Historic flag could find its way back to Groton

Groton - Nathaniel Ames, born in 1761, joined the New London County militia when the American Revolution broke out. He helped build Fort Griswold in Groton and was a member of Gen. George Washington's Army during the harsh winter in Morristown, N.J.

As the war raged on, Ames returned home to Connecticut and became a privateer, traveling along the East Coast of the United States, to the West Indies and Holland. In 1783, he was impressed by British merchants and sailed to ports across Europe and the Mediterranean.

After the war, Ames joined the crew of a merchant ship and, on March 12, 1784, he was held prisoner in Bermuda, where he signed and dated his personal American flag, which is believed to be one of just a few Revolutionary War flags in existence.

Now that centuries-old flag may be headed to Groton.

When Fort Griswold, which is undergoing restoration work, reopens on Memorial Day, the flag will likely be on display, said Gary Gianotti, a historian from Milford who is in final talks with the state Department of Environmental Protection, which runs the historic park, to loan the flag for display.

For centuries, the Stars and Stripes-style flag was passed from generation to generation without fanfare. The flag is believed to be one of the earliest to use five-pointed stars, said Gianotti, who has spent the last few years studying the Ames family lineage and its role in American history.

The flag's owner, Donal Maloney, a Pennsylvania flag collector, was unaware of the flag's history until about three years ago, when he met Gianotti, who learned of the flag through a mutual contact.

"This flag, you can't even put a price on it because of everything it teaches you," Gianotti said. "There are vast amounts of information that can be used."

Gianotti said that because the Ames flag was signed and dated, it is a historic document. It opens up the opportunity to research the lineage and actions of Ames and his descendants, he said.

"It opens up so many doors for people to learn," Gianotti said. "These people were part of everything, and it is hard to believe a flag can tell you all of this."

The flag is about a yard long and has white stars arranged in three rows, which is different from many flags of that era which had their stars in a circular pattern.

Gianotti said he wanted to display the Ames flag at Fort Griswold because of its central location in New England and because of the historic massacre that happened there during the American Revolution. He also hopes the flag can raise awareness of the need for repairs to the Avery House, a museum down the hill from Fort Griswold that is in desperate need of improvements.

Ames also hopes that the flag's display will help him find more members of the Ames family. Though he has spoken to some branches of the family, including a Kentucky member thought to be his most direct descendant, he hopes to find more members of the large American family.

The Ames flag is not the area's first Revolutionary-area flag Gianotti has researched. In 2007, he traced back the history of a 13-star flag on display at the Shaw Mansion in New London, which was reframed and more prominently displayed at the 225th anniversary of the British burning of the city.