How Betsy made the flag

Said Washington to Betsy Ross

Author: C. Austin Miles
Tune: [Said Washington to Betsy Ross]
Published in 4 hymnals

Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 Said Washington to Betsy Ross, “A flag our nation needs,
To lead our valiant soldiers on to high and noble deeds;
Now, can you make one for us”? To which she made reply
“I am not certain that I can; at least I’ll gladly try.”

Refrain:
So she took some red for the blood they shed,
Some white for purity,
Some stars so bright from the sky o’erhead,
Some blue for loyalty,
And sewed them all together,
For loyal hearts and true;
And hand in hand as one we stand,
For the red, white and blue.

2 Said Betsy Ross to Washington, “Your country’s flag behold,”
And thro’ his tear-dimmed eyes he saw the Stars and Stripes unfold;
Then to his breast he clasped it and looked to heav’n above,
“O may it ever stand” he cried, “for right and truth and love.” [Refrain]

3 She made the flag as we all know with stitches strong and neat,
And neither on the land or sea has that flag met defeat;
The Stars and Stripes shall ever above our country wave,
Our land of truth and freedom and the homeland of the brave. [Refrain]

Source: Jubilate : A Modern Sunday-School Hymnal #222

Author: C. Austin Miles

Charles Austin Miles USA 1868-1946. Born at Lakehurst, NJ, he attended the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and the University of PA. He became a pharmacist. He married Bertha H Haagen, and they had two sons: Charles and Russell. In 1892 he abandoned his pharmacy career and began writing gospel songs. At first he furnished compositions to the Hall-Mack Publishing Company, but soon became editor and manager, where he worked for 37 years. He felt he was serving God better in the gospel song writing business, than as a pharmacist. He published the following song books: “New songs of the gospel” (1900), “The service of praise” (1900), “The voice of praise” (1904), “The tribute of song” (1904), “New songs of the gospel… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Said Washington to Betsy Ross
Title: How Betsy made the flag
Author: C. Austin Miles
Refrain First Line: So she took some red for the blood
Copyright: Public Domain

Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 4 of 4)
TextAudioPage Scan

Jubilate #222

Junior Praises #d46

Page Scan

New Songs of Pentecost No. 2 #147

The Call to Praise, a Hymnal for Children's Division #d98

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