1st Pennsylvania Battalion

The painted representation of 13 arrows tied together at the center of this flag was a bold symbol of unity in a time of war. Below the arrows are the words “United We Stand,” a motto of the American Revolutionaries.   

Made for the 1st Pennsylvania Battalion of the Continental Army, this flag originally had the British union in its canton. But its canton was replaced, likely in 1776, by 13 red and white stripes to represent the new United States.

Raised in Philadelphia, the 1st Pennsylvania Battalion marched northwards into Canada in the fall of 1775 with the hopes of taking Montreal and Quebec from British control. That invasion of Canada ultimately failed, and the battalion retreated to Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain in New York.  

Josiah Harmar, a young officer from Philadelphia, was a member of the battalion. Harmar served with distinction throughout the rest of the war and General Washington considered him to be one of the best officers in the army. Following the 1st Pennsylvania Battalion’s disbanding, this flag passed into Harmar’s possession. He likely took the flag with him while campaigning in modern-day Ohio and Indiana fighting against Native Americans, particularly the Miami nation. According to a tradition in Cincinnati, Harmar flew this flag over Fort Washington, which grew into the city of Cincinnati.