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George Washington's Personal Position Flag

Filip Van Laenen, 1996-OCT-25

Description of the flag
History of the flag

See also:

Description of the flag

This is an almost square blue flag with 13 white six-pointed stars arranged 3:2:3:2:3 Rather than the normal stars which appear to be composed of triangles, they're composed of three lines that intersect. The ends of the lines are slightly tapered.

The original of this flag is in the collection of the Valley Forge Historical Society. It is not quite square measuring 27 1/2 inches by 35 1/2 inches. It is made of faded blue silk with the stars appliqued white silk. Thus the stars appear smaller on the reverse than on the observe.

William M. Grimes-Wyatt, 1996-FEB-21

History of the flag

It is said to be the headquarters standard of General George Washington, but is questioned by some historians. It appears in two early postwar paintings, supervised by eyewitnesses, the Battle of Princeton by William Mercer and the surrender of Yorktown by the French artist Van Blarenberghe. It was donated to the Society by Miss Frances B. Lovell, a descendant of Washington's only sister, Betty Washington Lewis.

It is accepted by some experts as being Washington's Headquarters Flag and the standard of the army in 1781.

William M. Grimes-Wyatt, 1996-FEB-21