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Summary
of Our Last Meeting:
- Roger Baker presided over the
meeting.
- Your 2000 Civil War Roundtable Dues are
due, if they were not paid at the September meeting or later. You may bring your $15.00 to the next meeting or send it to:
MMCWRT,
P. O. Box 165,
Columbia, Mo. 65205.
Thanks for your interest and support in promoting this little bit of American History.
- Ralph Kreigh gave
a fine review of the various flags that were used during the Civil
War. He pointed out that: "For the
Blue and Gray the Battle Flag led the charge, acted as a maker of
the regiment's progress, and served as a rallying point in retreat.
After the battle it was a focal point for the regiment's strength
and morale."
The Stars and Bars was the first Flag
of the Confederacy and first appeared with seven stars for the
first seven Confederate States. There was dissatisfaction with
the Stars and Bars as a regimental flag after the First battle of
Bull Run when the Stars and Bars and the "Stars and
Stripes" of the federal troops created confusion.
General Beauregard designed a blue flag with a red "x", in
the St. Andrew's cross style, however it was decided that a red flag
with a blue cross was more appropriate. Between 1862 and 1865
there were 7 different flags and some of the flags had white or
yellow backgrounds.
The Van Dorn flag was a red flag
displayed a crescent moon in the upper left corner with 13
stars displayed in 5 rows and having white, yellow, or
yellow/gold fringe.
The Missouri Battle Flag was in the
style of the "Roman Cross." It had a
white "Roman Cross" on a blue background and a red border.
Some of the flags were made by outside contractors who painted the
flags and the paint bled through.
The 6th Missouri Confederate Infantry had the following
battles on its flag: Elk Horn, Iuka, Corinth, Big Black,
Vicksburg and Port Gibson.
The Second Wisconsin Infantry regiment had the following battles on
its flag: Bull Run, July, 1861; Gainsville, Bull Run,
Aug. 1862, South Mountain; Antietam, Fredericksburg;
Chancellorsville; Gettysburg.
Many times the unit flag was torn from the staff and either hid,
buried or burned. After the war Shelby buried his flag in the
Rio Grande to keep the Union from capturing it.
In 1868 there was a display of all the captured battle flags.
In 1905 the U.S. returned many of the confederate flags
however some of the states were not willing to return the flags
which they had captured.
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