Bennington or "Vermont"

This flag flew over the military stores

in Bennington, Vermont, on August 16,

1777. The American militia led by General

John Stark, defeated a large British raiding

force, thus protecting the military supplies

at Bennington. Note that this flag begins

with a white stripe.

Culpeper

This flag represented a group of about one

hundred minutemen from Culpeper, Virginia.

The group formed part of Colonel Patrick

Henry's First Virginia Regiment of 1775. In

October-November 1775 three hundred such

minutemen, led by Colonel Stevens, assembled

at Culpeper Court House and marched for

Williamsburg. Their unusual dress alarmed the

people as they marched through the country.

The word "LIBERTY OR DEATH" were in

large white letters on the breast of their hunting

shirts. They had bucks' tails in their hats and in

their belts, tomahawks and scalping knives.

Washington Cruisers

This flag was used by George Washington on his

squadron of six schooners which he outfitted at

his own expense in the fall of 1775. This flag was

a variation of the New England Pine Tree flag.

It was later modified and adopted by the

Massachusetts Navy. The Sons of Liberty would

rally under a large tree, in Boston Massachusetts,

which came to be known as "The Liberty Tree".

This tree became a symbol of American

independence. Knowing they were up against a

great military power they believed they were

sustained by still a greater power, thus their

"APPEAL TO HEAVEN."

Col. Joseph Reed to Col. John Glover and Stephen

Moylan, 20 October 1775, referring to

Washington's fleet of schooners: "Please to fix upon

some particular Colour for a Flag--& a Signal, by

which our vessels may know one another—What do

you think of a Flag with a White Ground, a Tree in

the Middle-the Motto (Appeal to Heaven)-This is the

Flag of our floating Batteries."

Sir Hugh Palliser to Lord Sandwich, 6 January 1776,

referring to the flag of the captured brig Washington,

of George Washington's fleet: "Captain Medows has

brought the American vessel's colours, it is a white

field with a green pine tree in the middle: the motto,

Appeal to Heaven."

The Massachusetts General Court established the flag

of the state navy on 26 July 1776: "that the Colours be a

white Flagg, with a green Pine Tree, and an Inscription,

"Appeal to Heaven.'"