The regiment originated from the Charles City-Henrico County Regiment of Militia founded in 1652. Three hundred Culpeper Minutemen led by Colonel Stevens marched toward Williamsburg at the beginning of the fighting. A Banneroll underneath bore the word "VIRGINIA". First Bunting Issue, 1862 By Wayne J. Lovett, Links: Photos and images of ANV 7th bunting issue battle flags. Penacook is an Algonquin word meaning Children of the Pine Tree.. According to this tradition he used this flag throughout the whole Revolutionary War. STARS AND BARS Images of 11 Star versions of the first Confederate national flag. As a general rule it was issued unmarked; however, at least two units of Clingmans Brigade who lost their colors at Fort Harrison received replacements that bore battle honors and unit abbreviations like the 1863 divisional issues. Army of Northern Virginia Battle Flag During the battle of Yorktown in October, 1781, this flag flew on the right flank of the American troops. One of the four sizes produced was intended for field use. Wise Sent to, Co. E (2nd) (Washington Volunteers): Capt. The 1st Virginia completed its organization at Richmond, Virginia, in May, 1861. On August 16, 1777, the Green Mountain Boys fought under General Stark at the Battle of Bennington. The Latin inscription Vince Aut Morire means conquer or die. The arm emerging from the clouds represents the arm of God. This decal features a vector image of vocalist Ronnie Van Zant over a rustic Confederate flag background with the band logo. In 1777 Colonel Daniel Morgan was assigned to raise and command a . It contained no drawings or illustrations of what the flag should look like, just these words. September 2013. Commissioned ensign in July 1779, he was taken prisoner at Charleston, S.C., on 12 May 1780. These were very similar to the fifth Richmond Depot pattern but bore 4 diameter stars on 4 wide crosses and were finished with a white flannel border instead of white bunting. The First Virginia Regiment was authorized by the Virginia Convention of July 17, 1775 as a provincial defense unit composed of six musket and two rifle companies under the command of Patrick Henry. The history of the Stamp Act flag began in about 1765, when protests of the duties and taxes and stamps required by Parliament began in the colonies. 1st REGIMENT 69th IRISH BRIGADE FLAG - 2' X 3' HEAVY COTTON CIVIL WAR - NEW YORK. Many give credit for the design of the first Official Stars and Stripes to Francis Hopkinson, a Congressman from New Jersey, and signer of the Declaration of Independence. Richmond Clothing Depot, 1865 by Devereaux D. Cannon, Jr., 18 March 2000. Branchs North Carolina Brigade received their marked colors in December of 1862. The new fourth pattern Richmond Depot battle flag was larger than any of its three bunting predecessors or the silk issues that had preceeded them, both in overall size and in its internal dimensions. As in many American flags, the stars here were arranged in an arbitrary fashion. White bunting borders remained on three sides, while the fourth (staff) edge was finished with a white canvas heading pierced with three button hole eyelets. from a sketch by Howard M. Madaus, Army of Northern Virginia Battle Flag 1861. Rather than let the garrison be captured by the overwhelming British forces, Colonel Christopher Greene decided to abandon the fort on November 20, leaving the British to occupy it the following day. flags at the Virginia Historical Society in Richmond, Va. from a sketch by Howard M. Madaus. Second Bunting Issue, 1862 The 1 st Virginia Battalion, also called the Irish Battalion, became the provost guard for the Army of Northern Virginia. Some historians claim that members of the disbanded regiment were reassigned to other units present at the battle, and it was these soldiers who carried their flag, although others claim the flag as one not used until the War of 1812, rather than a Revolutionary flag at all. source: Standards and Colors of the American Revolution [ric82] In a way, Irish troops of the 1 st Virginia regiment created the Stonewall Jackson legend by their stand at Blackburn's Ford but a similarly named Irish unit ended it. In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity. A 2 wide white canvas heading with three button hole eylets for ties finished the staff edge. This shipment had left Bermuda on 29 March 1864 aboard the Index and had arrived at Wilmington on 9 April. During April, 1862, when the regiment was reorganized, it contained only six companies. Hetty Cary sent the flag she had made to General Joseph E. Johnston at an undetermined date. There, under the leadership of General Nathaniel Greene, the militiamen halted the British advance through the Carolinas and turned them back to the seaport towns. In short, there is strong reason to believe that the actual Continental Navy Jack, like the Colonial Merchant Ensign, was simply a red and white striped flag with no other adornment. At least two units applied unit abbreviations to their flags after issue by inking an abbreviation on the center star. A unit abbreviation was added in yellow paint to the blue cross, surrounding the center star. : "I received your Excellency's letter yesterday, informing of the application of Colo. Parker for the 1st Virginia regiment, by which I find a letter I wrote Colo. Harrison hath miscarried, in which I beg'd him to return your Excellency my thanks for indulging me to retire, which I now take the liberty of doing, and at the same time . Inside the Canton was 13-White Stars. At the Winchester re-arrangement January 1, 1783, it was decided that the Virginia soldiers whose terms had not run out were more than sufficient to make one regiment, so a 2d was formed to be under a major-commandant, consisting of two . To remind the delegates of the danger of disunity, the serpent was shown cut to pieces. The stars are shown in contemporary illustrations either as 5 pointed or as 6 pointed in rows of three (with a single star below if there are 13) and the fleur at the top. During the war, the Alliance flew an ensign with seven white stripes, six red stripes, and thirteen eight-pointed stars. The first type had gold stars painted on the cross, and a white hoist sleeve for the flag pole. Three and a half years after the Boston Tea Party, the nine stripes had grown to thirteen horizontal stripes. About half the surviving examples of this type of flag were carried as regimental colors; one-quarter are identified as brigade or division headquarters flags, and the rest lack specific identification. #H199X $19.95 12x18" Boat Size; We have only one of those. For those units who had served at Williamsburg on 5-6 May, strips of printed cotton bearing that name were also distributed to Longstreets Division and Earlys Brigade of D.H. Hills Division. In some cases the Stars and Bars so resembled the U.S. flag that troops fired on friendly units killing and wounding fellow soldiers. Other newspapers took up the snake theme. When the British advanced up the slope the next day, according to legend they saw a red flag, but we have no real knowledge of which American Flag was actually flown in this battle. The center of the Flag featured a set of Green Laurels with a large Roman Numeral "I". The Cowpens Flag, according to legend, was carried at the Battle. Gen. Johnston suggested that it be made in a square shape to save materials as well as ease manufacture, and this was accepted. Sixth Bunting Issue, 1864 In the midst of Pickett's Charge on July 3, 1863, Private Marshall Sherman captured the flag from the 28th Virginia. His celebrated capture of Kaskaskia in 1778 and Vincennes in 1779 greatly weakened British influence in the Northwest Territory. Flags with the word Liberty on them came to be called Liberty Flags and were usually flown from Liberty poles. Four divisions received flags so marked: D.H. Hills Division in April of 1863, A.P. 8. [2] Colonels [ edit | edit source] The 1st Virginia Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Virginia Line that served with the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War . One was Fort Mercer on the New Jersey side, and the other was Fort Mifflin on the Pennsylvania side opposite Fort Mercer. This naval militia was active during most of the Revolutionary War. The second type differed from the first in that the second type had white silk stars sewn to the blue saltire. This item is best ordered as an add-on item due to minimum $4.00 shipping charge. The first of these and the most famous was created in September, 1861 in Virginia. This battle flag was captured by the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment on the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg. The competition was a design from Louisiana with a St. Georges cross (horizontal/vertical). The conversations turned around the idea of creating a special battle flag, to be used, in the words of Gen. Beauregard, only in battle for their army. Co. F (2nd) (Beauregard Rifles): Capt. There is no record of Congress ever paying him. General William Howe, the commanding British general in Philadelphia, sent General Charles Cornwallis with 5,000 men to attack Fort Mercer, landing them by ferry three miles south of the fort. The board created the 1st Virginia Battalion and re-designated the troops at 9th Regiment (formerly the 13th) one more time as the new 7th Regiment. Us Army 1st Cavalry Division Vietnam Combat Veteran With Ribbon Garden Flag Outdoor Flags Double Sided Flag3x5ft $1865 $9.79 delivery Mar 6 - 27 Or fastest delivery Feb 16 - 22 2x3 1st Black Cavalry Division Army U.S. on your site now that was one of the three.Douglas Payne, Jr., 13 This fifth bunting pattern combined the dimensions of the two preceeding issues, with the result that it was made slightly rectangular, usually 48 to 49 on the staff by 50 to 51 on the fly. During the Autumn of 1863, the Richmond Clothing Depot began the manufacture of Confederate 2nd national flags. To provide replacements, the Richmond Clothing Depot produced a new subvariant of its bunting battle flag the sixth pattern change since 1862. AWIC15 Virginia for Constitutional Liberty Flags. History of Virginia Regiments, Batteries & Battalions in the Civil War The Civil War in the East CWE Home C.S. This flag was a variation of the New England Pine Tree flag. Also according to the rules of heraldry, a star must have at least 6 points. Hendricks replied from Alexandria, Va., on 30 Mar. A group from the 2nd Corps artillery were decorated with battle honors. F. Miller Disbanded when the regiment was reorganised in April 1862. To remedy this inadequacy, General Beauregard caused a number of Confederate first national flags to be made from the bunting that had been seized at the former Gosport U.S. Navy Yard near Portsmouth, Virginia. While the reason for the change in pattern that took place in April of 1864 has yet to be documented, it is thought to have related to the arrival of four boxes of bunting imported from England. It had a blue hoist sleeve for the flag pole. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog's author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Lieutenant-colonel itth Virginia, November, 1776; colonel 2d Virginia, September 26, 1777. This was the first national flag of the English colonies, and Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown under this flag. Vols., Commanding Army Potomac. As with the 2d bunting issue, artillery battery flags (3 foot square size) do survive as variants of the 3rd bunting Richmond Depot pattern. The size was basically the same but the width of the St. Andrews crosses were 4 to 5 in width and the stars were accordingly larger. Each segment is marked with the name of a colony, and the motto JOIN or DIE below. Organized on October 21, 1775 at Williamsburg as a provincial defense unit composed of six musket and two rifle companies under the command of Patrick Henry. Since Clark was the highest ranking Continental officer to operate in the future Northwest Territory, he has often been hailed as the Conqueror of the Old Northwest.. In June of 1862, the Longstreets Right Wing authorized that battle honors be permitted for the units that had served honorably at Seven Pines. They were flags of protest and petition flown throughout the Thirteen Colonies during the five years prior to the outbreak of the Revolution. New York: Chs. When the British outlawed the Rebellious Stripes flag, tradition tells us the Sons of Liberty created a new flag by changing the direction of the stripes. Confederate Regimental Histories Directory III. Although Coxs North Carolina brigade received a set of the new flags with painted battle honors and unit abbreviations applied in the manner of the 1863 divisional issues, most of the flags were issued devoid of markings. According to an article appearing in National Geographic Magazine on historical flags (1917), this was the flag of the South Carolina Navy during the American Revolutionary War. Surprisingly, the first of the new fourth bunting pattern Richmond Depot battle flags were issued, not to units of the Army of Northern Virginia, but to Ectors Texas Brigade then serving in the western theater. The captured cannon and mortars were then transported across the snow covered mountains of New England. Although they had not officially declared their independence, a fight for control of the hills became necessary. Three years later, the Gazette printed a political cartoon of a snake as a commentary on the Albany Congress. As the silk supply in Richmond had been exhausted by Captain Selphs efforts the previous winter, the department turned to another dress material a wool-cotton blend used in less formal, daily clothing. The Fort Mifflin Flag was originally a Continental Navy Jack. Co. B (Richmond City Guard): Capt. You have an illustration of Sheldon's Horse flag When Gordons Corps returned from the Shenandoah Valley in December of 1864, many of its units were without battle flags or carrying flags that were sadly worn out by two years of hard service. View Unit / Regimental Information By State: Unit Rosters By Individual State Isnt a battle flag supposed to be square? The 1st Virginia Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment raised in the Commonwealth of Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Army of Northern Virginia Battle Flag BATTLE FLAGS CAPTURED AT GETTYSBURGH, JULY 3, 1863. Years later, Rebecca assisted her daughter in making an even more famous flag for our country, the Star Spangled Banner used at Ft. McHenry. The Regiment had a storied history, fighting in many of the Revolutions major battles, including Trenton, Brandywine and was present at Yorktown. #H199 $69.00 Limited to stock on hand. Later they replaced most of the Army of the Peninsula battle flags. Colonel Robert Ballard, Major Edmund B. Dickerson. This version of the flag was the same in terms of dimensions as the previous Second Bunting. A 3 to 3 1/2 wide dark blue St. Andrews cross traversed the canton bearing thirteen white, 5-pointed stars, each 3 in diameter. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to First Virginia Regiment with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Only 13 flags, however, had been delivered to Major J.B. McClelland at Richmond by the battle of 1st Manassas (Bull Run), and none of these may have been distributed to the Army at Centreville before the battle. Schaeffer Served in a provisional battalion (Schaeffer's Battalion) during First Bull Run and was subsequently assigned to the regiment on July 23, 1861. The fifth bunting pattern of the Richmond Clothing Depot was only briefly issued and only as a replacement flag. Their unusual dress alarmed the people as they marched through the country. The leading or staff edge continued to be finished with a white cotton canvas heading, 2 wide, pierced with three button hole eyelets for ties. Hills Light Division in June of 1863, Edward Johnsons Stonewall Division in September of 1863, and Heths Division in the same month. CUSTOMIZED Civil War Flag . There are two variantions of the first type: one having gold or yellow fringe on the three external edges of the flag; and the other having a white border in lieu of fringe. Today, this flag still flies over the restored fort. Today, a modern reproduction of this Washington flag still flies at his Valley Forge Headquarters, but there is no period documentation or proof to support it ever being an actual flag used during the Revolutionary War. By Wayne J. Lovett. see.Along these lines, I re-created five of the most recent flags In April 1776, the Massachusetts Navy adopted as its flag (naval ensign) a white field charged with a green pine tree. Apparently exchanged, Powell transferred to the 3d Virginia Regiment in February 1781 and was promoted to lieutenant that same . The regiment saw action at the Battle of Great Bridge, New York Campaign, Battle of Trenton, Battle of Princeton, Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth, Battle of Stony Point and the Siege of Charleston. Authorized July 17, 1775 under the command of Patrick Henry. The history of the Pine Tree as a symbol of New England predates the European colonial settlements. Marshall Sherman from the 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment captured a Confederate battle flag from the battlefields of Gettysburg, Pa. His bravery that day earned him not only the keepsake of his heroics, but also the Medal of Honor. Drum Corps: Drum Major C.R.M. August. In April of 1862, while these forces were shifting to Virginias peninsula between the York and James Rivers, General Magruder had caused another design to be instituted in his Army of the Peninsula which was completely different from the Army of the Potomac design. J.B. Smith Mustered in as Co. This flags green field made sense when you realized the Green Mountain Boys carried the flag in the forest. Rather than fringe or a white border, the external edges of the second type were bound with yellow silk to form a 2 wide border. The story behind this flag was that our Ambassador to France, Ben Franklin, was then asked what the new countrys flag looked like. Her final Revolutionary War service was carrying the Marquis de Lafayette back home to France. All four edges of the flag were bound with a narrow orange cotton border. Because the earliest example of the seventh bunting pattern battle flag from the Richmond Clothing Depot was captured at Waynesboro, Virginia on 2 March 1865, the revised pattern is thought to have originated in January or February of 1865. George Washingtons Headquarters Flag This unique flag was flown at the headquarters of General George Washington during most of the Revolutionary War. When General Stark died, he was the oldest (last) Revolutionary War general. The officers then dismounted and the colonels of the different regiments coming forward to the center, Gen. Beauregard, in a few remarks, presented each with a banner, and was eloquently responded to. By the Spring of 1862, the battle flag of the Confederate Army of the Potomac was neither widely distributed to the forces in Virginia nor was it the only battle flag in use. Many individual companies received splendid flags from the communities from which they were raised, but the regiments into which they were assembled did not necessarily share in this enthusiasm. Judging from the $12.00 price that Ruskell later received for a bunting Confederate first national that was 6 feet long on the fly, it is thought that the 43 flags that he delivered in July and August were 4 feet on their hoist by 6 feet on their fly with eleven white, 5-pointed stars arranged in a circle or ellipse. In Virginia, the Culpeper Minutemen from Culpeper County fighting with Colonel Patrick Henry in the 1st Virginia Regiment fought under the Culpeper . These honors had primarily been attached to the silk issue and first and second bunting issue battle flags. Gen. Beauregard first suggested the colors be a blue field with a red cross, but Miles countered that this was contrary to the laws of heraldry. These men formed part of Colonel Patrick Henrys First Virginia Regiment of 1775. Silk Issue (First Type, First Variation), 1861 By Devereaux D. Cannon, Jr. 27 January 2000 According to Hartvigsens well-documented research, it was a Robert Wilson of Chester County, Pennsylvania, serving as a Lieutenant Colonel with the Chester County Militia, who was responsible for the militia equipment, and for this flags survival. She carried American diplomats to France for the peace talks, and fired the last shots of the Revolution in an engagement with two Royal Navy warships in 1783. Following the adoption of the Stars and Bars as the national flag of the Confederate States, many military units on both regimental and company levels, quickly adopted it for use as a battle flag. Although Picketts Division would receive their new flags only marked with white painted unit designations on their red quadrants, most of the divisional issues had their battle honors painted in dark blue lettering in chronological order on their red quadrants, starting with the top, then the staff, then the fly, and finally the lower quadrant. The Bedford Flag may be the oldest complete flag known to exist in the United States. A notable victory of the Green Mountain Boys occurred on the morning of May 10, 1775, when they silently invaded the British held Fort Ticonderoga and demanded its surrender. Although very similar to the original Hopkins flag, this flag replaced the six-pointed stars with the more traditional five-pointed American stars. Virginia Colonial and Revolutionary War Flags U.S. The early days of the American Revolution led to the use of many flags as the colonists struggled with the aims of the revolt, whether rights within the British Empire or outright independence. Today the 276th Engineer Battalion (United States) of the Virginia National Guard maintains the regimental lineage of the 1st Virginia Volunteers. We have several fanciful contemporary pictures showing a very youthful Commodore Esek Hopkins, our First Navy Commander-in-Chief, that appeared in Europe during the Revolution that showed flags flying from both the bow and stern of his ships. Upholsterers in Colonial America not only worked on furniture, but did all manner of sewing work, which for some included making flags. The author suggested that the colonists return the favor by shipping a cargo of rattlesnakes to England, which could then be distributed in the noblemens gardens. With this flag, the motto DONT TREAD ON ME appearing on the third red stripe from the top, and using stripes with the colors of Scotland (blue) and England (red). Virginia in the American Civil War. Elliott Detached to. . But John Trumbull, whose paintings of Revolutionary War scenes are quite famous, talked to eye-witnesses and his subsequent painting depicting the battle displayed the Continental flag as shown here. 3rd Arkansas Infantry 4th North Carolina Infantry 1st Virginia Infantry 4th & 5th Texas Infantry . C.K. R. Harrison Captain J.K. Lee was killed at Blackburn's Ford on July 18, 1861. It also flew this flag over the floating batteries which sailed down the Charles River to attack the British in the Siege of Boston. Assigned to Gregg's Brigade. STARS AND BARS Images of 7 Star versions of the first Confederate national flag. The rattlesnake was the favorite animal emblem of the Americans even before the Revolution. The fourth pattern Richmond Depot battle flags appear to have been made in one size only, with at least two cavalry regiments receiving these relatively large size flags. The flags were individually sent to these officers over a period of at least a month in late autumn, 1861. Even before this approval, a number of ladies in Richmond had known of the design and were preparing examples of the new battle flag. The battle was won when Ethan Allen and Seth Warner, who led the Green Mountain Boys, arrived with cannon and supplies taken from Fort Ticonderoga. The company was relieved from duty on September 7 and redesignated as Company C, 1st Regiment Virginia Artillery. Upon reflection, the 2.5 foot square flags may have been determined to be too small. Its most notable Commander was Colonel George Washington. While most of these flags were made in the 48 infantry size, 3 foot square size artillery battery flags do survive as variants of the 2nd bunting Richmond Depot pattern. This flag was widely used on ships during the Colonial period. 2D REGIMENT, 1783. Unlike most other states, the Massachusetts State Navy was never officially disbanded and simply became part of the United States Navy. Keywords: virginia | united states | Army Quartermaster Colin M. Selph bought the entire silk supply of Richmond for making the flags (and the only red-like colors available in bulk were either pink or rose, hence these flags being of lighter shades). A 26 year-old British Lieutenant Colonel named John Graves Simcoe, in command of the Queens Rangers at Yorktown, painted this from his station across the river. Although near the end of the Confederacy, a surprisingly large number of the seventh type bunting issue battle flags were evidently made, as many examples survive. Later the unit was involved in the capture of Plymouth, the conflicts at Drewry's Bluff and Cold Harbor, the Siege of Petersburg south and north of the James River, and the Appomattox Campaign. Inside the Canton was 13-White Stars. However, since it was common practice for military units to carry flags that featured common American symbols (such as stripes and stars), but to make them uniquely identifiable for use as their regimental flags, this flag was probably never intended for use as a national flag. disclaimer and copyright | After crossing the Delaware River, Brigadier General Adam Stephen's troops guarded the bridgehead while the remaining troops crossed. All rights, including images, downloads and articles are reserved. It became the first flag used by the sea-going soldiers who eventually would become the United States Marines. The regimental lineage of the Colonial, the French and Indian War, and the American Revolution 1st Virginia Regiment is maintained in the Department of Military Affairs by the Office of the State Adjutant General of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the Virginia Defense Force. Co. G (Gordan's Company): Capt. The Richmond Clothing Depot continued to manufacture and distribute its third bunting pattern battle flags until the Spring of 1864. donated by Society members, one of which was Col. Abraham Buford's Third Copyright 2023 GreenDragon | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme. Many flag historians believe that the flag was between Simcoe and his position at Gloucester Point and the sun, thus resulting in the strange colors he perceived. Colors of the Eleventh Virginia Regiment 1777. An interesting bit of erroneous research done on this flag in 1931 resulted in it being mistakenly tied to the wrong Robert Wilson and to the 7th Pennsylvania Militia Regiment, although no actual connection between this flag and the Pennsylvanias regiment existed. Were most of the flags made in the Confederacy sewn by hand or by sewing machine? Chambers Assigned as Co. K. Band: Capt. Most of the regiment was captured at Charlestown, South Carolina, on May 12, 1780, by the British and the regiment was formally disbanded on November 15, 1783. Its casualties were 12 killed and 25 wounded at Drewry's Bluff, 1 killed and 77 wounded at the Battle of Five Forks, and 40 captured at the Battle of Sayler's Creek. Not until 1834 was any regiment of the Army authorized to carry the Stars and Stripes. Based either on the original water color drawing or a flag made from it, a number of battle flags sufficient to supply the Army of the Potomac were then ordered. "We just rushed in like wild beasts. STARS AND BARS Images of 12 Star versions of the first Confederate national flag. Nov 16, 2018 - Explore Robert ambrose's board "Virginia uniforms and flags" on Pinterest. This flag was used by George Washington on a squadron of six schooners which he outfitted at his own expense in the fall of 1775. These were still bordered in orange wool. Flags of this type saw limited service in the Army of Northern Virginia from late 1863 through the end of the War. Magnus, 1864. Under Captain John Barry, she captured three enemy privateers and three Royal Navy warships during 1781-1783. Copies were then sent to various European ports including Texel, where the harbor master showed John Paul Jones the drawing of Franklins version of the American flag. General Background On How Civil War Units Were Organized: Infantry Artillery Cavalry II. The regiments then came to present, and received their flags with deafening cheers.. Was there a cavalry size Army of Northern Virginia battle flag? Due to the short period of time between the adoption of this flag and the end of the war, very few were produced. They had bucks tails in their hats and tomahawks and scalping knives hung from their belts. In such cases, one of the company flags would be chosen to serve as the regimental flag. These men formed part of Colonel Patrick Henry's First Virginia Regiment of 1775. Fourth Bunting Issue, 1864 A few units applied battle honors and unit abbreviations in the field. During the Revolution, he served in the campaigns in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and was in command of the artillery at West Point, before joining Washington at the siege of Yorktown. A common way to customize English Red Ensigns for ships sailing out of New England was to modify the Cross of Saint George in the canton by adding a pine tree in the first quarter.