Confederate Cherokee flags: variant

[rebjeb04]

Was reading through the regimantal daybook of the 1st Cherokee Mounted Vols. the other night and found an odd description of the unit's flag. The diary kept by Lt. Col. Robert C. Parks covers Nov. 11, 1862 to Mar. 28, 1863. The 1st National flags were first introduced to the Cherokee Nation by Albert Pike when one was given to the people on Oct. 7, 1861 at Park Hill, Indian Territory. This flag was described from a Fort Smith Times reporter "“The Confederate flag floats over our camp. In its blue field are the eleven white stars, in a circle, and inside that circle the Commissioner has placed four small red stars, forming the four extremities of a passion cross-- for the four nations, the Choctaws, Chickasaws, Creeks, and Seminoles, in token that these Christian tribes of red men are encircled by our protection, and are with and of us. When, if ever, we deem it fit to treat with the Cherokees, a fifth red star will form the centre of the cross..." Could this be the "Cherokee Braves" flag before it was associated with the unit? That flag, that is usually linked to the Confederate Cherokees was carried by the 1st Cherokee until it was captured on July 3, 1862 in the Battle of Locust Grove, I.T. September 20, 1862, another flag of the 1st National pattern, comprising two scarlet bars divided by a white, with a blue canton was captured from a Confederate force including elements of the 1st Cherokee at Spring River, Missouri. The 2nd Regiment Indian Home Guard were the capturers, and the flag was described as being 3” by 5.5” and bore fifteen stars of fourteen encircling one single star of the same size. On December 17, 1862 Parks describes their flag as follows:

“Our flag is 2 red strips and white bar on the middle and nothing more.”

Below are 3 images of these flags. The 1st is the "Cherokee Braves" flag on display at the Wilson's Creek National Battlefield, Park and Museum, and captured in July 1863.

The last 2 are conjectural drawings of the flag brought to the territory by Pike, and the other being the description from the 1st Cherokee Mounted Vols. daybook.

Could the regiment in haste have had a substitute made of just 2 red and 1 white bar? Or could Parks have been describing the flag as it appeared while he was writting in his journal?

[markj]

Re: Confederate Cherokee flags: variant

Hi Chris,

I contacted a pal of mine, Greg Biggs, who is a very knowledgeable CW flag researcher and who contributes regularly to the www.confederateflags.org site. Here are the comments in bold that he provided regarding your question:

The 1st National flags were first introduced to the Cherokee Nation by Albert Pike when one was given to the people on Oct. 7, 1861 at Park Hill, Indian Territory. This flag was described from a Fort Smith Times reporter "“The Confederate flag floats over our camp. In its blue field are the eleven white stars, in a circle, and inside that circle the Commissioner has placed four small red stars, forming the four extremities of a passion cross-- for the four nations, the Choctaws, Chickasaws, Creeks, and Seminoles, in token that these Christian tribes of red men are encircled by our protection, and are with and of us. When, if ever, we deem it fit to treat with the Cherokees, a fifth red star will form the centre of the cross..." Could this be the "Cherokee Braves" flag before it was associated with the unit?

No - this is a "treaty flag" and I have period newspaper accounts of several of them being issued in 1861. I even saw one at [a noted flag researcher's] house a few years back while he was in PA still. That one had 5 red stars.

These seem to have been issued to tribes as they allied with the CSA.

That flag, that is usually linked to the Confederate Cherokees was carried by the 1st Cherokee until it was captured on July 3, 1862 in the Battle of Locust Grove, I.T. September 20, 1862, another flag of the 1st National pattern, comprising two scarlet bars divided by a white, with a blue canton was captured from a Confederate force including elements of the 1st Cherokee at Spring River, Missouri. The 2nd Regiment Indian Home Guard were the capturers, and the flag was described as being 3” by 5.5” and bore fifteen stars of fourteen encircling one single star of the same size. On December 17, 1862 Parks describes their flag as follows:

“Our flag is 2 red strips and white bar on the middle and nothing more.”

These are different flags. The "Cherokee Braves" flag belonged to that Cherokee regiment. He has it being captured in 1862 above and 1863 below - which was it?

Below are 3 images of these flags. The 1st is the "Cherokee Braves" flag on display at the Wilson's Creek National Battlefield, Park and Museum, and captured in July 1863.

The last 2 are conjectural drawings of the flag brought to the territory by Pike, and the other being the description from the 1st Cherokee Mounted Vols. daybook.

Could the regiment in haste have had a substitute made of just 2 red and 1 white bar? Or could Parks have been describing the flag as it appeared while he was writting in his journal?

This would have been a replacement flag I think.

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[rebjeb04]

Re: Confederate Cherokee flags: variant

Hey Mark,
Correction on the year it is July 3, 1862 at Locust Grove. I guess July keeps telling me 1863 for Vicksburg and Gettysburg. I figured the flag described by Parks was a replacement of the one captured at Locust Grove that was done in haste and the blue canton was left off. I can't see someone like Lt. Col. Parks not mentioning the details of the rest of the flag. He was pretty meticulous in his observation and putting it to paper.

Thanks, Erik McBroom