The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-12-16
FIRST CONFEDERATE-FL FLAG EVER @ 222
 FLOATED 0N FFfE- ATLANTIC.

the harbor, and we got in about mid day. Here we lay in the stream at an- chor and took samples of our stores ashore to sell the cargo. We con- signed our vessel to Johnson and Son, an English commission firm.
 AS may be imagined, our flag ere ated considerable excitement. In the harbor all about us were small schoon CTS commanded by New England cap tains in the fish trade, and they com menced to talk about 1t, calling 1t the slavery" flag. MT. Johnson, Jr, asked permission toi take the flag ashore and show it to the governor of the island. The request was granted, and the governor complimented 1t.
 All of these commission merchants had flag poles, and MT. Johnson raised this flag upon his pofe.~ Threats were made by these New England captains to tear it down; bribes were offered to cut the flags halyards; but Hall and l. aided by young Johnson, kept the natives and all others from at tempting to do so swearing we would shoot the first man who put his hand upon the halyards. The next morn ing the feeling against the flag seemed to have subsided, and on that evening we accepted a very kind invitation from MT. Johnson to dine with ashim between the hours of five and~six. While at dinner we were informed that our flag had been cut down, and we lost no time in running to its protec- ton, even though it was on a foreign shore To our horror we found the mob of negroes, melted by the crews of the fishing vessels. had torn the flag down. tied the stars and stripes to the halyards above 1t and raised it on the pole; fired pistol balls through our flags, then tore it down and tore it into strips and tied it around their ankles and trampled it in the dirt to disgrace it. We were maddened to desperation, and would have rushed headlong into what was certain death but older heads kept us down.
 The design of this flag was a blue field with seven stars in the field, and the red and white bars, and was made of oil calico.
 We failed to sell our cargo in St. Johns, and decided to sail for another port next morning. We were constant ly eyed by tne mob who said if we raised another such flag they would scuttIe our vessel Our Captain, though a down Easter by birth, mar ried in the South and was true a man | to the Southern cause as ever lived said the Pearl should fly the Stars and Bars, and if necessary sink with his vessel in attempting it.
 Leaving the NeSSel unutr the WaIcn of a guard. the mate and three seamen we determined on having a new flag made Some English ladies volun- teercd their services, and by rapid work of fair hands it was not long be- fore we had another flag of bunting and before daylight next morning the stars and Ears was again unfurled from the main topmast of the Pearl and as daylight appeared we sailed out of the harbor, in full view of all { the citizens, and headed for the Island of Guadaloupe. Our crew of negroes had caught our spirit and were as ready to fight for the flag as any of us. and for this reason we felt some what secure against anything like a hand-to-h hand encounter.
 "At the port of Bastarre, where We took dinner. the flag was highly com plimented by the French officers anC ronsuls on the island, this island be- longing to France.
 Nothing of interest transpircd here and We soon sailed for the Island nt Nevis. which is owned by the English and h.s fine sugar estates Filling our cnsks with fresh water we sailet for St Kits. just opposite Nevis We had to land there in our small boats as our schooner got in a dead calm five miles out. Not selling the cargo here, we sailed for the Island of Domi' niaue. which belonged to the English Here we made the port of Roseo. anc