English: Among them were three young men, Alexander Todd, Benjamin Duell and Timmas Cowey. A few days after the capture in a casual conversation between these young men, the matter of a flag came up. They had no authority to raise the American flag and they determined to make one. Their general idea was to imitate, without following too closly, their national ensign. Mrs. W. B. Elliott had been brought to the town of Sonoma by her husband from his ranch on Mark West creek for safety. The old Elliott cabin may be seen to this day on Mark West creek about a mile above the Springs. From Mrs. Elliott, Ben Duell got a piece of new red flannel, some white domestic, needles and thread. A piece of blue drilling was obtained elsewhere. From this material, without consultation with any one else, these three young men made the Bear Flagg. Cowey had been a saddler, Duell had also served a short time at the same trade. To form the flag Duell and Cowey sewed together alternate strips of red, white and blue. Todd drew io the upper corner a star and painted on the lower the rude picture of a grizzly bear, which was not standing, as has been sometimes represented, but was drawn with his head down. The bear was afterwards adopted as the design of the great seal of the State of California. On the original flag it was so rudely executed that two of those who saw it raised, have said to us that it looked more like a hog than a bear.

Be that as it may, its meaning was plain; that the revolutionary party would, if resisted, fight their way through at all hazards. In the language of our informant, it meant that there was no back out, they intended to fight it out. There was no halyards on the flag-staff, which stood in front of the old barracks. It was dug up. halyards were attached, it was again reared and the flag which was soon to be replaced by that of the Republic, for the first time floated on the breeze... Alexander Todd still lives in the State, and will confirm this statement in every particular.— .Sonoma Democrat. -Union Democrat (Sonora, 1854), 29 August 1874

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