flag Of The President Of The United States

I've discovered information about a naval presidential flag earlier than the 37-star union flag depicted in this article. It was used by the Navy in 1839 for President Van Buren. The below was published in the Army and Navy Chronicle, Vol IV No 3 [Whole No. 237] (page 39), 18 July 1839, Washington:

"Aquatic Procession" -- On Monday morning the president of the United States, accompanied by Commodores Ridgley and Ballard, and several of the civil officers of the general government, visited the Navy Yard at Brooklyn, in the twelve-oared cutter of the North Carolina 74, which was covered with a neat awning, and which bore on a flag at her bow a square, plain blue flag, the president's ensign, as Commander-in-Chief of the Navy of the United States, and now hoisted, it is said, for the first time. The cutter was flanked on the right and left by the flag boats of the two commodores, with their appropriate banners, and followed by a long and beautiful train of launches, pinnaces, and gigs. It was altogether a splendid spectacle, and was beheld by a great number of spectators."

It's not clear to me from the way this is worded if the presidential flag is just a plain blue flag that is referred to as "the president's ensign" or if the flag is plain blue and bears the early-styled eagle that is, per se, referred to as "the president's ensign." I think probably the latter, since just a plain blue flag would be neither distinctive nor inspiring. It would have been clearer had the author constructed the sentence using parentheses, thus: "...and which bore on a flag at her bow (a square, plain blue flag), the president's ensign..."--as I believe that was the intent. Anyway, I think this information is worthy of inclusion in the article somewhere in this section. Gwogletree (talk) 20:32, 21 August 2012 (UTC)

Pretty interesting. I see it on Google Books here (I think that's Volume IX, not IV). It does sound like a plain blue square flag, to me -- I don't think they would say "plain" if there was an emblem on it, particularly if it was the first time it was used (meaning nobody would be familiar with it, and would need it described). But yes, the article should mention this... very nice research! Carl Lindberg (talk) 23:55, 24 August 2012 (UTC)