Secession Badges

[col90]

Re: Secession Badges

Sir and Ma'am, with reading Mr Koenigs article and looking around this popped up so I'll bring it here. It is listed as a "Confederate Secession Badge" worn by Southern sympathizers to demonstrate their patriotism and support for their new nation. This badge is in the form of a hand-stitched silk First National Confererate flag, measuring about 4" long, 1 3/4wide, with elevin stitched crosses representing stars and gold braided cord at top ending in two gold tassels. This flag was meant to hang on the wearer's chest, secured from the white bone or qwill attached at top.
This found at http://www.railsplitter.com/sale10/political.html (#534) and the image is http:www.railsplitter.com/sale10/images/749.jpg
I found this interesting, here it is.

Miniature flags (often called "Bible Flags" by museums/collectors) are a whole category unto themselves. There is very little written about them in current sources, although there are numerous mentions of them being worn in the Confederacy as defiant gestures in period accounts, and predominantly by the women. I've been collecting info and pictures of extant examples for several years now, and again, there are no two alike.

Colleen

[Annette Bethke]

Re: Secession Badges

Here is a description of sorts from Texas, before the state even seceeded. Many Texans believed that once seceeded Texas would revert back to a Republic, thus the "Lone Star" cockades.

Long Point. Texas. 3 Decr. 1860. Mass meetings, conventions, and minute men is all the go. Lone Star flags and blue cockades are fluttering to every breeze and glittering on every hat, as well as on the breast of many of our patriotic ladies.
Gideon Lincecum's Sword, page 72

Long Point. Tex. 21 Dec. 1960. We are all secessionists, and our Ladies are daily employed making Banners and Lone Star Cockades for our large company of "Minute Men,"
Gideon Lincecum's Sword, page 87

9 December 1860. [for the minute men meeting] By 11 1/2 o'clock, the little town was full of men and horses…the Lone Star Cockade was to be seen on almost every hat…
Gideon Lincecum's Sword, page 75

Galveston News (22 November 1860), in a column headed "Public Sentiment in Texas" " 'blue cockade and Texan star' have made their appearance on the streets of Houston."

[rebelfirefighter07]

Re: Secession Badges

Miniature flags (often called "Bible Flags" by museums/collectors) are a whole category unto themselves. There is very little written about them in current sources, although there are numerous mentions of them being worn in the Confederacy as defiant gestures in period accounts, and predominantly by the women. I've been collecting info and pictures of extant examples for several years now, and again, there are no two alike.

Colleen

I'd love to see and read about examples of these also. The only one I've ever seen is the one posted by Mr Hadden. I found it online the other night and he beat me to the punch getting it on here to ask about it.

[csuniforms]

Re: Secession Badges-How are they sewn?

Hello, I am currently doing research on the Missouri State Guard under Governor Jackson and General Price, and they too wore cockades in the field. Have a letter from a 13th Illinois soldier who sent a cockade back to his brother as a souvenir. Found it on a suspected secesh who was sent to prison in St. Louis or St. Charles.

Yes, these cockades, no two were the same. They were worn extensively from the Winter of 1860 through 1861 and beyond until the Union Army made it a practice to look for and confiscate Secession flags, cockades, and contraband amongst the Confederate occupied populace.

All you Southern Civilian Reenacators. Your impression is not complete until you put on your cockade!!!--

I was also told by some lady sewers that making a proper cockade requires skill. That merely wrapping some ribbon around a disk is not the way to do it. One lady told me that to do it properly requires a sewing of concentric flats and the proper grained ribbon for the effect. Just look at the originals and see how many flutes there are and how well they are sewn. "Authentic" hard core cockades is what we need!!!

CSuniforms
Tom Arliskas

[col90]

Re: Secession Badges

I'd love to see and read about examples of these also.

This one will take a good bit of searching. I've had to contact museums and historical societies in a number of places in order to assemble my research. The MOC probably has the largest collection in one place, and when I was there a few weeks ago, the curator mentioned that many of them had not been out of their boxes for a very long time, since most people are military historians, researching the larger flags. Although many places have at least one , they usually only get a footnote in any modern flag literature. They are mentioned in a number of period sources, however, almost as much as cockades are. Although there are examples of both Northern and Southern flags, they seem to be used more in the South, and as symbols of defiance, or to be given to soldiers to be carried in pockets, Bibles, etc (hence the name "Bible Flag", although most are a bit larger than a soldier's Bible). Here are a couple of quotes:

"Everyone wore the secession miniature flag...." The Daily Cleveland Herald April 23, 1861

"I devote all my red, white, and blue silk to the manufacture of Confederate flags. As soon as one is confiscated, I make another, until my ribbon is exhausted, when I will sport a duster emblazoned in high colors...henceforth I wear one pinned to my bosom -- not a duster, but a little flag..." Sarah Morgan, May 9, 1862 [note she is making these from ribbon, which leads to the belief they are smaller, not full-sized flags]

"...I came back and made myself a Confederate flag about five inches long...pinned the flag on my shoulder, and walked downtown..." Sarah Morgan, May 10, 1862

One of Butler's special orders in New Orleans (No. 179) deals with Anne Larue, who had been wearing a small Confederate flag "upon her person in order to incite riot"

Clara Solomon in New Orleans speaks of her friends wearing small flags.

There are various mentions in newspapers, and other diaries as well.

The only one I've ever seen is the one posted by Mr Hadden. I found it online the other night and he beat me to the punch getting it on here to ask about it.

I must have missed that...where is it? I can't find it.

If you do a search for "bible flags" online, you will find some auction houses that have had a few for sale, so that will let you see a few more. In addition, I believe one showed up on Antiques Road Show awhile back as well.

They are a fascinating study.

Colleen

[rebelfirefighter07]

Re: Secession Badges

Heres an example of a bible flag with some background that I just found.

http://www.jeffbridgman.com/inventory/index.php?page=out&id=151