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| Company G, 25th North Carolina Infantry Regiment |
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| Confederate Company Flag |
Company G, also known as the "Highland Guards," was a company raised in Clay and Macon counties,
North Carolina, and at Athens, Georgia. It enlisted at Franklin, NC, on July 8, 1861. The company was then mustered into state
service and assigned to the 25th North Carolina Infantry Regiment. The company functioned as part of the regiment and
its history for the Civil War is reported as a part of its regimental history. The Captains of Company G were William S. Grady,
John R. Hayes and John M. Phinizy.
The flag is a company flag and not a regimental flag. Many companies had their flag fashioned after the
First National. Company G, 6th Regiment North Carolina Volunteers flag is like this flag except that it reflects
"Rutherford Volunteers" where this flag has "Highland Guards" (the blue section has the same motto and style).
"The Company H Flag is in the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh and is perhaps the only 25th
Flag that exists."
The last 25th NC Regimental Flag was not surrendered at Appomattox, but was smuggled home by the color bearer from Company C. The sergeant had disobeyed orders at the surrender and concealed
the flag and turned it over to Captain Wesley Newell Freeman. Within six months, Capt. Freeman's home in Waynesville, NC,
was burned; allegedly the work of arsonist. According to family history, Freeman sold their remaining property and moved back
to Ellijay, Georgia.
The 25th North Carolina Regiment never surrendered its "Flag" in battle and its flags were never
captured, so there were no surviving flags as there were with most regiments. The company flag
is approximately 24" x 36".
Courtesy of Mr. DeLaine DeBruhl
25th NC Troops
| Company G, 25th NC Regimental Flag |
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| (Civil War Flag) |
"In my opinion this is not a Civil War Era flag, but one recently manufactured.
In the last few years these have appeared numerous times on eBay which continues to ignore contacts by flag curators relating
to the authenticity of these flags. From the photo you can see how irregular the stitching is on the flag. Nineteenth
century women prided themselves on their sewing abilities and would never have made something so dear as a flag with
the quality of stitching on this flag. The folks who make these flags believe because they are Confederate they should be
crude--not so, as most Civil War flags are extremely well made. Most of the eBay flags are also one-sided and I expect this
one is also, which may be why it is framed. In addition, most (but not all) Confederate flags are made from wool bunting.
From what I can tell, the fabric for this flag is not wool. Consequently, in my judgment this is not an original Confederate
flag."
Courtesy of Mr. Tom Belton*
Curator of Military History
North Carolina Museum of History
| North Carolina Civil War Flag |
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| North Carolina Confederate Flag |
*Native North Carolinian Tom Belton received BA and MA degrees
in American history from North Carolina State and began his employment at the North Carolina Museum of History in 1979,
and as Curator of Military History he is responsible for one of the nation's largest flag collections. With more than 35 years
in the field, Belton has a deep interest in North Carolinians who have served in all wars, but especially those who served
in the Civil War. He has written numerous articles for various museum publications along with book reviews for the North Carolina
Historical Review. He served as team leader for the Museum of History's exhibit, "North Carolina and the Civil War" and is
currently working on a book to be published jointly be the museum and the Historical Publications Section of the Office of
Archives and History on the Civil War flag collection in the North Carolina Museum of History. Tom Belton retired as curator
of military history for the North Carolina Museum of History on April 29, 2011, but remains active in preserving our nation's
history and heritage.
Recommended
Reading: 25th North Carolina Infantry: History and Roster of a Mountain-bred Regiment
in the Civil War (Hardcover). Description: This historical account covers the 25th
Regiment North Carolina Infantry Troops during the Civil War. Farmers and their sons left the mountains to enlist with the
regiment, which organized in Asheville in August 1861, to defend their home territory. In addition to casualty, desertion
records, and a complete regimental roster, the book chronicles the unit’s defensive tactics in the Carolina
coastal regions and battlefield actions at Seven Days, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Plymouth, Richmond, and Petersburg.
More than 125 historic photos, illustrations, and detailed maps are featured. Continued below...
Notes and Related Reading:
Special Acknowledgements with recognition and appreciation to Mr.
DeLaine DeBruhl and Mr. Tom Belton for their 25th North Carolina Infantry Regiment contributions.
Recommended
Reading:
The Flags of Civil War North Carolina.
Description: Compiled and written by educator and Civil War expert Glenn Dedmondt,
The Flags Of Civil War North Carolina is a very straightforward reference presenting photographs,
color illustrations, descriptions and history of the titular flags that flew over North Carolina
when it seceded from the Union. Each page or two-page spread features the different flags
of the various North Carolina regiments. A meticulously
detailed resource offering very specific information for history and civil war buffs, The Flags Of Civil War North Carolina
is a welcome contribution to the growing library of Civil War Studies and could well serve as a template for similar volumes
for the other Confederate as well as Union states. Great photos and illustrations! Continued below...
Flags stir powerful emotions,
and few objects evoke such a sense of duty and love for the homeland. In April 1861, the first flag of a new republic flew
over North
Carolina. The state had just seceded from the union, and its citizens would soon have to fight for
their homes, their families, and their way of life. Each flag is meticulously detailed and scaled to perfection. The Flags of Civil
War North Carolina is the history of this short-lived republic
(which later joined the Confederacy), told through the banners that flew over its government, cavalry, and navy. From the
hand-painted flag of the Guilford Greys to the flag of the Buncombe Riflemen--made from the dresses of the
ladies of Asheville--this collection is an exceptional tribute
to the valiant men who bore these banners and to their ill-fated crusade for independence. About the Author:
Glenn Dedmondt, a lifelong resident of the Carolinas and member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, shares his passion for
the past as a teacher of South Carolina history. Dedmondt
has also been published in Confederate Veteran magazine.
Editor's Recommendation:
The Flags of the Confederacy: An Illustrated History. Description: Devereaux D. Cannon
is an expert on vexillology (the study of flags). This book offers a history, profiles, design specifications and an overview
of the various flags (national flags, battle flags and naval ensigns) that were utilized by the Confederacy. The book features
several pages with glossy photos of the various flags of the Confederacy. It features even the little known flags. Cannon's
book has inspired flag makers to revive the old flags in addition to the 3 national flags, the battle flag and the naval ensign.
This book is must have for flag gurus, Civil War buffs and southern partisans.
Recommended Reading: "Why I Wave the Confederate Flag, Written by a Black Man". Description: Congress shall make no law respecting and establishment of religion,
or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people
peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. "This book is about truth and passion."
What makes this book dangerous is its raw honesty. Hervey lifts the
veil of Black decadence at the same time he exposes the lies and political correctness of modern day America. Continued below...
Hervey states: "I show that the Civil War was not fought over slavery and
that the demise of my race in America is not of the White man, but rather of our own making. In this book, I show how Blacks
in America ran away from physical bondage to one far worse-- mental bondage."
Recommended Reading: Confederate
Military History Of North Carolina: North Carolina
In The Civil War, 1861-1865. Description:
The author, Prof. D. H. Hill, Jr., was the son of Lieutenant General Daniel Harvey Hill (North
Carolina produced only two lieutenant generals and it was the second highest rank in the army)
and his mother was General “Stonewall” Jackson’s wife's sister. In Confederate
Military History Of North Carolina, Hill discusses North Carolina’s massive task of preparing and mobilizing
for the conflict; the many regiments and battalions recruited from the Old North State; as well as the state's numerous
contributions during the war. Continued below...
During Hill's Tar Heel State
study, the reader begins with interesting and thought-provoking statistical data regarding the 125,000 "Old North State"
soldiers that fought during the course of the war and the 40,000 that perished. Hill advances with the
Fighting Tar Heels to the first battle at Bethel, through numerous bloody campaigns
and battles--including North Carolina’s contributions at the "High Watermark" at Gettysburg--and concludes with Lee's surrender at Appomattox.
Great for the casual reader or serious buff. Highly recommended!
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