pedition to move against and take New
Orleans, and their object in attacking the _Armstrong_ was to secure her
for themselves and make her useful in that work. Had they succeeded in
taking her they would have reached New Orleans while it was utterly
defenceless, General Jackson having not yet arrived there. But Reid, in
his splendid defence of his vessel, so crippled those of the enemy that
they did not reach Jamaica until fully ten days later than the time when
the expedition was expected to sail from there; Lloyd was waited for and
the expedition thus delayed until Jackson had reached the city and was
making haste with arrangements for its defence."

"Yes, grandma, I've heard the story about that," said little Elsie; "how
the British tried to take that city and General Jackson and his soldiers
killed so very many of them, and drove the rest away."

Neddie was looking very grave and thoughtful. "Isn't it wicked to kill
folks, grandma?" he asked.

"Yes, dear, unless it is necessary to prevent them from killing or badly
injuring us or someone else. The British were terribly abusing our poor
sailors and it was right for our government to fight them, because they
would not stop it until they were forced to do so."

"But you haven't told about 'Long Tom' yet, grandma," said Elsie; "that
big gun, you know, that we saw to-day."

"Yes; it was one of those on the _Armstrong_ with which Captain Reid
defended his ship."

"Weren't the Americans glad when they heard about it, grandma? and didn't
they praise Captain Reid?"

"Indeed they did! and also made him many handsome presents. The State of
New York thanked him and gave him a sword."

"Hadn't he afterward something to do with a change in our flag, Grandma
Elsie?" asked Grace.

"Yes; our flag at first bore thirteen stars and thirteen stripes, and as
new States were admitted another star and stripe were added for each one.
But it was soon found that that was making the flag very large unless the
stripes became narrower and narrower, while there was nothing to show what
had been the original number of States. Captain Reid suggested the plan of
retaining the thirteen stripes to indicate that, and the adding of a new
star every time a new State was admitted, and Congress adopted that plan.
He was certainly a talented man. He invented and erected the signal
telegraphs at the Battery and the Narrows."

"I'm proud of him, Grandma Elsie!" said Grace, her face lighting up with