Title: The American Revolution
Author: John Fiske
Publisher: iBooks
MALAY SEAMEN IN THE AMERICAN NAVY
Leaving these eighteens out of the account, the force of the Bon Homme Richard was about equal to that of a thirty-two-gun frigate.
This singular vessel was manned by a crew as nondescript as herself, a motley gang of sailors and marines from nearly every country in Europe, with half a dozen Malays into the bargain.
To these a hundred New England men were afterwards added, bringing up the whole number to 380.
FIRST HOISTING OF THE STARS AND STRIPES
After this useful exploit, Colonel Willett returned to the fort and hoisted the captured British standards, while over them he raised an uncouth flag, intended to represent the American stars and strípes, whích Congress had adopted in June as the national banner.
This rude flag, hastily extemporized out of a white shirt, an old blue jacket, and some strips of red cloth from the petticoat of a soldier's wife, was the first American flag with stars and stripes that was ever hoisted, and it was first flung to the breeze on the memorable day of Oriskany, August 6, 1777.
Comments