Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Mississippi's Restored Confederate Flags

Over the past several years, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (where I work) has been engaged in a project to restore our state's Confederate flags that have survived.  On Monday, the Museum Division opened a small exhibit in the lobby of the William F. Winter Archives Building showing six of the restored flags.  The building lobby is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm on Monday through Friday and from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm on  Saturday.  If you are close to Jackson, please stop by a see these restored flags.  The exhibit will be in place through the end of November.  More details about the department, including a map of the Winter Building's location can be found here:  www.mdah.state.ms.us

The pictures I took show the information plaque that depicts the flag prior to restoration, a close-up of the wording, and then a picture of the restored flag.  One picture in the portion about the 22nd Mississippi's flag describes how some of the restoration was done.  Two of the flags were captured in battle and later returned to the state.  There are detail pictures showing the capture information added by the captors.  Finally there is a picture and description of the rare twenty-star United States flag that we need to restore once funds can be accumulated.  The flags are framed behind glass so I had to use some unusual angles to cut down on the reflections, when I could.  I hope you enjoy this exhibit.  And please stop by and see them in person -- they are magnificently restored!

















I couldn't eliminate all the reflections on this flag's picture.












Not readily apparent but details about the capture of the flag were added by the captors.
"Captured by 1st Lieut Adj THOMAS P GERE
5th Minnesota Vols
at the BATTLE of BENTWOOD HILLS near NASHVILLE
Demcember 16th 1864"
































Details of the flag's capture added by the captors.













Contributions to help restore this rare flag can be mailed to:

Foundation for Mississippi History
ATTN:  Twenty-Star Flag Restoration
P. O. Box 571
Jackson, MS   39205-0571

And please designate that the contribution is for the Twenty-Star Flag.












1 comment:

Bluebear Jeff said...

Very interesting. Looks like a great exhibit indeed.


-- Jeff