The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-11-19
CLEW To IDENTITY
Of ONE bATTLEFLAG
Of the Three in Possession Of
New Jersey
Light in Letters From Col. ..re4
Odds, of Raleigh. and Ed4a
Hoffman, Of Bedford

RIchynOn0. va. NOV. lb.~ih. .Ust
| clew to the identity Of one of tsA
three battleflags now in the posseeston
Of the State of New Jersey has b,o.
received by ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Taylor E}iyson. to whom the mater
OF turning them over TO their right
full owners has been entrusted Try
Adjutant General SadIer. OF the North
| ern State. 1t is in h shape of q LET
ter from Edwin Hoffman, OF Bedford
City.
It Will be recalled that one Of ~
flags bore the legend bedford
Dragons and on the reverse SIDE
the great seal Of Virginia and the hust
of George Washington. The name =
the painter-the work was done il
Hoffman writes Lieutenart-Go,-
ernor Ellyson chat the painting
was undoubtedly done by his father
stephen Hoffman, who was the on,
man probably in that section III thai
time capable Of such work. Hoffman
would very much like to gain posses
sion Of the flag, and wants t. KNOW !.
he is entitled to it.
Governor Ellyson does not h~el.s,a
Hoffman is entitled to the flag under
the circumstances, his idea being E
ascertain the survivors Of the Bid
ford Dragons II return the flag -
them. If no survivors exist l|tliyseE
tIlIllhS poSo1cIG Tie STATE I'll New Itl
sey might be willing to restore the
flag to the son Of the man who made
the banner. He will get int COM
munication with the Bedford authori
ties at once for the purpose Of 2Scaf
tanning if there are any survivors of
the company that carried the t'ts
during the war.
1t will be remembered that OH MS
recent visit 10 Trenton Lieutenant
Governor Ellyson was shown three
b~attlehagS In the possession If IT,
State Of New Jersey by his friend, a.
jutant General Sldler. Of that STAT"
which are believed to have been cal
r1ed In the wal by Virginia troop@
/ and requested the lieutenant-soFernor
to interest himself in the labor ~
love OF returning them to the sur
|T1vors If they can be located. Ta'
most important Of these flags is . lag
| silken banner which there IS relaois
to believe is the headquarters Ita1 II
Genera StOnewall Jackson.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS l1llyson ~ aH
receipt of a letter from Fred 4. Gti>,
OF Raleigh. y. c., director of the
North Carolina Hall Of History, and
one OF the best Informed men III to-
State on Confederate history. which
throws some light on the matter. ana
lends color TO the belief that the bAn
ner IS the priceless relic I~ieutenant
Governor Ellyson hopes it IS.
In his letter Colonel Odds ~rec.t@s
the fact that in 1868 about q hundred
OF these flags, large and silken. SER
made In England by Confed"rat"
sympathizers and brought into the
South by a blockade runner through
the port Of Wilmington. One Of these
flags, Colonel Olds says, was used ~
a headquarters flag by General Bryan
Grimes. Of North Carolina. at Ar
pomattox, and is now In the Hall OF
history at Raleigh. Colonel Olds "a
Vances the opinion that all Of these
iags went to officers high in the Con
Tolerate service, and very likely tho
! one now held by the State OF New
Jersey was given to Genera Jackson
and was one OF the lot that came from
the English sympathizers. He thinks
the nags were OF too excellent q man
} ufacture to have been made by the
Confederacy under the handicap u u
! those days.
. Governor Eilyson was 1t first II
, cined to the opinion that the flag
nad beer made by the women Of Nii
. s1n1a. and at first blush had hardly
thought that Colonel Old conjecture
. was correct, for one reason because
LeHeFai was killed in May
1aoS. and Colonel states that II"
1 Engilsn hass were imported durinE
> thought. and in view Of the fact that
:. Geherai lived in North Caro-
, INA and tie further possibility that
= me fags might have been brought
, INTO the South early in 1Ss3-CoIonei
: Oias GOES not give the date-Governor
E-1iyson now thinks that possibly Thu.
8 IS me history o. the banner in the
possession Of the State of New Jersey
e l.ieuteuant-Governor Ellyson Is now
! oendlng hts efforts to identity the
I nag, II possible. rs the one which
. noated over General Jackson's head
l quarters. and expects to be able to
: omp this through two or three
of General Jackson's personal stat,
Who are still living.
the identification Of the ban
neI IS complete it will be pre-
5ented to the Richmond Con
IIederate historical authorities 10y the
state OF New Jersey, and elaborate
ceremonies Will be arranged 70 raark
in. OCCASION.