The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1903-05-21

to some criticism, but did not care
Chicago Inter Ocean.
The Confederate Flag.
During the civil war, the several
| seeded States used at first distinctive
State flags. In March, 1861, the Con-
federate Congress adopted the So
called "stars and bars" composed OF
three horizontal bars of equal width,
the middle one white, the others red.
with a blue union containing nine
white stars arranged in a circle. The
resemblance Of this to the ''stars and
stripes" led to confusion and mistakes
in the field; and in September, 1861,
a battlefiag was adopted red field
charged with blue satire, with a mar.
row border of white. on which were
displayed thirteen white stars. In
1863 the 'stars and bars" was sup
planted by flag with a white field,
having the battle-flag for a union. The
flag of 1868 was found deficient in
service, 1t being liable to be mistaken
for flag Of truce; and on February
4. 1855, the outer half Of the field be.
yond the union was covered with q
vertical bar. This was the last flag
Of the Confederacy.
The first secession flag was actually
raised in 1860. before the passage of
the ordinance Of secession by the State
of South Carolina. Capt Edward
Mills, Of the bark "Joees." belonging
to the Palmetto Line of New York
packets. raised this flag at his mast.
head in New York harbor. and his YES
sci was mobbed; but they could not
compel him to strike his colOrs. On
his return n gold-headed palmetto cane
was presented to him by some of the
Palmetto Guard and in return he trans.
ferred to them the custody Of the flag.
The secession Of the States was quickly
followed by aggressive military move
ments. and the flag accompanied the
Palmetto Guard in their various Ell.
campments. At the seige of Sumter
it marked their parade ground. and
was used in the truce boat that met
the United States barges. The Pal.
metto Guards occupied the fort i'm.
mediately after the surrender of An.
derson; and this was the first flag
raised on its walls after the salute,
and before F. J. Moses had arrived at
the fort. The flag remained with the
company until they were mustered for
the war, and was then taken in charge
by John S. Bird, who has since re-
committed 1t to the care of the Pal
metto Guard.
In the Century General Sherman
contributed an article on ''The Grand
Strategy of War;" from which we
quote the following: with the month
Of May came the season for action. and
by the 4th all his armies were in mo-
ton. The army Of Butler at Fort Mon.
roe was his left, Meade,s army the cen
ter. and Sherman at Chattanooga his
right Butler was to move against
Richmond on the south Of James River
-ACiuC 5tidiS asAlnot 4<CCy
behind the Rapidan, and Sherman to
attack Joe Johnston and push him to
and beyond Atlanta. This was as far
as human foresight could penetrate
Though Meade commanded the Army
of the Potomac. General Grant sub
stantially controlled 1t, and on the 4th
of May, 1864, he crossed the Rapidan.
and at noon next day attacked Lee.
He knew that a certain amount of
fighting. killing. had to be done to
accomplish his end. and also to pay
the penalty of former failures. In the
wilderness there was no room for
grand strategy. or even minor tactics;
but the fighting was desperate, the
losses to. the Union army being, ac-
cording to Phisterer, 37,737, to the
Confederate loss of II, ,4OO-the differ.
ence due to Lees intrenchments and
the blind nature Of the country In
which the battle was fought. On the
night of May 18th both parties paused,
appalled, by the fearful slaughter; but
General Grant commanded Forward
by the left flank That was, In my
the supreme moment in his
life; undlsmayed. with a full com.
prehension of the importance Of the
work In which he was engaged. feel |
ing as keen a sympathy for his dead
and wounded as any one, and without |
stopping to count his numbers, he gave |
his orders calmly, specifically. and alb
straightforward to Spotsylvania'