Meeker County, Minnesota - Chapter 14, 1877

Chapter 14

As a primal history it has been a much more dif¬ ficult job than we anticipated and yet we regret not the labor. For the innumerable facts, names and dates, we think our book is reliable and will prom¬ ise a fund of material for the future historian, far better qualified than ourself, for the task of putting it together in readable shape - we have endeavored to do no injustice to any one - we have had noth¬ ing to refer to but our memory and an imperfect diary of events as they passed, and if we have suc¬ ceeded in doing a good thing for Meeker County we shall feel amply compensated for the time we have spent.

If the punctuation is not in all cases strictly i i ac¬ cordance with the "Merrill School Book Law" our readers will bear in mind that the boys had a double font of commas, semicolons, dashes capital letters <kc., and it was thought best to have the thing punctuated a little too much, rather than not enough - then again we never was a good proof reader, and there are now and then typographical errors, but none so bad but what the reader can readily understand the sense - we know the good people of Meeker County will criticise us lightly for our faults, and feel kindly toward us for our good intentions - and as for outside criticism we care not a fig - they'll waste their inkfand paper - if every county will get up as good a one as we have done, what a noble fund will be in store for the future historian!

We conclude this chapter with a brief recital of the celebration at Litchfield, July, 4th 1876 - the close of the first century of our national existence.

A canopy was erected on block sixty-eight in Litchfield, covering something over one acre of ground, and it was occupied by something over four thousand people.

Offcers Of The Day

The procession was formed under the direction of the Chi^f Marshall, in front of the Lake Ripley House, at 10:30 A. m., marched up Marshall Av¬ enue to 6th, street, thence to Sibley Avenue, thence down Sibley Aveuue to Weisel St, thence to Hol¬ comb Avenue, up Holcomb Aveuue to the bower.

Order Of Procession

The Star Spangled Banner, preceded by a brief historical sketch of this old patriotic =ong and of the American flag, by the President of the day*.

*The first colors spoken of in connection with the American revolution were significantly enough called '-Union flags." No account is given of the devices upon them. They are frequently spoken of in the newspapers of 1774.

July 18th, 1776, Gen. Israel Putnam unfurled at Cambridge, Massachusetts, on the joyous occas¬ ion of the reception in that town of the Declara¬ tion of Independence, a standard bearing this mot¬ to on one side, "An appeal to Heaven," and on the other "Qui Transtatit Sustinet." The flag was flung to the breeze amid the roar of cannon and the shouts of the people.

In September, 1776, Col. Moultrie unfurled a large blue flag displayed in South Carolina, and was used at the taking of Fort Johnson, James Island; the crescent in the emblem of sovereignty.

A standard with a white ground, a pine tree in the middle, and the motto "Appeal to Heaven," was adopted in 17753s the flag of the floating bat¬ teries.

On January 2nd, 1776. the day that gave birth to the new American Army, the flag designated as "The great Union Standard" was hoisted. This was the basis of the National flag of the present day.

In 1776, was adopted the standard to be used by the Commander-in-Chief of the American Navy, being a yellow field, with a lively repre¬ sentation of a rattlesnake in the middle, in the atti¬ tude of striking. Underneath were the words, "Don't tread on me." This standard furnished the basis of the rattle-snake flag of the rebels, of Jeff. Davis'Confederacy, and has proved a dis¬ grace to its paternity.

"Resolved, that the flag of the thirteen States he thirteen stripes, alternate red and white, that the Union be thirteen stars, white, in a blue field, representing a new Constitution.''

This resolution was made public Sept. 3d, 1777. The first flag made in pursuance of it, was first used at the surrender of Burgoyne, October, 7th of that year.

"Be it enacted, &c., That from and after the first day of May. 1795 the flag of the United States shall be fifteen stripes alternate red and white, and the Union be fifteen stars white in a blue field."

In 1818 it was again altered, and a return was made to thirteen stripes, adding a star for each State admitted, the star to be added on the 4th of July following the admission of the new State - the stripes thus ever representing the original thir¬ teen States and the stars the present number of States. TheMength of the flag should be in pro¬ portion to its width, less the width of one stripe, or equal to the width of twenty-five stripes. The dimensions would therefore be twenty-five by thir¬ teen, the blue or union square at the upper head corner, is, of course equal in width to seven stripes, (a white stripe coming next to it underneath) it should in length equal ten, (or two-fifths of the

The language of the American flag is as follows: The stars represent the new constellation of States rising in the West. The idea was taken from the constellation Lyra, which in the hands of Orphe¬ us signifies harmony. The blue in the field was taken from the edges of the Covenanters banner in Scotland, significant of the league covenant of the United Colonies against oppression, involving the virtue of vigilance, perseverence and justice. The stars formerly in a circle, symbolizing the purpetuity of the Union, the ring like the circling ser¬ pent of the Egyptians, signifying eternity. The thirteen stripes showed, with the stars the number of United Colonies, and denoted the subordination of the States of the Union, as well as equality among themselves.

The whole was the blending of the various flags, previous to the Union flag. The red flag of the armies,and the white of floating batteries. The red color, which, in the Roman day, was the signal of defiance, denotes daring, the blue, fidelity, and the white purity.

On July 4th, 1S76 the National Banner throws 37 stars to the breeze, and is known as the Con¬ stellation of Liberty, It is for you young men of the rising generation, and those who come after us to see to it that there are no falling stars from this Constellation.

The Star Spangled Banner

If the Freach hymn of Liberty, the Marseillaise, was composed under exciting circumstances the Star Spangled Banner was inspired by events no less patriotic by our distinguished countryman, Mr. Francis S. Key, an able and eloquent lawyer an ac¬ complished gentleman, a man of noble and gener¬ ous impulses. During the war with the British in 1814, Mr. Key was residing in Baltimore, and hearing of the detention of a dear and intimate friend he started to obtain his release. He went as far as the mouth of the Patapsco river, which enters the Chesapeake Bay, and is about eighty-five miles north of the Potomac river. Here he was arrested and carried on board a British man of war belonging to the British fleet stationed oppo¬ site Fort McHenry, the bombardment of which he was compelled to witness. The English admiral boasted before Mr. Key that he would take the Fort in a few hours, and the city of Baltimore within the two succeeding days. The bombaidment continued the whole day and the following night, without making an impression either on the strength of the works or the spirit of the garrison.

Our patriotic countryman stood on the deck watching through the smoke which sometimes ob¬ scured it, the banner of freedom waving from the fort. At length night came, and he could see it no more. Still he watched until at length dawn be¬ gan to bring objects around into distinctness. With beating heart he turned toward the Fort, and there waving in the morning breeze, high and uninjured, was the banner, with its stars and stripes, the ban¬ ner of freedom and independence, then in its ear¬ ly days, It was at this moment of joy and tril6o HISTORY OF MEEKER COUNTY.

umph that Francis Scott Key, under the influence of patriotic excitement composed the Star Spangled Banner. After Mr. Key had been liber¬ ated, and the British had retired from Fort Mc¬ Henry, without attempting the attack on the city of Baltimore, he completed his. patriotic hymn, which was enthusiastically received then, and has ever since been considered as one of the national songs of our country.

Erratum

In compiling the names of the County Officers, the Senators, Representatives and Treasurers were inadvertantly omitted. We give them here : ncniints of the legislature.