er, 1777; but it was printed in the
papers previous to that time as an item of news; so, therefore, from
June to September, 1777, private enterprise may have made many of them.
The Ross claim is ridiculous when it contends that Washington, Col. Ross
and Robert Morris, in June, 1776, one month before the Declaration of
Independence had been adopted, called on Betsy Ross, and that Washington
drew with a pencil a rough drawing of the present American flag, she
making the stars five-pointed. The statement is without any documentary
or record proof. As a matter of fact the six-pointed star was not
adopted because of its use in English heraldry, while in Holland and
France, our allies, five-pointed stars were used. Now, as to the claim
that "Old Glory" was thus made in 1776 by Betsy Ross, what became of it?
Preble says of Canby: "I cannot agree with his claim, and neither does
the record support it" ... and besides it is practically charging
Washington and the rest of the committee with seeking to establish
and set up a national ensign before we had even declared ourselves
a free people with an independent national government, and without any
delegated authority to do so, the record of Congress being silent on the
subject; so therefore we have: _First._ On October 15, 1776, the letter
of William Richards to the Committee of Safety already quoted _shows
that the Ross claim cannot be true_. In fact, at the time the letter was
written we had no colors nor was any designed. _Second._ That at the
time it is alleged the committee called on Mrs. Ross we had no national
existence. We were still simply revolting colonies, not yet having
declared our independence. _Third._ As a climax I have found in the
Pennsylvania Archives, 2d series, Vol. 1, page 164, the following
extract from the Pennsylvania (not the Colonies) Navy Board's minutes,
May 29, 1777, being the first bill for colors for the fleet on record:

"Present: William Bradford, Joseph Marsh, Joseph Blewer, Paul Cox.

"An order on William Webb to Elizabeth Ross for fourteen pounds,
twelve shillings and two pence for making ships' colors, etc., put
into William Richards' store, L14.12.2."

_Fourth._ Also in May, 1777, the State of Massachusetts knew nothing of
a national ensign of the Ross description, as seen by the following bill
paid by the Board of War of that State to Joseph Webb: "To mending an
ensign and sewing in pine tree, 6_s._"

Also:

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