Last week’s article focused on the many flags associated with the assassination of Abraham Lincoln 150 years ago this month. Three American flags that may have been involved with major events in his life and death reside around the U.S. – maybe. FLAG #1: Three score and four stars One of the most famous speeches… continue
They were torn at the Battle of Gettysburg, shot full of holes at Bull Run and ruined by storms in encampments from Maine to Florida. They were the worn-out flags of the Civil War – Old Glory, the Stars and Bars of the Confederacy, and regimental colors. An example is a flag carried by the… continue
By James Breig The just-concluded 150th anniversary of the battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg brought renewed attention to the role flags played during Civil War conflicts. When cannons and muskets began firing, regimental and other flags became essential ways of communicating amid the smoke and chaos. The banners rallied troops to common points on the… continue
By James Breig This year’s Fourth of July marks not only the 237th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, but also the 150th anniversary of two seminal battles of the Civil War: Gettysburg and Vicksburg. If you subtract 150 from 237, you get a number associated with Abraham Lincoln. The twin historic conflicts, which spanned… continue
By James Breig The 150th anniversary of two significant battles of the Civil War – Gettysburg and Vicksburg – is fast approaching. Both occurred in July 1863, and both have fascinating flag stories connected to them. Take the case of the stolen Confederate battle flag. It was carried by the 14th Louisiana Regiment, which consisted… continue