Description
The texas state flag which was well represented within various texan commands in all theatres during the war. Although smaller than there infantry flag, it was carried by texan regiments.The second banner was the personnel flag of alexander watkins terrell, who commanded several regiments and a brigade during the war for southern independence. Entering the ranks late because of his personal loyalties to ardent unionist sam houston, he commanded the 1st arizona rangers and at least briefly commanded the 32nd, 34th, 35th, 36th texas cavalry regiments and, likens’ cavalry regiment. The flag was his personal banner for all of his commands and each command became associated with his name. The terrell flag consists of the scottish “st. Andrew’s cross” with four pyramids, red fringe border, and the words “we fight for our country” emblazoned. Considering that terrell was a lifelong mason it is likely that the four pyramids served to notify friend and foe of his affiliation. Often in the war fellow masons on opposing sides ensured the safety or even the release of brother masons.The third flag is one which belonged to the 8th cavalry regiment (terrys texas rangers), was made by miss flora mciver and miss robbie wood, who were living in nashville at the time. The flag was brought to the unit by miss mciver’s brother john as wheeler’s command, having been on a raid, made its way out of tennessee after the fall of atlanta back towards the army of tennessee in georgia. Upon arrival in florence, alabama, on september 12th, the unit received their new flag – a variant of the famous hardee pattern battleflag. The field was dark blue silk with a white silk circular disc in the middle. A red silk st. George’s cross, with pointed ends, and not reaching the outer edges of the circle, was in the middle of the disc. The cross was adorned with 11 gold embroidered 5 pointed stars with open centres. The word’s “terry’s texas rangers” were embroidered in dark blue roman uncial letters under the cross along the outer edges of the disc on both sides of the flag. Above the cross on the obverse side (hoist edge to the left) was also embroidered in dark blue roman uncials “ducit amor patriae”, while on the reverse side was “god defend the right”. The outer edge of the flag on three sides (not the hoist edge) was once a blue and white fringe. The overall flag dimensions are unavailable to me at this time but i have figures for other components of this flag: the fringe is gone but a 1/8 inch cord remains; the disc is 15 1/4 inches diameter; the cross is 2 inches wide and 11 inches by 11 inches in length to the points on the ends; the stars are 1 1/8 inches across the points; the mottoes are 3/4 inches high and the unit designation is 1 1/8 inches high. You will have to scale it up as to overall size.[approximately 46 inches by 69 inches]the flag was “lost” in the action near rome, georgia. It was not captured in battle, but rather was dropped by the bearer while encased in its rubber sleeve. It was picked up the next day by a soldier of the 17th indiana mounted infantry. The flag was returned to texas from indiana in march, 1899 by an action of the indiana legislature.Battles; woodsonville, shiloh, corinth campaign, elk river, forrests murfreesboro raid, capture of murfreesboro, chigamauga, chattanooga siege, knoxville siege, atlanta campaign atlanta siege, white river, browns mill, strawberry plains, saltville, carolinas campaign, kingston, bentonville.
