Update of 12 Oct 2005 Letter to then SECNAV Gordon England

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Memorandum 31 January a.d. 2006
To: Captain P.O. Wheeler, USN, Deputy Director of Naval History
From: J. R. Manship, Chairman, W.I.S.E. (LCDR, USNR, Life Member, Naval Reserve Association)

Subj: Referenced Letter to SECNAV England on Washington’s Creation of American Navy (revised)

1. I forward this letter in case you missed it before, plus some “new” information from William Bell Clark, in his book George Washington’s Navy, who is shown as the editor of the NDAR volumes below.

Very Respectfully, James Renwick Manship


[W.I.S.E. letterhead images}


12 October a.d. 2005, “true” Columbus Day

The Honorable Gordon R. England
Secretary of the Navy
1000 Navy, Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20350-1000

Dear Secretary England:

At the Naval Historical Center yesterday, I spoke with Dr. Michael J. Crawford, Head of the Early History Division about research into the founding of the American Navy by Commander-in-Chief George Washington in October 1775.


[Four Pictures of Naval Documents of the American Revolution (NDAR) pages]


He was kind enough to make copies of four pages of the Navy’s reference work by eminent Naval Historian RADM Eller.
I have created “thumb-nail” images of those four pages as quick reference to the documents. The frontispiece of the Volume 2 of the Naval Documents of The American Revolution shows George Washington (left); the date range given first is 3 September 1775 to 31 October 1775, the day after Commander-in-Chief Washington commissioned the Hannah with the flag above as shown on page 13 of THE NAVY published by The Naval Historical Foundation to the end of the month wherein the Navy was born (left center). On Page 441 (right center) and 442 (right), the 13 October 1775 entry used to define the Navy’s birth begins with “A letter from Genl Washington, dated 5th of Octr,…was read.” The

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footnote indicates “part of this letter relates to the capture of a vessel in New Hampshire.” The American Navy had a first prize. Dr. Crawford acknowledged that Washington’s ships actions made moot the Congress debate on whether to begin a Navy.

The only “bone of contention” was that the American Navy ships commissioned by Commander in Chief Washington were manned by “Army men”, and thus were Army, not Navy ships. Often soldiers and sailors were interchangeable. At the University of Virginia George Washington Papers Project are two letters (14 and 25 April 1776) to Navy Commander in Chief (R.I. General) Esek Hopkins where Commander-in-Chief of all American forces George Washington writes:
“…the Necessity of requesting you to dispatch to this Place as soon as possible the 200 Men lent you from this Army”

In this modern world where “Joint Service Inter-operability” is the watchword as American seeks to “Transform the World”, we as a Navy must not get into inter-service “sibling” rivalries about an “Army” general being the man responsible for the founding of the Navy, and for choosing the First Navy Flag- General George Washington.

The enclosed proposed SECNAV Instruction 10520.7 paragraph 2 describes the Naval and Marine background that served to educate George Washington in military and naval matters, and further describes the effective use of the Navy with the Army that Commander in Chief Washington coordinated throughout the War for Independence to win for America and all Americans our cherished Liberty, represented by the “Evergreen Tree of Liberty” of the First Navy Flag.

For America’s future (building up on our past),


James Renwick Manship, Sr., Chairman

P. S. Washington planned and executed the Trenton Raid in one week -- from 18 to 25 December a.d. 1776. I have not the abilities of Washington, so I have been working at this on an off since I spoke to the Navy Chaplains Conference at Founders Inn last 8 November 2004. Given this is about Washington’s founding of the American Navy and choosing the First Navy Flag, it is reasonable to consider coordinating action to encourage you as Secretary of the Navy to make a positive decision and a bold stroke of a pen for this “Revolutionary” change in time for the 13 October Navy birthday.

Navy Supply flag costs, projection of cost of change of Jack flag

In a note in my penmanship, I relate to Captain Wheeler that a representative of a Navy supply command indicated that the Navy Snake Jack flag sells for $46.80. Further, it was learned that in the past year Navy ServMart sold 55 Navy snake jack flags.

Based on 3 flags per ship, and guessing 400 Navy ships, the projected cost for this change is $56,160. Since 30 January when the note was written, the news reported that in the new federal budget the Navy was going to increase from its current 281 ships. So recalculating based on 300 ships, rather than 400, yields $42,120.

This is to say that the cost to make this change is miniscule in terms of the massive federal budget.

Currently there are no known suppliers of an accurate rendition of the First Navy Flag, best based on the notes of Washington's aide, Colonel Joseph Reed, telling of the motto "Appeal To Heaven" below the tree, or secondarily in the letter in the penmanship of the British admiral Sir Hugh Pellasier, of the colors of the Continental ship Washington surrendered by the captain, Sion or Simon Martindale.

UPDATE >>> ABOVE paragraph is in error of no known suppliers for the Washington Cruisers First Navy Flag...

The rendition of the Liberty Tree flag, First Navy Flag, on the website of former Naval Academy music instructor Ron McGranahan, is the one seen in other places on this blog website.

In a phone conversation on Friday, 17 February 2006, he related that http://www.anyflag.com/history/washcru.htm was the source of his design.

Clicking on the links shows that the flag can be purchased one at a time for $40.00. The purchase of 900 at a time should allow a Navy contracts officer to secure a discount from the regular retail price, lets say 17.75 per cent (for the year 1775 the flag first flew). With that projected discount on a lower cost per flag the recalculated cost comes to $29,210.

Reply Letter to errors of Deputy Director of Navy History

30 January 2006

Captain P. O. Wheeler, U. S. Navy
Deputy Director of Naval History
2000 Navy Pentagon
Washington, District of Columbia 20350-2000

Dear Captain Wheeler:

Thank you for your letter of 23 January, postmarked on 25 January 2006, that was delivered Saturday, 28 January, and I retrieved earlier today. In your first paragraph you write, “This responds to your letter in which the Secretary of the Navy substitute the Liberty Tree Flag in place of the Rattlesnake Jack,…” My first question to you is which letter dated when, to which Secretary of the Navy, Gordon England or Donald Winter?

I appreciate your recent history information that the Navy began to celebrate its birthday on 13 October since 1972. What day was celebrated as the Navy Birthday before 1972, if any? Do you think it significant that on that day in 1775 is when Congress read a letter from their Commander in Chief to learn George Washington had already formed a Navy, and so their debates on whether or not to create a Navy were rendered moot? [You may know that I received copies of the NDAR pages of that event from your aide, Dr. Michael Crawford, on 11 October 2005.] By 13 October 1775, the Tree of Liberty Flag, or Washington Cruisers Flag, was flying on Continental ships.

The third paragraph is an interesting construction, or justification, for a flag that has no true historical validity. It begins “The best historical information leads to the conclusion that the jack flown from vessels of the Continental Navy consisted of thirteen alternating horizontal red and white stripes.” which is a bit misleading, if not incorrect. You may be aware of the email I received from the Naval Historical Center, as seen below:

“Generations of flag historians have assumed them to be authentic, and have built upon them a legend of the First Navy Jack – an historic flag that never was.” are the words of flag expert Peter Ansoff from a one page summary of the 53 page article sent to me on 12 December 2005 by the Naval Historical Center, that is attached. It shows the sources of Rattlesnake Jack historical hoax, as well as RADM Preble and RADM Morison’s unsuccessful efforts to correct this century old error of Naval History. “Now is the time…”

“Don’t shoot the messenger.”, don’t shoot this idea down because I am a little known and even less well paid historian. I show the truth to you and the Navy Leadership who should properly give credit not to me, but to RADM Preble, RADM Morison, and the Naval Historical Center Early History Branch professional historians who have identified doubts of the veracity of the Rattlesnake Jack flag on the Naval Historical Center website.

As far as the “symbol for the United States” being the Rattlesnake, the one you describe of the Seven Years War is prone, and cut in pieces. The current Navy one on its belly was a possible mocking by English artist Thomas Hart, in his “fantastic” portrait of Commodore Hopkins as RADM Samuel Eliot Morison described it. Most or all of the American Rattlesnake flags designed by Americans show a COILED rattlesnake, ready to defend or strike, such as on the Gadsden Flag, the Culpeper Regiment, the Proctor Regiment, and the Rhode Island Artillery Regiment. Ask a Reptile expert, and you will learn that the Navy’s rattlesnake on its belly is one in retreat, where the motto is less a warning than a plaintive plea, “(Please) Don’t Tread On Me.”

The Tree of Liberty flag has even a longer historical tradition in America, and as a Continental Navy flag its first use on 2 September 1775 followed by a mere weeks of the mid-August cutting down of the Sons of Liberty Tree of Liberty in Boston by British loyalists. Therefore the “Liberty Tree” is even a better symbol of “independent spirit, and its resistance to tyranny…” as you write in your recent letter to me.

From my 11 October 2005 letter to Secretary of the Navy Gordon England is the following insight:
“…the motto added by Washington is from Locke’s Second Treatise chapter XIV “Of Prerogative”, where is written “to appeal to heaven…have no appeal on earth, then they have a liberty to appeal to heaven.” “Appeal To Heaven” is Locke’s syllogism for “go to war”. With Thomas, Lord Fairfax as his mentor, George Washington was well educated in John Locke’s writings.”

Also thank you for the interesting bit of history of the 27 February 1777 group of Continental Navy officers suggesting that Navy captains have a rattlesnake and motto embroidered on their epaulets. Obviously this Navy Snake idea was rejected, but I would like to know more of this incident, so I ask what is the scholarly citation?

I want to thank you for adopting the more appropriate use of “Liberty Tree Flag”, rather than the “Pine Tree Flag”, in both the first paragraph on your first page, and the second paragraph on your second page. However, that second paragraph and the next have numerous historical errors of fact. The historical records clearly show there was every bit of “institutional continuity between Washington’s Fleet and the Continental Navy.”

The Continental Navy was created by the Commander in Chief of ALL Continental forces, George Washington, months before the first Navy Commander in Chief, Rhode Island Artillery Militia General Esek Hopkins, was named by the Congress where his brother Stephen Hopkins served. (For Washington’s authority to establish the Navy, read his original orders from the Congress as recorded in the book written by Chester G. Hearn titled George Washington’s Schooners published by the United States Naval Institute Press in 1995. And is it true that William Bell Clark who wrote George Washington’s Navy in 1960 also served as an editor at the Naval Historical Center for the Naval Documents of the Revolution series that is somewhat the definitive source of Navy history, and prove my points?)

The “Navy” committee of Congress voted to commission additional ships AFTER reading that Commander in Chief Washington had already commissioned a Continental ship. The Navy committee then traveled to Boston, met with Washington, confirmed his Navy plans, and indeed, even had the Continental Navy ships named for many members of the Continental Congress. All BEFORE General Esek Hopkins was named Commodore.

The argument of soldiers versus sailors has been fully discussed in previous letters to Secretary England, it just does not hold water. I found at the University of Virginia George Washington Papers Project a letter from General Washington to General Hopkins (Commodore) to please return the 200 soldiers he loaned to Hopkins to man the Continental Navy ships. What do you bet some of those same “soldiers” were sailors before?

The Massachusetts Navy flag was voted upon in July 1776, long after it had been flying for months as the flag of the ships of Continental Navy commissioned by Washington and confirmed by the committee of Congress.

And as far as being Washington’s Continental Navy ships operating only in the Massachusetts Bay, the first ship, Hannah, was given orders by Commander in Chief Washington to sail to Montreal to provide Naval support for the Continental forces campaign in another country. Please let me know when the Navy will uphold the truths of Navy history, rather than holding on to a fraud or error of history because it is the easy thing to do.

For America’s future (building up on our past),


James Renwick Manship, Sr., Chairman
LCDR, USNR, Life Member, Naval Reserve Assn.


Enclosures:
(a) Point Paper on First Navy Flag… page 1 (“He {Washington} gave birth to the Navy.”)
(b) Point Paper on First Navy Flag… page 6 (“…striped rattlesnake flag… not a realistic…flag.”)
(c) Decision Points on change of Navy Jack Flag (2 page based on SECNAV England speech)
(d) “Seed of Truth” sheet with British Maritime Museum letter of 6 January 1776 letter (portion)
(e) Letter for RADM Tobin, Director, Naval Historical Center, to SECNAV Winter (proposed)
(f) SECNAV Instruction 10520.7 of 22 February 2006 (proposed, prepared for SECNAV Winter)

Detailed Reply to CNO letter of 23 Jan 2006 by CAPT P.O. Wheeler, USN

The first paragraph is a reasonable summary of this issue for the Navy to "substitute the Liberty Tree Flag in place of the Rattlesnake Jack". As to no plans for a substitute, when truth vs. fiction is clear to see, then serving Truth is an obligation.

The second paragraph provides interesting information that the Navy Birthday has only been observed since 1972, yet traces its birthday to the Continental Congress entry of 13 October 1775 shown in the Naval Documents of the American Revolution page 441 and 442, which shows the first action of that day was to read a letter from Commander in Chief George Washington that included discussion of Naval matters, and thereby made moot the committee debate as whether or not it would be too brash for this infant nation to establish a Navy to challenge, or even simply harass, the mightiest Navy in the world, the British Navy. So the birth of the Navy was measured from discussion of the Naval activities of General George Washington. Period. End of Story. (And yet other arguments will be presented.)

The third paragraph begins "The best historical information leads to the conclusion...". The way this is worded it could be considered true, or it could be considered false. There are just too many unclear allusions contained within the sentence. There is some historical information, but whether it is the best is questionable, that the thirteen alternating red and white stripes flag was flown on Continental Navy ships. True, there is some evidence that the flag as described, also called the Sons of Liberty Flag, may have flown, even likely flew on Continental Navy ships.

However, there is NO VALID HISTORICAL INFORMATION that the SNAKE OVER STRIPES FLAG EVER FLEW ON ANY CONTINENTAL NAVY SHIP. (Read the 52 page article by flag expert Peter Ansoff in the 2004 issue of the flag journal Raven, or read the one page summary elsewhere on this blog.)

The third paragraph as much as admits that the current Navy flag is false, a fabrication where it writes, "The modern addition of the rattlesnake and motto to the jack of the thirteen stripes creates a combination of three symbols with connections to the rich naval heritage of the American Revolution." Why combine symbols when a true flag with a rich naval heritage of the American Revolution already exists -- the evergreen Liberty Tree Flag?

But that sentence too is misleading. The "modern addition" derives from a false legend that began from Thomas Hart, an English artist, not known for his historical accuracy, in his fanciful portrait of the first Navy-only Commander in Chief, former Rhode Island Militia General Esek Hopkins, brother of Stephen Hopkins who was a member of the Continental Congress.

In the point paper elsewhere on this blog, details how the false Rattler flag legend was perpetuated by one well-meaning but historically poorly informed American after another, how one Navy Admiral Preble in 1872 at first believed the Snake flag legend and included it in his book on American flags, and then learned it was false and so tried in 1880 to correct his previous error, and mentions how the snake on its belly may have been intended as an insult of the American Navy.

In another portrait by Hart, of Colonel Benedict Arnold outside of Montreal, Hart paints a palm tree in the background, a flora not found so far north. So much for Hart's reputation for historical accuracy.

And as far as the Rattlesnake as a symbol of the English colonies about the time of the Seven Years Wars 1756-1763 (the European moniker, typically called the French and Indian War in America 1754-1763) the statement is true enough, but the evergreen tree is a symbol of the English colonies back into the 1600's.

The Sons of Liberty met under the Tree of Liberty in Boston, that was cut down by British Loyalists in mid-August 1775, weeks before the Liberty Tree Flag flew on 2 September 1775 as the First Navy Flag on the first Continental Navy ship, the Hannah, and then at least six others Continental Navy ships. As such, it was a direct statement of resistance to tyranny, and an independent spirit unmatched by any other early flag, or later fabricated flag.

The fourth paragraph states "In early 1776 Commodore Esek Hopkins, the first and only commander in chief of the Continental Navy fleet, used a personal standard designed by Christopher Gadsden of South Carolina. This flag consisted of a yellow field with a coiled snake and the motto "Don't Tread on Me." Whether this is true or not is subject to question among careful flag historians.

It is true there was the Gadsden flag as described. When and whether the Gadsden flag was flown by General, or Commodore, Esek Hopkins after he was named to head the Navy fleet out of Philadelphia is not clearly established.

Further, there are several historical sources that indicate that Captain John Manley was named as the Commodore of the Continental Navy ships operating in the "Northern Fleet" (NOT Massachusett State Navy.)

On the second page of the CNO letter by CAPT Wheeler, a very interesting bit of history is provided that in fact proves the point AGAINST THE NAVY SNAKE FLAG. It tells how barely a year after the personal standard of the snake flag MAY have been flown, that a group of Continental Navy officers proposed a dress uniform epaulet with "the figure of a Rattle Snake Embroider'd on the Strap... with the Motto don't tread on me." The letter does NOT say such a proposal was adopted, and so if not, it could be reasonably presumed the unwise proposal was rejected by "wiser heads" in higher authority.

The fifth paragraph on page 2 is the most misleading by its presentation of erroneous information. Elsewhere on this blog are graphic presentations of how several parts of this paragraph are not correct. First the Liberty Tree Flag first flew on Continental Navy ships commissioned by Commander in Chief of all Continental forces, George Washington beginning on 2 September 1775. The Massachusetts Navy flag adopted that flag as its own on 26 July 1776.

The statement "ships of Washington's Fleet that operated in Massachusetts Bay..." is just incorrect. The powerful British Navy was anchored in the Massachusetts Bay so the Continental Navy ships would have been foolhardy to operate there. The plan as stated in Washington's original orders to the first Continental Navy ship Captain Nicholas Broughton was to "operate on the High Seas..." to capture inbound British merchant unarmed or lightly armed supply ships and take them to ports near Boston by free from British control.

Those captures of supply ships had a dual military purpose - one to deny supplies to the enemy, and two to provide much needed arms, ammunition, clothing, and food for the Continental Army from the captured British supply ships.

The Continental Navy ships commissioned by Washington, and confirmed by the Continental Congress committee, were similar to the "skirmishing" on land by the cavalry by such military leaders as Major (later General) Light Horse Harry Lee, where the plan was to hit and retreat, to capture supply wagons, and avoid a military fight, all part of a siege campaign, and like the American Indian warfare technique of ambush.

The next part of that fifth paragraph that is misleading is the statement, "...was manned and officered entirely by the Continental Army." Again a graphic rebuttal of this is presented elsewhere on this blog. Quotes from the 1960 book George Washington's Navy by William Bell Clark, who also served as an editor of the Naval Documents of the American Revolution that the Navy uses to establish the Navy Birthday as 13 October, disprove this statement.

Further, a letter found at the University of Virginia George Washington Papers Project from the Commander in Chief (of all Continental forces) to his subordinate General, now Commodore, Esek Hopkins to please return the 200 soldiers lent by Washington to Hopkins to man the Navy's ships, tends to make this argument moot.

The sixth paragraph continues with another incorrect statement, "There is no institutional continuity between Washington's Fleet and the Continental Navy, established as a separate institution by the Continental Congress." This is wrong from a number of different perspectives. One as discussed above, the Congressional debate on whether to start a Navy ended when the Navy committee learned that Washington had already established a Navy and captured British ships. Two, the Navy committee traveled to Boston by 22 October 1775 to review the plans of Washington to establish the fleet of Continental Navy ships, and approved the plans, even to the extent of many of the ships being named for leaders of the Continental Congress. Three, later John Hancock, president of Continental Congress named a man to serve as the Continental agent to replace the agents originally appointed by Washington, to receive and process the captured ships of the Continental Navy ships commissioned by Washington.

In the sixth, and next to last paragraph, the concluding sentences are accurate in stating the current situation that reflects the "institutional attitude" reflected by the quasi-humorous saying, "Don't confuse me with the facts, my mind is made up." The words written are "The United States Navy considers...", or rather continues holding onto the false Snake flag.

The next part is written, "... its beginnings to have been the Continental Navy, not the Continental Army." which is a rationalization not based on the facts. The first Navy Commodore had served as an artillery General in the Rhode Island Militia, and likely was named in part due to his influential brother Stephen Hopkins, who served in the Continental Congress.

This letter fails to tell the "rest of the story" that from the very first, this Navy Commander in Chief, Commodore Esek Hopkins, failed to carry out the orders as originally written, and later was "fired" from his position. On the other hand, the first Navy ship Hannah commissioned by Commander in Chief George Washington had a ship's captain Nicholas Broughton who failed to carry out his orders as written.

Both sets of ships, those of Washington and those of Hopkins were manned in part by volunteers from the Continental Army, and certainly volunteers from state militiamen like those of Rhode Island where General Esek Hopkins had served before being appointed to head the fledgling Navy founded by Washington.

The Liberty Tree Flag, also called the Washington Cruisers Flag, is clearly the true First Navy Flag by several months over any other "challenger". For this reason, the statement "For this reason, the Navy does not use the flag of Washington's fleet." is not consistent with the facts of history that call for this flag be substituted for the fictional "retreating Rattler" Snake flag.

The last paragraph, the seventh, concludes the letter with the words, "As always, if I can be of further assistance, please let me know." Late in the day on Friday, 17 February 2006, days before the Monday federal Washington Birthday Holiday, I called and left a message for Captain P. O. Wheeler at the number I received for him at 202-433-8271.

The assistance I ask is for the Navy to have the courage to serve the truth, the true facts of Navy history, and the openly acknowledge the facts that the First Continental Navy ships flew the "Washington Cruiser" flag, or the Liberty Tree Flag, that honestly acknowledges what numerous Navy historians have said that the Continental Navy was created by Commander in Chief George Washington, who had an appreciation of the importance of a Navy from his older brother's experience with Admiral Edwin Vernon, for whom Mount Vernon was named, during the campaign in Columbia, South America against the Spanish, in the War of Jenkin's Ear.

The best action for the Navy would be to adopt the Liberty Tree flag as the Navy Jack during the Global War for Liberty Over Terrorism.

Update of 22 December 2005 Draft Letter for RADM to SECNAV

Naval Historical Center
Washington Navy Yard, Building
Washington, District of Columbia

4 January 2006

The Honorable Donald C. Winter
Secretary of the Navy FAX (PAO): 703-697-1242
1000 Navy Pentagon
Washington, District of Columbia 20350-1000

Dear Secretary England:

Recently it was brought to my attention that SECNAV Instruction 10520.6 that you signed on 31 May 2002, based on the prior instruction in the same series of 1 August 1975 when J. William Middendorf served as Secretary of the Navy renewed a well meaning error in our Navy history, the myth of the Rattlesnake flag.

I have been informed that based on recently received scholarship on this issue, Ambassador Middendorf notes the error, and agrees that the error should be corrected.

Previous Naval Historians have attempted to correct this error. Admiral Preble tried in 1880 to correct the error. According to flag expert Dave Martucci of NAVA, Admiral Preble in his 1872 book talked about the Rattlesnake flag, but by the 1880 edition Preble was insisting the publisher remove all his prior writings on the Rattlesnake flag, which the Admiral by then knew to be in error. The publisher did so, but left a flag illustration in the book, largely defeating the Admiral’s efforts to correct his earlier error, so the Snake flag myth passed into the lore of Navy history. The Admiral’s correspondence on this can be found at the Antiquarian Society of Worchester, Massachusetts. Naval Historian Samuel Eliot Morison was correct when he made this comment: “The mezzotint portrait of Esek Hopkins published in England… is a work of imagination by someone who never saw Hopkins or his ships…”

It was recently learned that the original instruction was not staffed through the Naval Historical Center, at least not the Early History Branch, and in fact, the website of our organization discounts the prevalent opinions that the Rattlesnake flag as now depicted ever flew on a Continental Navy ship. Scholars agree the Rattlesnake flag is not proper.

The first Navy ship commissioned was the Hannah commissioned on 2 September 1775 by Commander in Chief of all Continental forces, George Washington. His aide, Colonel Joseph Reed, wrote of the flag to be flown on the Continental ships commissioned. The design of the flag was a white field with a pine tree, or an Evergreen Tree, and the motto “Appeal To Heaven” inscribed below. The Liberty Tree where the Sons of Liberty met in Boston was chopped down in August 1775, so the “Evergreen Tree of Liberty” has much symbolism. There are many historical accounts of this flag flown on our Navy ships. And beyond the facts of history, in a modern world which is a better symbol for America, a Snake on its belly, or a Tree of Liberty?

So I ask that you sign a new SECNAV Instruction that establishes the “Washington Cruisers Flag” or the “Evergreen Tree of Liberty Flag” as the First Navy Flag that is flown as the Navy Jack Flag during the Global War for Liberty over Terrorism. A sample is attached.

Very Respectfully,

Paul Tobin, RADM, USN (ret.)
Director
Enclosure

Congressman Thelma Drake letter

4 January 2006

The Honorable Thelma Drake
United States House of Representatives
4772 Euclid Road, Suite E
Virginia Beach, Virginia 23462

Dear Congressman Drake,

A letter from Senator Nick Rerras was received yesterday saying he forwarded an inquiry on the Navy Jack to you. Nick and I were at the TAB Church a while ago, and at the Norfolk Yacht Club soon after Reagan died where we joined in a program to honor him. Also received yesterday was a copy of a letter from 6 January 1776 (230 years ago) from the Royal Observatory and National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England. Some days ago I received your 2005 Congressional Report, all together suggest I must write this letter to you.

Some months ago while walking home from Ocean View Christian Reformed Church, I saw you driving in the neighborhood, and in 2004 at the Founders’ Inn, I remember being seated at the same table with you and your husband. In October 2004, I spoke at Congressman Forbes Celebration of Patriots, and on 8 November at Founders’ Inn for the Navy Chaplains’ Conference banquet, where I raised the true First Navy Flag issue.

In July, Randy Forbes forwarded my historically correct proposal of the Washington Cruisers Flag as the Navy Jack to the Office of the Secretary of Defense. In August, I moved from South Norfolk to 1039 East Ocean View, from Randy Forbes district to your Congressional District, home of the world’s mightiest Navy base. Now I ask you to actively promote this proposal for a proper and right change. Yet you may ask, “Why?”
1) Since 13 October, Ambassador J. William Middendorf who was Secretary of the Navy in 1975, when for the Bicentennial the Snake Over Stripes Navy Jack was first flown, now agrees that the Snake flag is an error and should be changed. He is also Chairman of the Secretary of the Navy’s Naval History Advisory Committee.
2) On 11 October, I first met with the Early History Branch of the Naval Historical Center. On 21 October, from that office I received an email about an article in a Flag History Journal “Raven” of 2004 that debunks the myth of the Rattlesnake Flag ever having flown on a Continental Navy ship. I received from them a copy of the 53 page article on 12 December and produced a one page summary, which I enclose, along with other one page info items.
3) The Naval Historical Foundation book “The NAVY” published in 2000, shows on page 13 a picture of the Hannah flying the Evergreen Tree of Liberty flag, or Washington Cruisers Flag, with the illustration caption “…the first vessel to fly under the authority of the Continental Congress.”
4) Separate from the historical accuracy issue that is strongly in favor of the Tree of Liberty Flag over the Snake flag, in the Global War for Liberty over Terrorism what is a better symbol for America, a “tall and tough as a tree” Evergreen Tree of Liberty, or a crawling snake, when terrorists are akin to “snakes in the grass”?

For America’s future (building up on our past),


James Renwick Manship, Sr., Chairman

Enclosures

Welcome New Navy Secretary Donald Winter, Time for an New "Old Navy Flag"?

4 January 2006

The Honorable Donald C. Winter
Secretary of the Navy
1000 Navy Pentagon
Washington, District of Columbia 20350-1000

Dear Secretary Winter:

Welcome Aboard! Having been confirmed as Secretary of the Navy by the Senate in November, it must be a joy to now be sworn in that position of honor and service, yesterday, the day of the Battle of Princeton. Yesterday, I received a photocopy of the 6 January 1776 letter from Sir Hugh Palliser that described the true First Navy Flag, this copy from the National Maritime Museum and Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England.

As a life member of the Naval Reserve Association, and an historian of the Founding of our Nation, I have been working for some time to persuade Navy leaders to correct an error of Navy history that we display each day – the mythical Snake Over Stripes flag that now flies as our Navy Jack. Many experts now agree on its myth.

In July, Randy Forbes endorsed my historically correct proposal of the Washington Cruisers Flag as the Navy Jack to the Office of the Secretary of Defense. In August, I moved from South Norfolk from Randy Forbes district to the Congressional District of Thelma Drake, to the Norfolk home of the world’s mightiest Navy base.

Now I ask you to sign the proposed SECNAV Instruction, for a proper change. Yet you may ask, “Why?”
1) Since 13 October, Ambassador J. William Middendorf who was Secretary of the Navy in 1975, when for the Bicentennial the Snake Over Stripes Navy Jack was first flown, now agrees that the Snake flag is an error and should be changed. He is also Chairman of the Secretary of the Navy’s Naval History Advisory Committee.
2) On 11 October, I first met with the Early History Branch of the Naval Historical Center. On 21 October, from that office I received an email about an article in a Flag History Journal “Raven” of 2004 that debunks the myth of the Rattlesnake Flag ever having flown on a Continental Navy ship. I received from them a copy of the 53 page article on 12 December and produced a one page summary, which I enclose, along with other one page info items.
3) The Naval Historical Foundation book “The NAVY” published in 2000, shows on page 13 a picture of the Hannah flying the Evergreen Tree of Liberty flag, or Washington Cruisers Flag, with the illustration caption “…the first vessel to fly under the authority of the Continental Congress.”
4) Separate from the historical accuracy issue that is strongly in favor of the Tree of Liberty Flag over the Snake flag, in the Global War for Liberty over Terrorism what is a better symbol for America, a “tall and tough as a tree” an Evergreen Tree of Liberty, or a crawling snake, when terrorists are akin to “snakes in the grass” ?

For America’s future (building up on our past),


James Renwick Manship, Sr., Chairman

Enclosures

Point Paper on Why Yes to Liberty Tree Navy Flag, Why NO to Snake flag

POINT PAPER on First Navy Flag on the Ships Commissioned by Commander-in-Chief George Washington

Question: When did the American Navy begin, under what authority, which ship or ships were first commissioned, and what flag was first flown on these Navy ships?

A B C D E F G
H I J K L M N
[Description of the Flags shown above will be provided within and at the end of this Point Paper.]

Discussion: The United States Naval Institute Press in 1995 published a book written by Chester G. Hearn titled George Washington’s Schooners (LoC#E271.H43 1995). On page 5, quoted are the orders of the Continental Congress to George Washington,
“to command all the continental forces raised, or to be raised,
for the defense of American liberty.”
Later on the orders continue, “all particulars cannot be foreseen, nor positive instructions for such emergencies so beforehand given…many things must be left to your prudent and discreet management, as occurrences may arise.”

On page 3 are some well worded phrases, “What Washington needed was a navy, but there was none, and the Continental Congress doubted if one would be needed.” “Washington wanted a few fast vessels… And he wanted his schooners mobilized without delay. As Congress labored in chambers, debating the practicality of creating and financing a navy, the general decided the matter for them. He pressed his schooners to sea in the fall of 1775, and prizes began to flow.”

On page 7, “If the British could not be driven out of Boston, perhaps they could be starved out, which meant stopping their flow of supplies. But Washington had a more immediate problem – an urgent need to equip a threadbare army…” “At the same time, Washington wrote reflectively, “A fortunate capture of an ordnance ship would give new life to the camp, and an immediate turn to the issue of this campaign.” “Among the army rank and file Washington observed an abundance of young seamen bemoaning the monotony of duty in the trenches…swatting mosquitoes was no way to fight a war. Give them the open sea. They’d show King George who owned the colonial coast.”

On page 10, “A mind as keen as Washington’s must have appreciated the possibilities of employing his guardsmen in a duty more closely associated with their seafaring skills.”

On page 239, the last words of the Epilogue chapter say: “George Washington, a military man, not only fathered the country. He gave birth to the American Navy.”

The above combined with the Volume 2, page 441 and 442 of the Naval Documents of The American Revolution, for the entry of 13 October 1775, the day considered the birth of the American Navy, begins with “A letter from Genl Washington, dated 5th of Octr, with sundry enclosed papers being recd was read.” One item related to the capture of a vessel in New Hampshire. Naval operations were underway, and Congress followed. George Washington’s leadership created the Navy, then Congress confirmed his efforts.
Chapter 2 describes the problem plagued cruises of the first Navy ship, Hannah. Chapter 3 tells of the Commander in Chief sending two Navy ship captains off to Quebec to support the overland march and attack of Colonel Benedict Arnold, but the captains never complied with Washington’s orders. Washington’s Orders in 1775 had a broad vision for the Navy, to both complete the siege of Boston and to support the campaign in Canada.

Back in June 1775, the Congress had “left to your prudent and discreet management” to the Commander in Chief, or to say another way, authorized Washington to create a Navy if he saw the need. Within three months, he began to transform a gaggle of men and boys into an American Army, and as “father of His country”, Washington also conceived and thereby gave birth to our first Navy ship, and small fleet of ships. Soon after Navy ships authorized by Congress would be commissioned in both Philadelphia and Baltimore.
The Navy ships commissioned in the Boston area were Hannah, Franklin, Hancock, Harrison, Washington, Lee, Lynch, Warren; the ships commissioned in Philadelphia were Alfred and four others, and the ships commissioned in Baltimore were Wasp and Hornet.

Some say that the Navy did not get its beginning until there was a “Navy man” at the helm as Commander in Chief of the Navy and “sailors” not soldiers to man the ships.

The first Navy Commander in Chief was General Esek Hopkins of Rhode Island, brother of Stephen Hopkins in the Congress, who introduced bills for a Navy, and had the Katy become the Providence. In chapter 5 beginning at page 49 is a description of the struggle of fitting out of the ships as Navy war ships due to “price gouging” by local merchants and ship owners. On page 52, Washington’s aide Captain Ephraim Bowen, Jr. was sent out to Plymouth on 13 October to prepare the Navy ships Hancock and Washington.

So on 13 October the Continental Congress ordered two ships to be fitted out as Navy warships, and on the same date, their Commander in Chief ordered two more ships to be fitted out as Navy warships, taking his total number up to five, and Navy wide to seven.

Yet on page 53, is written an interesting, if a bit perplexing, bit of Navy history,
“Disgruntled, Bowen rode to Providence and searched around the harbor. He found several guns in the possession of Gen. Esek Hopkins, who would not, however, part with them without an order from the governor.” [Governor Cooke]
So we see that the “Navy Man” who soon thereafter became the Navy’s first Commander in Chief, was first a General in the state militia of Rhode Island, General Esek Hopkins.

Given that reality, is it not probable that when Hopkins became the Navy’s Commander-in-Chief, he took some of his “soldiers” with seafaring skills with him? Further on page 54 is written: “Moylan, who had been tapping Rhode Island regiments to fill the crew of eighty…” (of the Washington with Martindale as its Captain). So how is this much different than General Washington seeing the soldiers with seafaring skills in the Continental Army, especially in Colonel John Glover’s regiment of seagoing men?

In fact we also have correspondence in 1776 between General Washington and General Hopkins after Hopkins was commissioned by Congress as the Navy Commander-in-Chief to please return the contingent of soldiers that had been “loaned” to the Navy to man the ships. So clearly, the early American Navy was in part manned by American soldiers from Washington’s Army, on the first ship Hannah and other Navy ships to follow.

We also see a relationship of cooperation between the Army and Navy that sets an excellent precedent for joint service cooperation in military operations even today.
So to the part of the Question about the First Navy Flag, on page 19 is a photograph of a model of the Hannah in the U.S. Naval Historical Center that shows the “Washington Cruisers Flag” A flying on the ship. Later, on page 56 is written:
“Lucy Hammet fashioned the flag at the request of Watson, who foresaw a need for Washington’s vessels to be able to identify each other. Reed” (Joseph Reed, Washington’s aide) “liked the idea of a flag consisting of a white background with a green pine tree in the center and the words Appeal to Heaven inscribed below. Coit and Martindale displayed the same flag, but of different materials…”
So in these words and pictures we see that at least three of the first Navy ships flew the Washington Cruiser flag, or Pine Tree flag, or “Evergreen Tree of Liberty Flag” from 2 September 1775 on the Hannah Captain Nicholson Broughton, commanding, to 26 October on the Harrison with Captain William Coit, commanding, and four weeks later on the Washington with Captain Sion Martindale, commanding.

Yet it is fair to ask, “Where began the legend of the Serpent Over Stripes, “Don’t Tread on Me” Rattlesnake Flag?” G (Which if carefully analyzed, is a snake on its belly in retreat, so the words are not so much a warning as a plea PLEASE “don’t tread on me”, and not as in most other military flags, a rattler shown coiled to strike, ready to defend.)
An article by Peter Ansoff in Raven, a “flag study” journal, states in two places that the snake crawling was a depiction of British and European rendering, possibly as an insult.

Most Navy history scholars point to the Gadsden flag of Congressman Christopher Gadsden of South Carolina who was on the committee on Naval affairs that selected Rhode Island’s General Esek Hopkins as the Navy Commander in Chief. The Gadsden Flag is a yellow flag with a coiled rattlesnake, and the motto “Don’t Tread on Me” M.

On the other hand, I have seen no scholars make the connection that the Rhode Island Artillery had white field with a Rattlesnake E, that is also part coiled, and a different motto -- . Of course, the connection is with Rhode Island’s General Esek Hopkins, who became the Commander in Chief of the American Navy. General Washington willingly relinquished that added responsibility after Congress finally decided to organize and finance a Navy, and to commission an officer to lead the Naval forces.

So the coiled Rattler flag of South Carolina M and the South Carolina Navy Flag N, combined with the half coiled Rattler flag of Rhode Island E, combined with the red and white Sons of Liberty flag of Massachusetts D could be a plausible description of the genesis of the flag that currently flies as the United States Navy Jack Flag G. But the historical facts are that the stripes of this Rattler flag varied in color from red and white, to red and blue, red and black, to blue and black or blue and yellow -- no uniformity.

Another couple of points is that the Washington Cruiser Flag A and the Pine Tree Flag H
while names often used interchangeably are in fact two distinct and different flags. The Washington Cruisers Flag or First Navy Flag carries the John Locke motto “Appeal To Heaven”, the Pine Tree Flag or Massachusetts Navy Flag does not have the motto. Also the motto is often seen over the tree, and even as “An Appeal to Heaven” a phrase that does not appear in John Locke’s writing, where “Appeal to Heaven” does three times.

The historical facts are the Washington Cruisers Flag A pre-dated any form or coloration of the Rattlesnake or Serpent Over Stripes flag G used on a Continental Navy ship.
Further Discussion: Recent History of a Revolutionary War flag as the Navy Jack Flag.

From the Naval Historical Center website http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq122-1.htm

The Rattlesnake Jack and the Modern Navy__As part of the commemoration of the bicentennial of the American Revolution, by an instruction dated 1 August 1975 (SECNAV Instruction 10520.3) the Secretary of the Navy [Editor Note: J. William Middendorf, 8 Apr 1974 - 20 Jan 1977, later Ambassador to OAS.] directed the use of the rattlesnake jack in place of the union jack (blue field with white stars) during the period 13 October 1775 (the bicentennial of the legislation that created the Continental Navy, which the Navy recognizes as the Navy's birthday), and 31 December 1976.

By an instruction dated 18 August 1980 (SECNAV Instruction 10520.4), the Secretary of the Navy directed that the commissioned ship in active status having the longest total period in active status to display the rattlesnake jack in place of the union jack until decommissioned or transferred to inactive status.__

By an instruction dated 31 May 2002 (SECNAV Instruction 10520.6), the Secretary of the Navy directed the use of the rattlesnake jack in place of the union jack for the duration of the Global War on Terrorism.

In early November 2004, when preparing to give a speech to the Navy Chaplains Conference, the author of this point paper discovered the Naval Historical Center website where the “Don’t Tread on Me” Rattlesnake flag as the fist Navy flag was challenged. Further research showed that the Washington Cruiser Flag is more accurately credited as being the First Navy Flag. A letter to the present Secretary of the Navy Gordon England and others was sent on 1 December 2004, and a revised version with color photographs sent on 13 April 2005. A follow-up letter to the local Congressman, J. Randy Forbes, resulted in a letter from him to the Secretary of Defense endorsing the change in the Navy Jack Flag. A reply from the CNO Naval History section was received in September. Other letters to the Naval Historical Center and the Secretary of the Navy office were prepared and sent over the next few weeks, as new research was discovered that reaffirmed the Washington Cruisers Flag A as the true First Navy Flag.

On 11 October 2005, the author met with Dr. Michael Crawford, Head of the Early History branch of the Naval Historical Center. He stated that the SECNAV Instruction on the “Don’t Tread on Me” Rattlesnake Flag as the first Navy flag was not checked through them, and so essentially disclaimed any historical accuracy on the instruction.

On the Navy’s 230th Birthday, 13 October 2005 a phone conversation with Ambassador Middendorf, introduced the information that the belief that the “Don’t Tread on Me” Rattlesnake flag was the Navy Jack flag was in error. He cited a number of Navy ships commissioned in Philadelphia, and two ships, the Hornet and the Wasp commissioned in Baltimore, one by a relative, Captain William Stone.

In an email on Oct 21, 2005, at 10:54 AM, Dennis CONRAD, of NAVHISTCEN wrote:
Dear Mr. Manship: We are passing around the office an article that may be of real interest to you. It is entitled "The First Navy Jack," by Peter Ansoff. It is published in Raven: A Journal of Vexillology, Vol. 11 (2004). It certainly calls into question the view that the rattlesnake jack was used by the Continental Navy. Dennis Conrad
That article was received and read on 12 December 2005, and is summarized below.
On 29 November 2005, in a second phone conversation with Ambassador Middendorf, he indicated he had read the First Navy Flag scholarship sent to him. Further, he stated when he signed SECNAV Instruction 10520.3, he accepted the staff work done to have included historical research. The man who served as Secretary of the Navy at the time the Rattlesnake flag was first made effective, Ambassador J. William Middendorf, now believes the 1975 instruction he signed was in error, and should be changed. A follow up phone call on 12 December 2005 discussed an earlier version of this point paper.

On 2 December 2005, in a phone conversation with Dr. Dennis Conrad of the Naval Historical Center, it was indicated that the Naval Historians in the Early History branch were “on board” with the fact that the “Don’t Tread on Me” Rattlesnake flag was NOT the first Navy flag, but that decisions like this were made at a higher level.

So the situation now is that the Naval Historical Center that was the original source of the clue that the current Navy jack flag of the Rattlesnake “Don’t Tread on Me” flag as the first Navy flag is an historical error, appears to agree that the Washington Cruiser flag is the correct choice. It is wise and timely for a change from the “Don’t Tread on Me” Rattlesnake Flag to the Washington Cruisers – Tree of Liberty -- First Navy Flag.

The man most appropriate to change and correct the error is Secretary of the Navy Gordon England in the next few days or weeks while he continues to serve in that post before he is confirmed as the Deputy Secretary of Defense. Secretary England is most appropriate in that he was the man who on 31 May 2002 signed the SECNAV Instruction that ordered the flying of the Rattlesnake – “Don’t Tread on Me” flag which is now generally agreed among scholars to be in error, during the War against tERRORism.

For the Army-Navy football game, recently on Fox News, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, a Navy veteran, and Secretary of the Navy England, made sport of the Army mascot mule, talking about notches in the tail that told what work the mule could do. As a clever Navy Captain Public Affairs Officer pointed out, this decision is much like in Football where the referees have an “Instant Replay” to study the details of the play and decide to change their call, so too must the Navy and its leadership run a Replay on the call of the first Navy flag, which is “out of bounds”. Even if this call is far less than instant in its playback, it is time to change the call to reflect the Washington Cruisers Flag as the true First Navy Flag, to be flown on the bowsprit as the Navy Jack

There is an old saying that “A lie can get half way around the world before the Truth can get its boots on.” In this case a lie, or more accurately, an error of the history of our American Navy flag, has flown around the world on the bow of our current American warships. The Rattlesnake flag error was a well meaning error, but an error nonetheless.

Now that the error has been revealed by flag scholars, it is time to do as is said in another old saying, “Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.” The “aid of their country” is to first serve the Truth, rather than maintain a false legend. We must “raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair” as Washington said to the delegates at the opening of the Constitutional Convention. Let a new SECNAV Instruction raise the standard of the true First Navy Flag, the Washington Cruisers Flag, which can be fittingly described as the “Evergreen Tree of Liberty Flag”, and forever may Liberty fly in America and all around the world on American Navy ships.

Summary of "The First Navy Jack," by Peter Ansoff. It is published in Raven: A Journal of Vexillology, Vol. 11 (2004). (underline and bold added)

Page 2: “The First Navy Jack (Figure 1)” (Editor Note: Snake Over Stripes flag) “is a well-established part of American lore.” (Editor Note: More accurate than “well-established” would be to say “widely accepted” part of American lore.) … It has been an icon of the United States Navy since 1975-76, when all ships flew it to commemorate the bicentennial of the Navy and the United States…. The terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 increased the popularity of the “rattlesnake and stripes” as a defiant symbol of national unity and resolve, both in the Navy and among the general public.”

“In fact, however, there is little evidence that his flag was flown by Commodore Hopkins in 1775, or that it even existed during the American Revolution.”

Page 9: Under the header “The Flags in the Thomas Hart Portrait”
“It appears that the naval historian Samuel Eliot Morison was correct when he made this comment: The mezzotint portrait of Esek Hopkins published in England… is a work of imagination by someone who never saw Hopkins or his ships… the flags are fantastic.”29

Page 10: “Third, 18th-century British and European illustrators often used the stretched-out “crawling rattlesnake” as a symbol of the American revolutionary cause, whereas there is no other known evidence that it was ever used on American flags.”35

Page 10: “In summary, the evidence strongly suggests that the striped rattlesnake flag depicted in the Hart engraving was not a realistic depiction of an American naval flag, any more than the palm tree in his Arnold portrait accurately depicted the flora of Canada.”

Page 12: “Nevertheless, the Hart image of Hopkins and its many descendants are standard illustrations in books and websites dealing with the Continental Navy and the Revolutionary War. 43 Generations of flag historians have assumed them to be authentic, and have built upon them a legend of the First Navy Jack –
an historic flag that never was.”

The legend of the Snake Over Stripes was step by step furthered by several books:
1830 Biography of John Paul Jones by Robert Sands
1839 History of the Navy of the United States of America by James Fenimore Cooper
1850 Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution by Benson Lossing
1864 The History of our Flag by Ferdinand Sarmiento
1872 History of the Flag of the United States of America by RADM George Preble
1880 The Flag of the United States and Other National Flags by RADM George Preble
In his 1880 book Admiral Preble tried to correct his previous error in the 1872 book about the existence of the Snake Over Stripes flag. But the snake flag myth survived!
Page 20: Dr. Whitney Smith, founder and director of the Flag Research Center, has said of Preble’s work:
“…Original research is time-consuming and demanding and it’s easy to assume that published sources are correct and can be trusted. Those who have written books and articles or have created web sites about American flags have for the most part relied on work done by Preble. As a result there is a constant repetition of misinformation that gives certain designs the impression of accuracy.” 64
War for Independence Flags discussion:
A – First Navy Flag, the Washington Cruisers Flag, of 2 September 1775 on the Hannah, the first ship commissioned. The Navy ship Washington was captured on 5 December 1775, and later Hugh Pellasier in described this flag to Lord Sandwich. Flag scholar Peter Ansoff relates the capture is somewhat a blessing because the letter records the flag’s appearance.
B – The Buck Flag, unique in that Washington and Hancock gave it to the first entirely black regiment (most units were integrated and 1 in 7 soldiers in the Army were black.) Note this flag combines elements of A or H, an Evergreen Tree of Liberty (if yet in a different shape) with a variation of C, the Washington Headquarters flag field of thirteen stars.
C – The Washington Headquarters Flag, a field of blue with 13 white stars for the 13 colonies, soon to be states, unique in the stars are six point stars, not five as on the later “Betsy Ross” Flag.
D – The Sons of Liberty Flag (note red-white-red of D versus the white-red-white stripes of G)
E – The Rhode Island Artillery Flag (of 1826) shows a coiled rattlesnake, and we learn that the first Navy Commander in Chief was General Esek Hopkins of Rhode Island, and that he had cannon in his possession in October 1775 when Washington’s agent Bowen was trying to outfit the Navy ships Hancock and Washington. Compare to Gadsden Flag with his flag M, and South Carolina Navy flag N. Question is to learn if there was a circa 1775 flag of this design?
F - The Culpepper Minutemen flag with immortal words of Patrick Henry, “Liberty or Death”.
G - Like a current Navy Jack Flag, appears to be a combination of the South Carolina Navy Flag N, and the Sons of Liberty Flag D. Scholars generally agree that is was NOT the first Navy flag, and question if the current combination of flag elements ever flew over a Continental Navy ship.
H – The “Pine Tree Flag”, and in April 1776 to today as prescribed in the Commonwealth’s Constitution, the Massachusetts Navy Flag. It is without the “Appeal To Heaven” motto.
I – The “Continental Flag” that according to painter Trumbull flew at the Battle of Bunker Hill. While he was near at the time of the battle, scholars note that Trumbull added elements to his paintings to make them more dramatic, so the historical accuracy of this flag or any flag is in question. However, the canton of this flag is the Pine Tree Flag H, and often our normal Navy Jack Flag is the Union Jack or the field of blue with white stars from our Red, White and Blue, Stripes and Stars, or as we now say “Stars and Stripes” flag, or “Old Glory” American Flag.
J – The “Grand Union Flag” of 1 January 1776 that was raised by First Lieutenant John Paul Jones on the Navy ship Alfred. It combines Loyalty to Britain with the Canton being the British Flag, with the Sons of Liberty red and white stripes. Due to the Canton being the British flag, a different flag for the American Navy Jack flag would need to be created to reduce confusion.
K – The American Flag of 14 June 1777 (Flag Day), generally known as the “Betsy Ross Flag”. It combines the Sons of Liberty Flag with a derivative of the Washington Headquarters flag, a blue field with stars, with five versus six pointed stars and in this flag arranged in a circle. Other American flags of the time did not use the circle design, except the Rhode Island “rattler” flag E.
L – Proctors Regiment Flag of Westmoreland County Pennsylvania shows a coiled rattlesnake. It is notable in that the snake is facing the British Union Jack that is positioned on the outer edge of the flag, known as “on the fly”, where a dual meaning of “on the fly” means “in retreat”.
M – The Gadsden Flag of Congressman Christopher Gadsden of South Carolina who was on the Committee of Congress that selected General Esek Hopkins of Rhode Island as the first Navy Commander in Chief. It is reported by some writers that this flag flew on the Alfred, the flag ship of Commander in Chief Hopkins, but there is not strong verification. On the other hand, an illustration shows the Washington Cruiser Flag A flew on the Alfred, but again there is no strong verification of this illustration.
N – The South Carolina Navy Flag as much the form of the current Navy Jack G, only with red and blue stripes rather than red and white stripes. The position of the motto “Don’t Tread on Me” is also above the rattlesnake in this flag, rather than below as in the modern day derivative.

About the author: A member of the Mount Vernon Board of Visitors, LCDR James Renwick Manship, USNR is an historian who focuses on the War for Independence, the Miracle in Philadelphia called this Constitution for the United States of America, and George Washington, so he writes and speaks on these topics in schools and meeting halls all across America.
War for Independence Flags links to images on various web pages:

(Note: Links are for image reference only, in some cases the text that accompanies the image is based on popular historical opinion rather than the facts of history, so “buyers beware”, yet often there are attractive websites with most information being accurate, and worthy of reading.)

A – First Navy Flag, the Washington Cruisers Flag first flown 2 September 1775
http://www.nwinfo.net/~jagriffin/revflag.htm
http://www.americanrevwar.homestead.com/files/FLAGS.HTM

B – The Buck Flag,
http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-ma^bk.html
http://web.gc.cuny.edu/ashp/TeaParty/Teapartyetiquette8.html

C – The Washington Headquarters Flag.
http://www.nwinfo.net/~jagriffin/revflag.htm
http://www.amrev.org/htdocs/html/fm/CGFlags/17.shtml

D – The Sons of Liberty Flag (note red-white-red of D versus the white-red-white stripes of G)
http://www.nwinfo.net/~jagriffin/revflag.htm

E – The Rhode Island Artillery Flag
http://www.amrev.org/htdocs/html/fm/CGFlags/38.shtml
(not easy to find 38. Rhode Island Artillery – 1826; so NOT American Revolution as seen here.)

F - The Culpepper Minutemen Flag.
http://www.foundingfathers.info/American-flag/Revolution.html

G - Like a current Navy Jack Flag
http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-fnj.html

H – The “Pine Tree Flag”, and in April 1776 to today as prescribed in the Commonwealth’s Constitution, the Massachusetts Navy Flag. It is without the “Appeal To Heaven” motto.
http://www.foundingfathers.info/American-flag/Revolution.html

I – The “Continental Flag” at the Battle of Bunker Hill, per painter Trumbull.
http://www.nwinfo.net/~jagriffin/revflag.htm

J – The “Grand Union Flag” of 1 January
http://www.nwinfo.net/~jagriffin/revflag.htm
http://www.amrev.org/htdocs/html/fm/CGFlags/6.shtml

K – The American Flag of 14 June 1777 (Flag Day), the “Betsy Ross Flag”.
http://www.nwinfo.net/~jagriffin/revflag.htm

L – Proctors Regiment Flag of Westmoreland County Pennsylvania
http://www.amrev.org/htdocs/html/fm/CGFlags/34.shtml

M – The Gadsden Flag
http://www.nwinfo.net/~jagriffin/revflag.htm
http://www.foundingfathers.info/American-flag/Revolution.html

N – The South Carolina Navy Flag
http://www.amrev.org/htdocs/html/fm/CGFlags/8.shtml


SECNAVINST 10520.7
N09B1
22 February 2006

SECNAV INSTRUCTION 10520.7

From: Secretary of the Navy
To: All Ships and Stations (less Marine Corps field
addresses not having Navy personnel attached.)

Subj: DISPLAY OF THE TREE OF LIBERTY FIRST NAVY FLAG AS THE NAVY JACK
DURING THE GLOBAL WAR FOR LIBERTY OVER TERRORISM

Ref: (a) U.S. Navy Regulations, 1990

1. Purpose. To provide for the display of our First Navy Flag, the Evergreen Tree of Liberty “Appeal
To Heaven” flag as the navy jack on board all U.S. Navy ships during Global War on Terrorism.

2. Discussion. After being elected by Continental Congress as General and the Commander-in-Chief of American forces in June 1775, George Washington assumed command in Cambridge, Massachusetts in July 1775. In August 1775, British loyalists chopped down the Liberty Tree in Boston where the Sons of Liberty met so when on 2 September 1775 Washington commissioned the first ship for the American Navy, the sloop Hannah; the flag flown by the first Navy ships was the “Pine Tree Flag” also called the “Washington Cruisers Flag”. Our First Navy Flag is a pure white flag with an Evergreen Tree, a Tree of Liberty, where under the tree is inscribed the continuing imperative motto from John Locke --“Appeal To Heaven”. On 13 October 1775, Congress ended their debate on the question of a Navy when they learned their Commander-in-Chief Washington had already commissioned a fleet of ships - giving birth to the American Navy - so Congress ordered two more ships. A positive turning point in the war for Liberty was the amphibious landing before the Battle of Trenton on Christmas night, 25 December 1776. As a boy, Washington was a day away from being a Midshipman in the British Navy. He received his military training from his older brother Lawrence who was a “Marine” as the leader of the Virginia militia in an amphibious landing in South America when serving under British Admiral Edward Vernon, for whom Lawrence named Mount Vernon. George Washington respected the value of a Navy, Marines, and Army and wisely employed Naval forces throughout the entire War for Independence. He saw the need for a Navy to intercept British supply ships both to make the Siege of Boston effective, and to provide the American forces gunpowder and other supplies. This Tree of Liberty First Navy Flag serves as an historic reminder of our Navy’s creation, our duty to our Country to defend this Constitution for the United States of America, with the Liberty it secures for America, and for the entire world in the Global War for Liberty over Terrorism.

3. Action. The Evergreen Tree of Liberty First Navy Flag as the navy jack will be displayed on board all U.S. Navy ships in lieu of the Union Jack, in accordance with sections 1259 and 1264 of reference (a). The display of the First Navy Flag as the navy jack is an authorized exception to section 1258 of reference (a). Ships and craft of the Navy authorized to fly the First Navy Flag as the navy jack will receive an issue of four flags per ship through a special distribution.


Donald C. Winter

Distribution:
SNDL Parts 1 and 2