Article 6 -- February 8th 2014 The Romney Flag The most sacred element of a military unit is the regimental flag. By function, its course leads a unit. As a symbol, it unites a unit. Frequent are references of soldiers giving their lives to save their regimental colors from becoming a trophy of a foe. One of the first Confederate flags captured by Federal troops was taken in Romney, VA on June 13th, 1861. Captured by Col. Lew Wallace and his 11th Indiana Zouave Infantry, the future author of Ben-Hur listed its capture among the articles he confiscated at Romney. In writing about the Lew Wallace Raid, Private James Farrington Gookins of the 11th Indiana Infantry wrote: “. . . there were five companies of them in the aggregate—over four hundred men, well armed with Derringer rifles and United States Muskets. In their retreat they were so pushed that they left behind their baggage, some rifles, tents, swords, pistols, etc., etc. We took seven officers marquees, a quantity of uniforms, and large quantities of clothing, a secession flag, four horses (one of which was the rebel colonels riding-horse), four large chests of ammunition, camp equipage, and a great variety of other articles. Three wagons were laden with the best part of things taken, and the rest were destroyed.” The flag that Gookins referenced was a handmade Confederate Flag in the First National pattern. Its dimensions are roughly 3 feet by 9 feet. The first national pattern was adopted March 4th 1861 by the Confederate States of America. Because of large dimensions it is likely that the Romney Flag was the Romney garrison flag. A study by H. Michael Madaus and Robert D. Needham in 1976 of surviving confederate flags found that most First National flags have a proportional ratio of 3 to 5 hoist to fly. The Romney Flag has a ratio of 1 to 3 width to length making it an unusually long flag. The Romney Flag’s indigo blue canton has eleven stars. Seven of the stars form a circle surrounding four additional stars. The likely reason for this pattern is that the outer circle of stars was created with the secession of the first seven Confederate states. As others states joined the Confederacy, additional stars were added within the original circle. Assuming this is the case, the flag was initially made about March 2nd, 1861 with the addition of the seventh state, Texas, to the Confederacy but before the addition of the eighth state, Virginia on April 17th, 1861. This scenario indicates that the flag was possibly manufactured outside of Virginia Within the seven star circle there are four additional stars, presumably for the states of Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina and Tennessee as each joined the Confederacy. Because Tennessee joined the Confederacy on June 8th, 1861 it is likely that the last alteration to the flag was made just five days prior to its being captured on June 13th. The Romney Flag almost certainly arrived with Col. Arthur Cecil Cummins when he was assigned to Romney to gather the militia unit of Hampshire County and return to Harpers Ferry. Hoisted above the Hampshire County Courthouse, it would have heralded Southern recruitment efforts That it was captured so early in the war speaks to the undisciplined and green nature of the early Southern recruits. In time, these same men would lead charges across open fields a mile wide in the face of artillery and musketry and come within a whisper of winning Confederate independence. The Romney Flag is now housed at the Stonewall Jackson Headquarters Museum in Winchester Virginia. It was repatriated to Virginia soil in the 1960’s during the Civil War Centennial. Though a mystery why the flag was not returned to its place of capture, it does reside in the care of loving curators whose care for it is unquestioned. The history of any flag is written in its stars; anyone finding themselves in Winchester is encouraged to go and visit the Stonewall Jackson Headquarters Museum. Among the many artifacts there waiting for you is a part of Hampshire’s history.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 23:12:10 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015