The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-12-02

The Idea or my nag L TOOK from
the Trinity, Three in One The three
bars were for the church, state and
press. Red represented state, legis-
lative, judiciary, and executive; white
for church, Father, S9n and Holy
Ghost; red for press freedom Of
speech, freedom of conscience and
liberty Of press-all bound together
by a field Of blue (the heavens over
alp, bearing a star for each state in
the confederation. The seven white
stars, all the same size, were placed
in a circle, showing that each state
had equal rights and privileges, ir-
respective Of size or population. The
circle, having neither lead nor foot,
stood for eternity, and signitied You
defend me and I'll protect you"
You see I'm telling you the story"
Miss Smith continued, "just as my
father told it. He went on t. say:
q had the flag all completed in my
mind before the Confederate Con-
gresS advertised for models, and when
the advertisements appeared l design
ed a flag ard when it vas finished I
sent it to Montgomery, with the sug-
gestiOn hat a star be added for each
state that joined the Co~nfederacy.
The flag committee, as you know, ac-
cepted the flag and m it THE
Stars and Bars They also adopted
IN 0dSSCStIOI IL u was uOi IOIlS
before the flag bore II stars from
the II Confederate states that voted
for Jefferson Davis to be president.
After the small flag was sent to Mont
gOmery l had a larger one made for
l a determined Wether the flag COM
mittee accepted by model or not l was
determined that one Of my flags
should be floating in the breeze.
Splicing two tall Saplings together, /
made a pole 100 feet high and plant
ed it on the courthouse square at
Louisburg, N. c., (where I was then
living), and the flag was sent aloft
Monday, March Is, 1851, two months
before North Carolina seeded. Over
the flag was floating a long blue
streamer, like an admiral has on his
ship when 'homeWard bound,' and on
this pennant I had stars for each
State that had seeded and one for
North Carolina, for, though mysstate
was still in the Union, 1 knew she
was 'hOmeward bound
Nov. then, does it seem possible
for any other claimant to have the
honor Of designing the flag? ?" she ask.
ed quickly.
AS quickly I returned the question
by asking her to tell me the detail.
5 concerning how the original flag wa:
) made, to which she replied.
$ "Just half a century ago my faith
I ers friend. Becky Murphy, made tn,
. first flag Of the Confederate State:
Of America. 1t was the middle O
a February, 1861, and he went to JOIN
p Barrow's store at Louisburg, N. G..
where he was living, and bought som
red, white and blue dress stuff ar
! carried 1T to Becky Murphy" nov
9 Mrs. W. B. Winborne, of Wilson, n. c
He asked her to make a little fla
and tore the strips and cut the five
a pointed stars, while she put in tn
: stitches. 1t was SKIP inches, and a
, soon as it was finished he sent it t
the flag committee at Montgomery
a Ala. After the flag had gone h
!. thought perhaps there never would b
r one of his flags sent aloft if that com
s mlttee did not select his model, bu
"a n colors, the numbers OF bars an
n n number of stars on the blue field
and the arrangement Of stars an
bars all helped to make the story tina
he hoped could be read by every on
: Who saw the flag. So he had up hi
u mind that there should be one of h
flags floating in the Old North Stat
q anyway, and SO he went back to Ba,
8 rows and bought some wOrsted gooC
and k Miss Becky to make a lars
h nag, just like the small one, and tn
when finished was 9x12 feet By tn
Il time this flag was finished, tn
people Of the town and Of the count
had heard Of the flag and were i.
interest that on Monday, March L
~ 1861, when my father raised this fla
to the top Of a pole 100 feet high, tt
: old town Of Louisburg, the coun,
he seat of Franklin, was filled with pee
lg pie TO see the flag go aloft. It W:
a big holiday"
re- Thus Miss Smith tells the story
her SUaaf enthusiasm ~ hololE
" her father, which is a beautiful II
a : spiration amounting almost TO idol
m try. and her untiring energy and mob
loyalty to his claims as the design
of the beloved flag of the Confedera,
- is an expression OF devotion scarce
ever seen in these times and desery
o. TO be rewarded as such a love and d
Eotlon should be rewarded, VIII
founded upon merit and honor.
Sc Waiting For the Author.
d.