Existing comment:
Dont [sic] Give up the Ship:
Originally made in 1813 to inspire American sailors going into battle, this historic flag and its motto, have, for two hundred years, continued to inspire midshipmen and, indeed, all those who serve their country, with a spirit of dedication, devotion, and sacrifice. The patches and wear in the flag document a long, mostly unrecorded, history that for many years lay hidden behind the blue covering.
Master Commandant James Lawrence commanded the American frigate Chesapeake in battle with the British frigate, Shannon. In the brief engagement, Lawrence was mortally wounded. As he was carried below, he urged his crew: "Don't give up the ship. Fight her until she sinks." The training and experience of the British crew proved superior to the Americans, and Chesapeake was forced to strike her flag.
Oliver Hazard Perry had this flag made in the memory of his good friend Lawrence and to inspire his crew in battle. After the defeat of the British squadron on Lake Erie, the flag was apparently sent to Washington DC, with the trophy flags taken from the British ships.
In 1849, President James Polk ordered that all trophy flags captured by American naval forces should be deposited at the Naval School for their preservation and display.
In the 1850s, a midshipman described the flag as "black, the color of death, with white letters." When the Academy was moved to Newport, Rhode Island, during the Civil War, the flag was taken and displayed in the midshipmen's temporary quarters in the Atlantic Hotel.
After the Civil War, the flag was returned to Annapolis. In 1871, it was displayed in the Gunnery Room of the Naval Academy Lyceum. Five years later, it was described by Professor James Russell Soley as "a square red flag."
Curatorial investigations in 2007-08 reveal no indications of any dye. The conclusion is that the flag's natural black wool is actually dark brown.
In 1912, Mrs Amelia Fowler was contracted to conserve the Academy's collection of trophy flags, including the "Dont Give Up The Ship" flag. According to a catalog of the flags prepared the next year, the flag was displayed in the ceiling of the Mahan Hall auditorium.
The flag was removed from Mahan Hall in 1924 and displayed above the central door of the Memorial Hall. In 1958, in conjunction with the installation of the memorial to those Naval Academy alumni who had been killed in action, the flag was remounted in the window above the memorial. It remained there until July 2002, when it was removed for conservation. A replica flag, donated by Robert F Sumrall, now graces Memorial Hall. |