NE JV 23 Published by the the New England Vexillological New England Association Journal of Vexillology December 2008 Nº-23 INFORMATION AND MISINFORMATION By Dave Martucci It never ceases to amaze me the volume of information available of the Internet. The real problem is determining how much of that is accurate and how much is fake. Take the flag of the "Second Vermont Republic" for example. Shown on many web sites and listed with apparent authority in Wikipedia, the flag is variously de- scribed as that of the so-called Sec- ond Vermont Republic, the original Vermont Republic or of the Green Mountain Boys. Problem is that, in reality, it isn't any of those. The Second Vermont Republic has The flag of the so-called "Second Vermont Republic" as illustrated in Wikipedia. never existed except as a concept to the 14th State and in the minds of a few secessionists to the US. Whatever and separatists, although those few flag they flew, if any recognize the flag as a "restoration" and some would ar- of the flag of the original Vermont gue that given the Republic (whose official name was 14th State desire "State of Vermont") of 1777 to 1791, there wasn't one, we when Vermont was admitted as the have no information 14th state of the United States of about it. America. Like many legends, During that period, Vermont con- the design does have sidered itself the 14th State and agi- a grain of truth in it in tated for inclusion in the Congress. that it is a hypotheti- Symbols used on their currency refer cal reconstruction of the flag fragment held by the Benning- ton Museum known as the Stark Flag after General John Stark, commander of the New Hampshire forces that were suc- cessful at the Battle of Bennington in Ver- Far left, the Stark fragment as pictured in "Standards and mont in 1777. For Colors of the American Revolution." Above, the Color some reason over the captured by Banastre Tarleton at Waxhaws, North Carolina years it has been said in 1778. Stark's command in- Continued on Page 2 —— Continued from Page 1 NE23JV cluded the local militia led by the Actually, when the Tarleton colors one listed bearing "A Pillow on the Allen brothers known as the Green surfaced in 2006, I was struck with Top of which is the Cap of Liberty Mountain Boys and that obviously the similarity of the two cantons. Supported by thirteen Hands" and this was their flag. Stark never com- That plus the green fabric remnants whose motto was "This we will de- manded the "Boys". on three sides makes me think the fend or Die." Actually there is no reason to Stark fragment may have belonged Surprisingly about half of that flag believe this flag had any actual to another Gostelowe Return listed still exists; it is known as the Head- Vermont associations. The acces- flag. Looking over that document, man Color and is in the collections sion papers only refer to it as that dated August 1778, the only flag of the Smithsonian Institution. The handed down in the Stark family listed with a green field was the first surviving part consists of the fly end and believed by them to be a piece and the flourish on the other piece of Stark's command flag as leader of of the Stark flag seems to match. the New Hampshire troops. Unfortunately the only photos of The fragment consists of a blue the Stark Canton and the Headman canton bearing 13 painted on white Color are the scans provided here stars and remnants of green silk on from Richardson's "Standards and three sides of the canton. The story Colors of the American Revolution". goes that pieces of the flag were More research into this needs to be cut off as souveniers over the years done. by Stark and his descendants and handed out until only the canton remains. Actually, the Bennington Museum has another piece of this flag that bears a gold and black flourish on the (discolored) green silk. This proves that the common interpretation of this flag is wrong and that it had some other design painted on it, likely in the center of The Headman Color as illustrated in the main field as was the custom of "Standards and Colors of the American The Bennington Museum's other fragment the day. Revolution." of the Stark Flag. RED SOX NATION DISPLAYS NEW In 2007, the Bos- ton Red Sox added two new players from Ja- pan, Daisuki "Dice-K" Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima. These new additions to the team sparked a new flag based on the Japanese Ensign with the Red Sox Logo in the center. This flag could be seen waving at Fenway Park in 2008. Although no longer available on the Red Sox Network web site, the flag can still be found on eBay. —2— NE23JV TOWN SEAL AND FLAG OF EAST HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT Following the 1877 Connecticut the Congregational Church at the Statute requiring each town to corner, together with a reproduc- adopt a seal, East Hartford Town tion of the Meeting House formerly Council voted, on October 22, 1929, standing on the South Green where "That until otherwise ordered by the its site is now marked by a com- Council the seal of the Town shall memorative monument; containing be circular in form containing in the also the words 'Incorporated 1783', center the word 'seal' surrounded 'Carpe Diem' and the word 'Seal' all in circular form the words, 'Town of surrounded by scroll work enclosing East Hartford, Connecticut'." the words 'Town of East Hartford, Town officials later decided to Connecticut'." In reality, the word adopt a seal with greater artistic ap- “Seal” does not appear on the actual peal, and on April 21, 1930, "Voted: seal or the flag. That the resolution passed on the The East Hartford Bridge today 22nd day of October, 1929 prescrib- carries I-84 and is no longer con- ing a form of seal for the Town of nected directly with what was once East Hartford is hereby rescinded known as Bridge Street. The Con- and from this date the seal of the gregational Church still stands, Town shall be as follows, to wit: It although in actuality it is about a shall be circular in form contain- mile from the bridge. ing an embossed composite design Surrounded by a gold laurel showing the East Hartford Bridge wreath tied at the bottom with a blue and the Bridge Road connecting ribbon, the seal is the central figure the same with Main Street, with on the green town flag. SEALS AND FLAG OF Smithfield, RHODE ISLAND Smithfield, Rhode Island is a small below). The logo incorporates many foundation the Town was built on; town north west of Providence. It has symbols of Smithfield life includ- the Town’s coat of arms, the shield an interesting symbol history. ing mills, industry, history, apples, of the arms but with the white ham- All of the historic symbols incor- town hall, the Smithfield Sentinel, mers and chevron now depicted porate the coat of arms, which is a Smith-Appleby House and the coat incorrectly as yellow; and an apple green shield bearing three black- of arms. tree representing the Town’s many smith hammers between a chevron, The present seal of the Town of apple orchards. all in white (left, below). It is specu- Smithfield (fourth from left, below), Across the center of the disk are a lated that the hammers represent designed by a local artist, Neil Salley, village for the Town’s several small the three villages of Greenville, Geor- Jr., consists of a circular disk, upon villages; the Smithfield Town Hall; giaville and Esmond. The original the outer edge of which contains the the Greenville Baptist Church; the Town Seal incorporated this with words “Town of Smithfield Rhode Is- Smith-Appleby House, the Town’s an appropriate circle of inscriptions land,” and upon the bottom the date oldest structure; and a farmhouse. and was used until the year 2000 of which the Town was incorporated. In the background stands Wolf Hill (second from left, below). The Town The year of incorporation is given with the sun rising over the Town. Flag incorporates the arms as well in both the Julian (1730) and the This seal was first used around (right, below). Gregorian calendar (1731). 1999. A seal-like logo was used around In the foreground are a mill and the years 1997-2002 (third from left, a body of water, representing the —3— NE23JV MINUTES OF THE NEVA MEETING HELD OCtober 12, 2007 at NAVA 41, hilton GARDEN INN, GLASTONBURY, CONNECTICUT ATTENDING ACCEPTED by acclamation. invited to give a few minutes of ex- President Carl Gurtman, Secretary/ TREASURER’S REPORT planation as to their present flag Treasurer Dave Martucci, members Treasurer reported there we had activities. Some exhibited books and Hugh Brady, Jim Croft, Dick Libby, $421.37 in the checking account other treasures recently acquired. A Peter Orenski, Jon Radel, Whitney as of 10/12/07. On a MOTION by few non-members were recognized Smith, and Robert Lloyd Wheelock. Wheelock, SECONDED by Gurt- as well. Also attending were a number of man, the Treasurer’s report was NEXT MEETING NAVA members. ACCEPTED by acclamation. The next meeting will be organized CALL TO ORDER NEW BUSINESS on a date and at a place to be Meeting was called to order at 7:40 Since we have a large number of determined by President Gurtman.