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fleet "amidst the acclamations of thousands assembled on the joyful occasion, under the display of the union flag, with thirteen stripes in the field emblematical of the thirteen United Colonies."

The first achievement of this squadron was the capture of New Providence, and a writer from thence to the London Ladies

join you in that time, you are to cruise in such places as you think will most annoy the enemy. And you are to send into, port, for trial, all British vessels, or property, or other vessels, with any supplies for the ministerial forces, who you may make yourself master of, to such places as you may think best within the United Colonies. In case you are in any great danger of being taken you are to destroy these orders and your signals. EZECK HOPKINS, Commandant-in-chief.

SIGNALS FOR THE AMERICAN FLEET BY DAY.

For sailing: Loose the foretopsail, and sheet it home.

For weighing and coming to sail : Loose all the topsails, and sheet them home.
For the feet to anchor: Clew up the maintopsail, and hoist a weft in the ensign.

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.

For chasing: For the whole fleet to chase, a red pendant at the foretopmast head.

To give over the chase: A white pendant at the foretopmast head.

For the Columbus to chase: Strike the broad pendant half mast, to be answered by a weft in the ensign, and making sail.

To chase to windward: Hoist the ensign lowering the pendant at the same time; if to leeward not. To give over the chase: A white pendant at the foretopmast head, and if at a great distance, fire a gun at the same time. This may serve for any of the vessels to give over the chase and return to the fleet.

For the Andrew Doria to chase: A Dutch flag at the foretopmast head.

To chase to windward: Hoist the ensign, lowering the pendant at the same time; if to leeward,

not.

To give over the chase: A white pendant at the foretopmast head, and if at a great distance, fire a gun at the same time.

For the Cabot to chase: A white flag at the foretopmast head. To chase to windward, &c., as above.

For the Providence to chase: A St. George's ensign with stripes at the mizzen peak. To chase to windward, as above.

For the Fly to chase: A Dutch flag at the maintopmast head. To chase to windward, &c., as

above.

For the Hornet to chase: A red pendant at the maintopmast head. To chase to windward, &c., as above:

For the Wasp to chase: A Dutch flag at the mizzen peak. To chase to windward &c., as above. 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. To disengage and form into a squadron: A white flag at the ensign staff and the same into a weft for every vessel to make the best of their way off from the enemy for their own preservation. For all captains to come on board the Commodore: A red pendant at the ensign staff.

To speak with the Columbus: A white pendant at the mizzen topmast head.

To speak with the Andrew Doria: A Dutch flag at the mizzen topmast head.

To speak with the Cabot: A weft in a jack at the mizzen topmast head.

To speak with the Providence: A white flag at the mizzen topmast head.

To speak with the Fly: A Dutch flag at the ensign staff.

For any vessel in the fleet that wants to speak with the Commodore: A weft in the ensign, and if in distress, accompanied with two guns.

To fall into a line abreast: A red pendant at the mizzen peak.

To fall into a line ahead: A white pendant at the mizzen peak.

For meeting after a separation: A weft in an ensign, at the maintopmast head, to be answered

with the same, and cluing up the maintop gallant sail, if they have any set.

For the ship Providence to chase: A red pendant at the mizzen topmast head. To chase to windward as before.

To speak with the ship Providence: A weft in the ensign at the ensign staff.

Among the signal flags to be used by the fleet under Abraham Whipple commodore commanding, given under his hand on board the continental frigate, Providence, Nantasket Roads, Nov. 22d, 1779, are mentioned:

A continental ensign.

A continental jack.
A red ensign.

A Dutch jack and ensign.
A white ensign.

A striped Aag and
A white jack.

Among the signals prescribed to be observed by commanders in the continental navy and issued by order of the marine committee, Jan. 14, 1778, are mentioned as to be used,

A French jack and

A continental jack.

Magazine, under date May 13, 1776, mentions that the colors of the American fleet were "striped under the union, with thirteen stripes, and their standard [admiral's flag] a rattlesnake; motto: 'Dont tread on me.'"

At the Naval Academy, Annapolis, there is preserved a mezzotinto engraving of "Commodore Hopkins, commander-in-chief of the American fleet, published as the law directs, 22d August, 1776, by Thomas Hart, which has been transferred to glass and colored." 1 The commodore is represented in naval continental uniform, with a drawn sword. At his right hand there is a flag of thirteen stripes with a snake undulating across them and underneath it the motto: "Don't tread on me." There is no union to this flag and it may represent the striped jack men

'There are extant other copies of this engraving. C. I. Bushnell, Esq., of New York, has one from which our illustration is engraved. It is inscribed like the other, 22d Aug., 1776. Hon. I. R. Bartlett of Providence also has a copy. Mr. Bushnell has a similar mezzotinto engraving of Charles Lee, which has over a cannon, a flag staff, attached to which is a plain white flag bearing the motto: "An Appeal to Heaven." This engraving is inscribed “Charles Lee, Esq., major general of the continental forces in America. Published as the act directs 31st Oct., 1775, by C. Shepherd. Thomtinson, pinxt." Mr. Bushnell has also a similar engraving of Gen. Gates, who has at his right hand a flag with thirteen black bars and thirteen white. It is inscribed "Horatio Gates, Esq., major general of the American forces. London, published as the act directs 2d Jan., 1778, by John Morris." I have seen a colored copy of this engraving, in which Gen. Gates is dressed in a red coat with white or buff facing, and the thirteen black bars on the flag are painted red.

Our illustration is reduced and printed by the Albert type process, by the Photoplate Printing Company of New York, of which E. Bierstadt is superintendent. It is a perfect fac simile of the original engraving.

2 This uniform, the first ordered for the continental navy, as will be seen, was prescribed by the marine committee, just two weeks after this engraving purports to have been published.

Uniform of Navy and Marine Officers.

In Marine Committee, Philadelphia, September 5, 1776. Resolved, That the uniform of the officers of the navy in the United States be as follows:

Captains: Blue cloth with red lappells, slash cuff, stand up collar, flat yellow buttons, blue breeches, red waistcoat, with yellow lace.

Lieutenants: Blue with red lappells, a round cuff faced, stand up collar, yellow buttons, blue breeches, red waistcoat, plain.

Master: Blue with lappels, round cuff, blue breeches, and red waistcoat. Midshipmen: Blue lappelled coat, a round cuff faced with red, stand up collar, with red at the button and button hole, blue breeches, and red waistcoat.

Uniform of the Marine Officers.

A green coat faced with white, round cuff, slashed sleeves and pockets, with buttons round the cuff, silver epaulette on the right shoulder, skirts turned back, buttons to suit the facings.

White waistcoat, and breeches, edged with green, black gaiters and garters.
Green shirts for the men, if they can be procured.
(Extract from the Minutes):

JOHN BROWN, Secretary.

American Archives, (5th series), vol. 11, page 181.

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tioned in his signals to the fleet. Over his left hand, there is a white flag with the pine tree device of Massachusetts, and over it the words "Liberty Tree," and under it " An Appeal to God."

I am indebted to F. J. Dreer of Philadelphia, for a smaller French engraving evidently from the same painting inscribed, "Commodore Hopkins Commandeur en Chef des Amerj: Flotte." It is without date, and shows only the flag at Hopkins's right hand, which is hoisted on the ensign staff of a ship of the line, and has thirteen stripes red and white, without a union, rattle snake, motto, or any other device. The ship has pennants at each masthead. In this French engraving the left hand of the commodore, and ship and flag over it are not shown.'

2

Sherburne says the flag hoisted by Jones was composed of alternate stripes of red and blue with a rattlesnake running across the field, and the usual motto.

Cooper is of the opinion that the flag hoisted by Jones was a pine tree flag with a rattlesnake coiled at its roots, and the motto. Such flags were hoisted over the Massachusetts state cruisers, and though unlikely, it is possible such a flag was hoisted over the Alfred, previous to the New Year, but Jones would scarcely have called it the flag of America. The proof is certain, however, that the squadron sailed under striped ensigns. An anonymous writer to the Boston Post, in 1853, asserts he had then before him a fac simile of the flag used by the Confederate states, from July, 1776, until the adoption of the stars and stripes, and that in the union emblem of the stripes, there is a rattlesnake coiled up and ready to strike, with the usual motto underneath. A writer in Harper's Magazine,3 states but without giving his authority: "The Alfred was anchored off the foot of Walnut street. a brilliant morning early in February, 1776, gay streamers were seen floating from every mast head and spar on the river. At nine o'clock a full manned barge threaded its way among the floating ice to the Alfred bearing the commodore who had chosen that vessel for his flag ship. He was greeted by the thunders of artillery and the shouts of a multitude. When he reached the deck of the Alfred, Captain Saltonstall gave a signal,

On

'Mr. Bushnell has furnished me with a tracing of another French engraving of Hopkins, undated. It is in an oval surrounded by emblems, etc., and under it are the two flags shown in the Hart engraving.

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