The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-05-26

expressed, they passed at par III sew
cral scaportS of Dixie ''tor at least 4
month" as Col. Capcrs carefully puts
it, eater tncy were issued" Several
large bills of exchange were bought
in London and Paris at par. But the
financial boom of the Contedcracv
didu't last long. When it came 20 be
August, 81, the Canal and Citizens
banks in New Orleans We're the only
ones handling Confederate money al
par. On the 9th August even they
suspended specie payments, notifying
the Richmond authorities OF their
intention two days in advance BY a
private cipher dispatch. Col. CaperS
has the original Of this dispatch, in
pursuance Of which the Government
made quite a saving speculation for
itself by buying up Eall the foreign
exchange it could lay its hands on in
New Orleans, Mobile, Savannah,
Charleston and Richmond during the
two days of grace.
Col. Capcrs'S recollection of those
early days of the war are y continuous
story of makeShiftS and eNpcdicntS.
The Young Government lived from
hand 10 mouth. One OF the first naval
officers to report tor duty was Raphael
Semmc>, afterwards commander OF
the -IluJo0tu. He was on hand before
thev had deck for him to stand on,
and worked for a short time i'll The
trea sury department at Montgomery.
\ Archant vessel was soon bought
ana :mmes, after inspecting her,
returned to Montgomery and announc-
ed to his 1cllow-clerk, Col. Capers:
"She is a good craft, sir, a good
craft. When l have strengthened her
timbers and cut her down to fighting
trim, my word for it, she will do
brave work, Sir.
She was accordingly altered and
armed and, with Semmes on her
quarterback, made good his prediction
to the dire cost of such as Went down
to the sea in ships under the Stars and
Stripes in those days. The vessel was
the iSUnotef.
SEaINIES WnITTLES FOR HIS PAPERS.
But when she was ready TO sail and
her register made out, it was discov-
cred at the last moment that the
treasury department of the Confederate
States had no seal. There wasn't an
engraver to be found in Montgomery,
and Semmes was impatient to get his
papers and be of. So he and Col.
CaperS, aided by a handy Young army
surgeon, and at the expense OF two or
three pcnkniveS, carved q rude seal
upon piece Of boXwood, which met
the immediate need. Semmes got his
register, and the Sumter set sail under
the Stars and Bars. There was quite a
time over the adoption of that flag. a
considerable number were in favor Of
sticking to the old flag, with slight
notifications, but Mr. Miles, Of South
Carolina, chairman of the Congress
sional flag committee, argued at length
in his report against this sentimental
idea, and added, by way way of a
clincher, that Liberia and the Sandwich
Islands had flags very similar to ours,
and the committee was not disposed,
therefore, if for no other reason, "to
keep, copy or initiate it. They have
no inclination to borrow secondhand
what has already been piltered or
appropriated by free negro CON-
munity aud race of savages." :"
The very first Confederate flag that
the sun ever saw, Col. Capers testities,
was hoistcd by Judge Clitherall at
Montgomery. He was in the conf
dence of the flag committee, and as
soon as they tod him the design
selected he got his lady niendS to-
gethcr alG had one made. On the
,iav the committee was to report 10
Congress he mounted the roof Of The
Capitol, fixed his flag to tie h&!vards
Of the staff and waited.
The recommendation OF the COM
mittcc was approved. He got lis
signal from below, and in the twink
ling of al eye the new ensign Of the
South was floating proudly i'll the
cares>eS of the gentle March wind.
The news spread quickly through the
city, and when Judge Clitherall
shouted down from his lofty perch,
"Ttrec cheers for the Confederate flag"
the crowd answered with a mighty
greeting that, il was thought at the
time, must have given an earachc to
the brcnZe statue on the dome Of the
far Northern Capitol.