If you have been following this search then you know that in Part II the evidence began to point to a lone star on a blue field as being the Confederate flag of Alabama at secession. In this final segment we will see what this flag actually looked like. The turbulent times of 1860-1861 called […]
In Part I of this series we took up the point that in modern times we are supposed to believe that Alabama did not have a state flag during the Civil War. In our search to see if this is true, we started with the star of the Alabama Secession Convention. Part II continues that […]
The general wisdom among scholars is that Alabama did not have an official state flag during the Civil War. Consequently, modern authorities simply don’t recognize the people of Alabama as having had a flag symbolizing their state. Insert the sound of my sigh here. It is hard to imagine a fiercely independent and proud […]
Confederate batteries opened fire. The first shots missed their target, but gunners soon established the range and shells began bursting on the ramparts of Fort Sumter. Soon the stronghold was ringed with fire and smoke, geysers of stone, brick and mortar flying skyward. This was the scene in Charleston harbor in the early hours of […]
It was 4:30 in the afternoon of July 2nd, 1863. General Hood shouted, “Fix bayonets, my brave Texans. Forward and take those heights.” This was the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg, and Hood’s Texas Brigade was part of a large Confederate attack. Lt. Colonel Work, of Hood’s 1st Texas Regiment, pointed to his […]
When we hear “Color Guard” today, we think of ceremonies, not battle. True, a color guard is today responsible for a unit’s colors, their flag. They care for it and ensure its proper display. In that sense the word “guard” still applies. But in the Civil War, guarding the flag meant a lot more. These […]
It is the 12th of April, 1861. Three days ago, in the late afternoon, Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant had met at Appomattox. Now men in grey and blue are gathering. There is tension, but no fear. A valley separates them, the Confederates on one the hill, the Federals on another. These […]
Madison county honors their fallen soldiers of the American civil war with a tall monument in Four Freedoms Park. At the base are the names of 196 soldiers, 100 of which died from direct combat actions. Almost four percent of the Madison population was taken during the civil war from 1861-1865 and in 1860 over […]
Barksdale’s Brigade: Charge at Gettysburg “I am sure that it was the grandest charge that was ever seen by mortal man.” Those are the words of Union Colonel Worthen, whose men at Gettysburg tried – and failed – to stand against General Barksdale’s Mississippi brigade. Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. […]
The people that make up North Carolina have a long history of rebellion. Most folks know that North Carolina declared its independence twice, in 1776 and in 1861. But it may surprise you that some citizens in North Carolina declared their independence in 1775. In fact, the current state flag continues to bear the date […]
The Conch Rebellion: They Fought with Bread It was the 1980’s, and drug smuggling was a noisy issue. Runners would take delivery of the stuff off shore, then travel north to big cities. So the Federal Government came up with a brilliant plan: the Border Patrol placed a roadblock at the northern limits of […]
Louisiana seceded from the Union on the 26th of January, 1861, becoming a sovereign nation. The Confederate States of America did not yet exist. Meanwhile this land considered itself an independent country, and was preparing for its defense. Soldiers like the one you see above were being rallied to the cause. One of the first […]
