New York City and pulled down a statue of King George to make bullets for the war."

In 2017 I was visiting New Orleans.  At the time there was great controversy in the nation about history, culture, and symbols of hate as many local governments began removing several statues that commemorated leaders of the Confederacy. While there were some exceptions most of these decisions were made and achieved peacefully.

In April 2003, images flooded the news medias as some Iraqi citizens attempted to bring down a statue of Saddam Hussein in Firdos Square in Baghdad. When unsuccessful the US Marines from the 3rd Battalion assisted in the activity. 

These moments—New York in 1776, New Orleans in 2017, Baghdad in 2003—share a common thread: statues as symbols. Each represented a regime, a legacy, or a wound. King George was a symbol of the tyranny the colonist had begun to loathe. The confederate statues were both symbols of history and symbols of hate. Saddam was a symbol of an era the people believed was now gone. Each case marked an inflection point.

This grandfather was Oliver Brown. He was the Revolutionary war ancestor used by my father, grandfather, great-aunt, and great-grandmother to gain their memberships into the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) and Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), respectively. My great-great-grandfather was written up in a Lawrence County Ohio newspaper in the early 1900s discussing his encounters with his grandfather, Oliver Brown. 

The story of Oliver was etched in our family memories.

Captain Oliver Brown’s Revolutionary journey began even before its first battle at Lexington.  As a lad of twenty, he happened to be in Boston conducting business on behalf of his family, on the day of the Boston Tea Party.  There he witnessed the events of that day.

His father, Benjamin Brown, was a Selectman in Lexington and on the Committee of Correspondence; his father-in-law, Edward Richardson, was on the Committee of Correspondence in Watertown. His brother, Solomon Brown, fired some of the first shots of the American Revolution on the Green.

Oliver had been living with the family of Captain Thatcher  (and Thatcher's wife; Oliver's first cousin) in Cambridge since the early 1760s. Naturally, he became one of Thatcher's Woburn Minutemen that arrived to repel the British regulars along the Battle Road. He stood against the first British cannon fired on colonial forces that day. He was part of nearly every major turning point of the war’s northern theater. He fought at Bunker Hill, commanded artillery at Harlem Heights, and endured defeat at White Plains. 

He served under General Washington for four years, rising to captain-lieutenant in the Massachusetts artillery line. With the artillery he fought at Trenton and Princeton during the winter campaigns, manned defensive posts at Bound Brook, and engaged in the pivotal battles of Brandywine, Germantown, and Monmouth. His artillery, he recalled, “did much execution” and his company of thirty men and two field pieces was entrusted with “many small adventures”.

After Oliver's service he returned to Middlesex.  He purchased several pieces of property in and around Concord. He was owner/operator of Wright Tavern for about three years starting in 1786. During his management there in September 1786 some townspeople met there to draft up a petition to address concerns about unrest associated with Shay's Rebellion. Then by 1789, he was having difficulty generating enough revenue to cover his mortgage, so he moved west to the region that is now Wellsburg, WV.

Oliver lived and participated in a pivotal time and place in American history.  Granddad didn't show up in standard history textbooks - but he was there. The retelling of his story in our family concretely connected us to the transition from American colonies to these United States.  

Oliver expressed only one regret about his actions and adventures.  It was that he had disappointed General Washington by defacing the statue of King George. Yet, I wonder what he thought in the moment of the event.  Was he just caught up in the mobbish fervor? Did the reading of the Declaration of Independence that day move him toward celebration? Was he thinking about the scarcity of lead for bullets? Like the Marines in 2003, perhaps he was thinking: How can we do this safely and successfully? 

We know he wasn't thinking, "What will General Washington think about this?"

An aside:  In 2022 Smithsonian published an interesting article on the subject that referenced Oliver indirectly with a link to his biography.

 

Revolution and The Weight of Expectation

 

Independence Hall in Philidelphia

Caveat:  In this time of decreased unity in our Nation. Today's post could be seen as partisan.  That was not my intent. My intent is to remind us of the uniqueness and fragility of the Nation that has existed and prospered.  My intent is to inspire us to continue our quest for liberty and justice for all.

The American Revolution was not merely a break from monarchy—it was a leap into uncertainty. For those who lived it, the promise of liberty came with the burden of responsibility. And for their descendants (you and me), the Constitution became both a guide and a mirror: reflecting hopes, fears, and the evolving meaning of self-governance.

The Founders’ Dilemma 

The architects of the Constitution feared concentrated power, yet they knew that without executive authority, the republic might collapse. They designed a presidency with limited powers, assuming that Congress and the people would carry the weight of national direction. But history had other plans.

Crisis and Expansion 

From Washington’s neutrality to Lincoln’s wartime proclamations, from Roosevelt’s New Deal to modern executive orders, the power of the presidency has grown—often in response to war, crisis, and gridlock. Each expansion met a need but also stretched the bounds of original intent.

The Impossible Expectation 

Today, we elect presidents with the hope that they will fix what Congress cannot, unify what culture divides, and embody both strength and humility. It’s a paradox: we ask for restraint and results, vision and compromise, all within a system that was never designed for unilateral action.

Genealogy and Legacy 

In tracing the lives of some of my ancestors—like Andrew Walker, Ephriam Bates, Priscilla Stephens, or Benjamin Brown—we see how ordinary people navigated extraordinary change. Their choices, migrations, and civic roles remind us that history is never shaped solely by presidents, but by families, communities, and quiet acts of stewardship.

Reflection

As we mark 250 years, perhaps the most honest celebration is not triumphalism, but reflection. Do we as individuals and collectively as a nation value action over restrained power? Do we trust a system designed to reign in a weakness of mankind to seek and maintain power? Or do we trust in the goodness and wisdom of a single individual?

Our Constitution has not endured because it is perfect, but because generations have wrestled with its imperfections. And in that wrestling, we find both the revolution’s promise—and its weight.