Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-11-12
CONFEDERATE BANNERS.
NOW II STATES CUSTODY
TORN AND TATTERED
BATTLE FLAGS PRE-
SEETED.
Imposing and Digsifie5 Ceremonies al
State House Today.
GOVERNOR WAKEFIELD MAKES
TELLING SPEECH.

With simple jet dIgDiDed and af,-
pr0pEiate ceremony twelve banners
borne By Confederate soldiers Of Mary
lard ard until nov Did by those
who bad followed them, weTe given
into the custody q the state 10 b.
PLACED among the other Gzgs wblclI
Der soDs bad Carried in ali the vars
0f the nation. the whole to b. guard
"A wifb the greatest care and deyO-
ti0n II which the state j. capable
aDd handed down - neuent0es u
the bravery. the Devotion 70 princi-
pie ard the uniarnisbed honor u those
Tbo bad fought for tbem whether
they followed the stars and Stripes of
The Stars and Bars.
Today Maryland presents q unique
spectacle. the war banners Of her .s0ss
= 30 sers clad in both blue and gray
having yielded up those banners which
rsers 80 precious 70 them 20 be sfOfs Z
iu a common shrine, an eteyDaI sygs
bOl that the nation IS now gsuuiffss
AMI that al the fizgs stand for the cosf
MOI Ber0isno u those who fought ~
either side buf for tbe cause tiss-~
thought Was right
The flags, wbleb bage been kept Al
the Confederate Soldiers Home a.
Pikesyille. we're brought 81 Annapolis
tcIzy urder the direct charge u Con
fes1ernfe veterans wbo had followed
ti5esn during the civil War. Tie whole
affair being under ssse charge of the
Battle Flag Commission constituted
- lhe Acts ~ tbe Maryland fseglsIz-
turs. ~ wbieb Capt. John X. King, =
Enl0n vetsrz1. - chairman Captain
Efn- to0E leading part IN the pEesen-
tasicn o. fbe Union tanners some
months ago With Captain King
nere the other EBeEs5ers ~ fi5e Com
mission sneludiDg col SpHeeF g
J0Ees. Ni8o wzs ske Co1feleTate mem
ber - the .COanmissiOu wb0 toOk =
leziIfnz pzrt IN br1DgiBg about the
feeling which made the pEeseBtzSfO5
% fhe CoHfsdeFate szzs possible
The gFC1p - G2gs 5neIU1es the fol
loving
/. Fgaz y the FIRST slzEyI4sd InfaD-
Try kn0wD - the --Bgektzil Flag. -
wbieb vas presented fbT0ugb 1IiEs
Hestv Cary. 81 BzItzusoEe fafterw2rd
wife - fsen- John PezrzDB zs a gift
frgrr nha ladies' ~ BaItlUOEe-
2 FBzz rrsse-fazE ~ tsse ladies' -
Frszerfek- Nd - c01rzny \. -
tas FErs2 Nar-Isud Rez5me1s. aeaI-
rnzBsled ~ fszps- BrzdIey + JOsDsgD-
ard carried zs The regfnentz1 lag IL
rfB she prssenfzzIou q the Erss-UeD-
tfoueI Tag - Hstsy Cary
= TDc silk rag - the FIEst Mary
Iand Cavalry. wbf~b Ezs carried un-
tfl the bunting Tag with the stars
an Bars Vas given bE tbe Co7fsIer
ate states Government
l. TIE FIrsS SlzryIzEd cavalry DBDt-
Tzg lag wbie5 vas never ssTTsndsrsd-
s. Sseoud Maryland InN1frv Ezzs
Na- Z. carried - Ebe regiment n The
b1stIe og eiestysburg- If E2s carried
inside the EnEOn lines ~ CuIp's Hill
AMI bro1zbE ont again uBezptOEsd-
= C0nupa1y A. second Maryland
Tnfzztry Tag. which was Il service
unEil the Hanover Junction enezmp-
menf. ~hen the Confederate fSOFeEH-
ment furnished the army with bunting
battle hags- Is was concealed and
protected from GeEerzI Sherman by
Mrs William T. TheIIB. II whose
custody IE hzs sinee remained
:. This banner bears the legend :
This Tag Was used by the Second
Maryland Infantry and has ben since
the close Of the war IN possession Of
the IaIe Capt George Thomas. Of
Nurrzy's Company. Second Maryland
Infantry It IS n0w given into the
care Of the State Of Maryland By Mrs
Thomas, who desires that IL shall be
presented through .he men Of his COM
pzuv. who 50 gzIlautIy fought under
and defended it, The flag IS Of
SIX. with golden stars and lettering.
5. This flag Is one that belonged
to the Second Maryland Infantry II
also has been IN the possession Of
the late Capt. George TbOmass Of
Nurray's cOmpzDy-
.. Silk lag Of Col. J. Lyle Clsrke's
command.
10. Garrison flag Of the Third Mary
land Artillery. preserved by its last
commander. Capt. william l. Ritter
uosr secretary Of the Confederate
society Of Maryland.
II. The stars and Bars" Of the
Second Maryland Cavalry, command
ed By Col. Harry Gilmor.
I2. Flags Of the Confederate signal
Gorps. commonly called the wig
wags.'' The first has brilliant field
of yellow bunting, with an Ourglass
divided perpendieuIsrly
half blue, baIf red-in the center Of
the field. The second signal Tag j.
Of crearn-c0Iored bunting. with blood
rel Latin cross IN the center Of the
field.
n is the appreciation Of the respon-
sibfllfy attached 10 the guardianship
Of the battle flags carried by Mary
land regiments, Union and Confeder-
ate. during the Civil War, that led to
the passage Of an act in January, 1900.
bv the General Assembly Of Mary
land. &c properly care for, exhibit
and preserve the battle dags carried
BY Maryland regiments during the
Civil War, i56l-5-"
The great fire Of 1904 further proved
the necessity u such safekeeping of
historic relics. and a flag room was set
aside ia tlBe State House, where In
~lass eases aud with their military
records duly set forib the Tags should
pass into the custody of the state.
The Governor o. Maryland was at
thorized % appoint = commission of
four citfzens ~ Maryland who had
served with honor either lB the army
or navy during the Civil War, who
should collect the uOst valuable -
these military re5cIs and transfer them
from wherever they have been guarded
during the past years % this perma-
nent museum ~ safety from exposure,
accident, time ravages Or possible
vandalism.
IN the state House The Dags will not
only be guarded, sbut-secnssby many