Samuel Chester Reid (24 August 1783 – 28 January 1861) was an officer in the United States Navy who commanded a privateer during the War of 1812. He is also noted for having helped design the 1818 version of the flag of the United States, which first established the rule of keeping thirteen stripes and adding one star for each U.S. state. Early life and family Reid was born in Norwich, Connecticut, to John and Rebecca (Chester) Reid. John Reid, a lieutenant in the British Navy, was captured during the American Revolutionary War before resigning and joining the American side. Rebecca Chester's father, John Chester, was among the soldiers at Bunker Hill, and afterward a member of the Connecticut convention that ratified the United States constitution. Naval career Reid entered the Navy in 1794. He served in Constellation with Commodore Thomas Truxtun and in 1803 became master of the brig Merchant. During the War of 1812 he commanded the privateer General Armstrong. One notable capture was that of the British merchantman , notable because of the legal cases that arose from her capture and recapture. At the Battle of Fayal Reid inflicted severe casualties on boats from a British force en route to Jamaica and New Orleans, Louisiana. In the end, Reid had to scuttle his ship and he and his crew made it to shore. Reid was wounded along with one other man, while the British sustained over 100 killed or wounded. Andrew Jackson credited Reid's action with delaying the British squadron and so aiding General Jackson's defense of New Orleans. The battle was the subject of many popular prints. Official Navy officer record of Samuel C Reid: "Reid, Samuel C. Master, not in line of promotion, 3 July, 1843. Reserved List, 14 September, 1855. Died 28 January, 1861." Flag design In January 1817, Reid was asked by Representative Peter H. Wendover for advice in the design of a new U.S. flag. The flag then in use had fifteen stars and fifteen stripes; it had not been updated to reflect the five new states which had joined the union since that version of the flag was implemented in 1795. Wendover was the head of a congressional committee tasked with investigating possible alterations to the flag. Together, Wendover and Reid decided that the best way to honor all twenty states was to restore the number of stripes to the original