Fort Mifflin on the Delaware
Digital Photos by S. Fox, Chadds Ford, PA, November 17, 2001
Kodak DX3500
Fort Mifflin Flag
There were hundreds of different flags carried by the troops and flown on naval vessels during the Revolutionary War.
Soldiers usually fought under their regimental flags. The 13 stars and stripes design was not adopted as the national flag until June 14, 1777 and it is thought it was originally intended for ships. American land forces were not authorized to carry the "Stars and Stripes" along with their regimental colors until 1834.
The flag flown at Fort Mifflin during the 1777 siege contained 13 alternating red, white and blue stripes as documented by an eyewitness sketch made by a military map maker. During the Revolution, a 13 striped flag was referred to as a "Union" or "Continental" flag. The design was occasionally referred to as the "stripes" or as the "rebellious stripes" by the British. A painting from 1778 shows four American merchant ships captured by the British, all flying a 13 striped red, white and blue flag.
Text taken from a copy panel at the Fort Mifflin "museum" in the soldier's barracks.
© Unica Online
| 
