John C. Fremont Flag

Date: 1842

Description: Thirteen red and white stripes. Eagle and twenty-six five-pointed stars in blue canton. [E10]

Fremont made five expeditions to the Far West in the 1840s. In 1841, he was given permission to carry the stars and stripes showing 26 stars. However, some of his Army units wanted to preserve their old army "National Colors", and so they placed an eagle with a cluster of arrows in the claws. Fremont added the Indian calumet (peace pipe) to show the Indians that he was on a mission of peace.