Image: Bradshaw's Bear flag, California

Description: THE BEAR FLAG. Editor Star—Having noticed a great many misstatements in regard to the “BearFlag,” I thought it would net be a miss in me to give you a correct account of its origination. In 1846, a party of thirty-three men took the post of Sonoma ; the Mexican flag was taken down, and it was proposed that we should have a flag of our own. I went to Marcus Bacas’ store and bought nine yards of bleached domestic ; this was torn in twain, and sewed together, making a flag six feet broad and 13 1/2 feet long, upon which Wm. Todd and myself painted a bear,a lone star, and wrote the words “ The Invincible." After we were disbanded, most of us joined Uncle Sam, and having the greater right in the flag, I made a present of it to the son of Capt. Montgomery, of the “Portsmouth,” then lying in the harbor at Yerba Buena. Yours, respectfully. Wm. D. Bradshaw

-Los Angeles Star, 24 August 1861
Usage Terms: Public domain