STATE FLAG. Maryland's flag bears the arms of
the Calvert and Crossland families. Calvert was
the family name of the Lords Baltimore who
founded Maryland, and their colors of gold and
black appear in the first and fourth quarters of the
flag. Crossland was the family of the mother of
George Calvert, first Lord Baltimore. The red and
white Crossland colors, with a Greek cross
terminating in the foils, appear in the second and
third quarters. This flag was first flown in its
present form October 25, 1888, at Gettysburg
Battlefield for ceremonies dedicating monuments
to Maryland regiments of the Army of the
Potomac. It was officially adopted in 1904
(Chapter 48, Acts of 1904). Maryland law
requires that if any ornament is affixed to the top
of a flagstaff carrying the Maryland flag, the
ornament must be a gold cross bottony (Chapter
862, Acts of 1945; Code State Government
Article, sees. 13-201 through 13-204).

STATE FISH. By Chapter 513, Acts of 1965, the
striped bass or rockfish (Roccus saxatilis 2) was
designated as the official fish of the State of
Maryland (Code State Government Article, sec.
13-304).

STATE SONG. The nine-stanza poem,
"Maryland, My Maryland," was written by James
Ryder Randall in 1861. A native of Maryland,
Randall was teaching in Louisiana in the early
days of the Civil War, and he was outraged at the
news of Union troops being marched through
Baltimore. The poem articulated Randall's
Confederate sympathies. Set to the traditional
tune of "Lauriger Horatius" ("O, Tannenbaum"),
the song achieved wide popularity in Maryland
and throughout the South. "Maryland, My
Maryland" was adopted as the State song in 1939
(Chapter 451, Acts of 1939; Code State
Government Article, sec. 13-307).