the telegraph key

The Telegraph KeyMajor Thomas J. Key Camp #1920Sons of Confederate Veterans7325 Oakview StreetShawnee, Kansas 66216

reminder!

Our next meeting will be August 6 at 7 p.m.

Bring a friend or prospective member.

VOL. 16, NO. 7 JULY 2015

The Telegraph Key- . . . . . / - . . - . . . -- . . - . . - . -- . . . . . / - .- . - . --

THE OFFICIAL DISPATCH FOR THE MAJOR THOMAS J. KEY CAMP #1920KANSAS DIVISION, SCV • JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS

Major Thomas J. KeyCamp Officers

CommanderJames D. Thornton

1st Lt. CommanderJohn Weir

2nd Lt. CommanderJames L. Speicher

AdjutantSteven Crawford

Communications OfficerSteven Crawford

Historian and ScrapbookDan Peterson

Web MasterJohn Weir

Newsletter EditorJohn Kirchmeyer, Jr.

Media CoordinatorLane Smith

Cadet Member CoordinatorLee Crutchfield

The Commander’s CornerThomas J. Key Camp Commander, Jim Thornton

www.MajorKey1920KSSCV.org

I have questions about flags. All of the controversy over the Confederate Battle Flag being a symbol of racism and hatred

got me wondering what all these people think about all the other numerous flags of the Confederacy.

Do they find the Bonnie Blue, Price’s Missouri Battle Flag, the first Confederate Navy Jack,Key’s Battery Flag, or my ancestor’s 8th Arkansas Infantry Battle Flag offensive as well?

The list goes on and on. There are literally dozens, if not hundreds, of flags associated with the Confederacy. I didn’t even mention the three National Flags of the Confederate States of America. Are these detractors and protesters going to take on ALL the flags of the Confederacy?

The purpose of a flag (a piece of cloth, varying in size, shape, color,

and design, usually attached at one edge to a staff or cord) is to be used as the symbol of a nation, state, or organization, as a means of signaling. That’s what the Battle Flag was – a signal device for troop movements. That’s what all the flags I mentioned above were for – signaling devices. The troops did not have the radio and communication technology we have today. They had to rely on signaling devices. FLAGS.

So, if they find the flags so offensive, these people need to step back and think for a moment. These flags probably, whether they like it or not, potentially saved the lives of their ancestors. Without these flags, there would have been no signals between troops. There would have been no way to tell one side from the other. There is a reason for the old saying, “Rally ‘round the flag boys.”

Flags are part of our history. They are part of evolution. Flags became the means of battlefield communications as early as medieval times. In the 17th century it became customary (and later a

Continued on Page 2

The Commander’s CornerContinued from page 1

Next Camp Meeting:August 6, 2015

Upcoming EventsSaturday, August 15 • Shawnee, KS

» Major Thomas J. Key Camp Annual Family Picnic

Shawnee Mission Park, Shelter 10 7900 Renner Rd. Shawnee, KS 66219

The Major Thomas J. Key Camp Annual Family Picnic will be held at Shawnee Mission Park, Shelter 10 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. More information will be shared at our August meeting and on our Upcoming Events listings on the Key Camp website.

Thursday, September 3 • Lenexa, KS

» Major Thomas J. Key Camp September Meeting

Zarda Bar B-Q 11931 W. 87th St. Parkway Lenexa, KS 66215

The Major Thomas J. Key Camp will meet on Thursday, September 3 at Zarda Bar B-Q on the southwest corner of 87th and Quivira in Lenexa, Kansas at 6 p.m. for dinner and conversation with the official meeting beginning at 7 p.m.

Information regarding Thomas J. Key Camp activities and events is available on our website, www.MajorKey1920ksscv.org, by selecting Activities and clicking Upcoming Events.

The Telegraph Key

The Telegraph Key is a newsletter published for the Major Thomas Key Camp #1920 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV). The SCV is a non-profit organization with a patriotic, historical, and genealogical orientation and is not affiliated with any other organization. Opinions in this newsletter reflect the views of the writers and are not necessarily a statement of the views of the SCV, the Kansas Division, the Kansas Brigades, nor any other camp. Comments and articles are solicited.

E-mail comments, article ideas, and suggestions to John Kirchmeyer at [email protected].

Key Camp Website Resources

Key Camp: www.MajorKey1920ksscv.orgSCV National: www.SCV.org

legal requirement) for ships to carry flags designating their nationality. Even today, flags are part of the communication systems in everything from military to the Boy Scouts.

Anybody can attach a stigma or shame to any object. But before jumping all over an object such as a flag and saying it symbolizes something you don’t like, please learn its history and true meaning. Think before you act. Learn before you speak on a subject. My grandfather used to tell me, “Jimmy, always

engage you brain before you open your mouth.” There are many times I find something ugly or offensive, but I try to find the truth behind it – what was its intent or original meaning and purpose? Why can’t these protestors and detractors do that? It’s the old term, “jumping on the bandwagon” again.

So, we are back to my question from above. Do these people want to take on ALL the flags of the Confederacy? What about it? Do you? We’ve got a lot of them.

2 www.MajorKey1920KSSCV.org

JULY 2015 DEO VINDICE JULY 2015 DEO VINDICE

7www.MajorKey1920KSSCV.org

The Key Camp will meet on Thursday, August 6, at Zarda Bar B-Q on the southwest corner of 87th and Quivira in Lenexa, Kansas at 6 p.m. for dinner and conversation with the official meeting at 7 p.m.

Our guest speaker for the evening will be Mr. Al Fry. Mr. Fry will give us a first-person presentation as President Jefferson Davis, the leader of the Confederacy and an often overlooked figure in the nation’s history.

Please join us for camaraderie, dinner, and education. As always, your wife or significant other is welcome. Don’t forget to bring a prospective recruit!

Left to right: Bonnie Blue, Price’s Missouri Battle Flag, Key’s Battery Flag, 1st Confederate Navy Jack, and 8th Arkansas Infantry Battle Flag

Above: An honor guard of Civil War reenactors walks through the Confederate Prisoner of War Cemetery on Arsenal Island in Rock Island, Illinois

Funding for Our Defense NeededCompatriots Called Upon for Financial Assistance

JULY 2015 DEO VINDICE


Key Camp Family PicnicSaturday, August 15 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Recruiting Report:Welcome!The Key Camp is pleased to welcome new members Jackson Stuart Walthall and Carson Shelby Walthall as Compatriots. They are both former Key Camp Cadet members and are the sons of Key Camp Compatriot Charles Walthall who resides in Arkansas.

The Camp would also like to welcome Mr. Lynn Langemeier as a Fellowship Member. Lynn has attended our last several meetings and is searching for the final piece of research to a Confederate ancestor for full membership.

It’s picnic time! The annual Key Camp Family Picnic will be held on Saturday, August 15, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. The Key Camp will have Shelter 10 at Shawnee Mission Park reserved for our group. We technically have the shelter from 8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Commander Thornton would like to have a few good men (and ladies) arrive around 9 a.m. or so to get things set up.

The camp will supply burgers, brats, hot dogs, condiments, plates, utensils, and drinks. It is asked that each family bring a dish such as salads,

fruit, desserts, ice cream, cherry cobbler, etc. to share with all.

Shelter 10 is right next to a playground area for the kids or grandkids and restroom facilities are close by as well.

Please sign up at the August 6 meeting, or if unable to attend the meeting, please give Commander Thornton a call at 913-441-1736 or 816-516-7204 to let us know if you will be joining in on the fun so we know how much food to purchase.



Just as they were 150 years ago, the coffers are depleted and the funding for the defense of the Confederacy is drying up. Sadly, everything has a monetary cost attached to it.

150 years ago, financial support for the Confederacy meant spending on weaponry, uniforms, food, camp supplies – anything needed for the support of troops. Today, financial support for the Confederacy involves funding legal defense teams, advertising and media campaigns, office staff, office supplies, and overhead costs.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans has always had a Heritage Defense Fund. It has until now been able to mount a counter to negativity spewed forth against the good name of our Confederate Veterans. But, nothing could have prepared us or the fund for the brutal onslaught and blitzkrieg thrown up against us like we have seen over the past two months. This sheer, massive assault can only be compared to William Tecumseh Sherman’s total war machine as he marched through Dixie destroying

anything and everything Confederate that stood in his path.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans Heritage Defense is facing a war on multiple fronts. We have battle lines formed against the United States Government (National Cemeteries, National Parks, etc), individual State Governments, the media, and organizations, such as the NAACP. These are just the main battlefields. There are minor skirmishes throughout the land, too numerous to list. Our supply lines are stretched beyond belief and our resources are dwindling. This is more than our annual dues can cover.

This is why we, as an organization, must now call upon our membership – our Compatriots – for financial assistance. Just as the citizens of the Confederate States of America sacrificed

their own financial reserves and personal belongings to finance the defense of their country and what they believed was right, we must now call upon their descendants to do the same. 150 years later, we must again reach into our wallets and finance

the defense of the good name of the Confederate Veteran. We must fund the defense of what we believe is right and just.

Our Commander-in-Chief, Charles Kelly Barrow, has put out a call for all Armies, Divisions, and Camps to donate to the SCV Heritage Defense Fund and replenish the coffers. I ask each of you to reflect on the events that have transpired over the last several weeks and ask yourself how this impacts you and how these events and possible results affect the image of your ancestor – and most importantly, your family’s name and reputation. Then, decide what you can do to assist your organization in the fight to protect the name and reputation of The Confederate States of America – and the name and reputation of your family.

Once you decision has been made, please visit the SCV Heritage Defense website, scvheritagedefense.org and click the button marked $ SUPPORT THE HERITAGE DEFENSE FUND. Then follow the directions to make your donation.

Your support and commitment to the defense of our heritage is all that stands between the good name of our ancestors and the erasure of the Confederate State of America from history. Thank you for your consideration and any financial assistance you can provide.

Below: Map of Shawnee Mission Park. Shelter 10 is highlighted.

Wanted:Male Descendants of Confederate SoldiersThe Key Camp is currently recruiting new members to honor and affectionately memorialize our Southern ancestors and their brave deeds. We are making progress, but we must always be thinking of recruiting.

Keep Calm and Hold Your TemperProtecting the Truth of the Confederate States of America

We are under a great deal of stress right now defending the good name and reputation of our ancestors and in protecting the truth of the Confederate States of America.

Many of us are at the boiling point and ready to explode, especially those of us with a short fuse. This is exactly the point our opponents and detractors want us to reach. They want us to lose our tempers and become confrontational, hoping we say or do something to provide them leverage and improve their position in the media and on the public stage. We must not let that happen. We must hold our tempers and bite our tongue.

One way to help defuse a potentially explosive encounter with an opponent is to practice “empathy.” We have all heard the term, but do we really know how to make use of it? Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within the other person’s frame of reference, i.e., the capacity to place oneself in another’s shoes.

The key term here is “frame of reference” for our opponent. We must keep in mind during our conversation with the other person that their frame of reference for their arguments comes from how they were educated on the matter – where their knowledge or base of information comes from. The only frame of reference they have most

likely comes from their “politically correct” or “historically cleansed” government-provided education in our country’s history. They can only argue on the basis of incomplete knowledge of the matter at hand. They have not received or been exposed to the full picture. Their glass is only half full.

Our best response in a conversation with an antagonistic opponent is to take a deep breath, step back, and reply, “I can see where you are coming from and understand your point of view. But, have you really researched the history and dug into the full story behind the flag (or the monument or whatever is being discussed)? There is more to the story and background. Please take time to read about both sides of the argument. Don’t jump on the bandwagon without looking at the big picture.”

Your opponent will then hopefully ask us, “What are you talking about?

What full story?” At that point, we can become the teacher and our opponent the student. We can educate and perpetuate the truth of the flag, our monuments, our Confederacy. But, we must do so diplomatically and calmly. Invite your opponent to research the truthful, legitimate websites on Southern culture and history. Invite them to join us at one of our meetings or events.

If we remain calm and let them spout off uninterrupted, then reply slowly that we understand their point of view before jumping into an argument, our opponent will be caught off guard. At that point, make your case peacefully, firmly, and confidently. Our opponents won’t know how to respond. Hopefully, they will stop and think, “Wow. Maybe there is something more here.” Our opponents are expecting a fight. Let’s give them a peaceful, calm education instead.



Profile of a Southern Soldier:Adolphus Monroe Evans, Company E, 30th Regiment, Alabama Infantry



Adolphus Monroe Evans was born January 21, 1835 in Goshen Hill, Union District, South Carolina; the son of Jesse and Caroline (Anderson) Evans. His grandfather, Perry Evans, had served with distinction in The Revolutionary War against the British and was part of the guerilla band of 50 patriots chosen by General Nathaniel Greene who attempted to tunnel under and blow up the British Star Fort during the Siege of 96.

Following his marriage to Elizabeth Cummins on December 9, 1860, Adolphus and his wife settled in Calhoun County, Alabama. After the outbreak of hostilities with the U.S. federal troops, Adophus Evans enlisted March 1862 in Calhoun County and attended the Talladega Camp of Instruction.

Talladega was one of two camps of instruction established in Alabama for collecting recruits. The Confederacy was faced with a serious manpower

shortage in the winter of 1862, and Congress implemented a compulsory military service law which went into effect in April 1862. Most men between the ages of 18 and 35 were obliged to enroll, with exceptions for certain professions and other situations. Talladega and Notasulga were selected as camp sites for Alabama to collect recruits. Enrolling officers in each county collected men and took them to camp, where they were enrolled, trained, and were assigned to a front-line unit.

Following completion of his training, Adolphus was assigned as a Private to Company E, 30th Alabama Infantry Regiment. The regiment was organized at Talladega, April 16, 1862, with men recruited from Calhoun, Clay, Coosa, Franklin, Jefferson, Randolph, St. Clair, Shelby, and Talladega counties. It reported for duty at once to Chattanooga. Company E was under the command of Captain Henry McBee until his resignation on September 2, 1862. Captain Samuel Kelly assumed command of Company E following the resignation.

In December 1862, the regiment was sent to Vicksburg with the other portions of Stevenson’s Division. In the spring of 1863, the regiment fought with few casualties at Port Gibson; but it saw heavy losses at Champion’s Hill where 229 men were put out of action – half the regimental strength. In addition, four ensigns were killed, and the colors were penetrated by

63 balls and 16 shell fragments. At Vicksburg, the 30th suffered severely in casualties during the siege and were captured with the fortress.

At some point (most likely during The Battle of Vicksburg), Private Evans was captured and held as Prisoner of War. He received his final parole May 20, 1865, signed by Brigadier General M.H. Chrysler, commanding the U.S. Forces at Talladega.

After the war, Adolphus returned to Calhoun County where he gained employment as a hired farm hand. Eventually he was able to obtain his own land and farming operation. For a brief time, he relocated to Lamar, Texas. But, his heart was in Alabama and he returned to Calhoun County where he resided until his death on May 9, 1912 at the age of 77.

Adolphus Monroe Evans was the 3rd great granduncle of Key Camp compatriot Jim Thornton.

Private Adolphus Monroe Evans

Confederate Monument at Highland Park Cemetery, Calhoun County, AL

Left: Confederate Monument on Montgomery’s Capitol Hill commemorates the 122,000 Alabamians who fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War.

Funding for Our Defense NeededCompatriots Called Upon for Financial Assistance



Key Camp Family PicnicSaturday, August 15 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Recruiting Report:Welcome!The Key Camp is pleased to welcome new members Jackson Stuart Walthall and Carson Shelby Walthall as Compatriots. They are both former Key Camp Cadet members and are the sons of Key Camp Compatriot Charles Walthall who resides in Arkansas.

The Camp would also like to welcome Mr. Lynn Langemeier as a Fellowship Member. Lynn has attended our last several meetings and is searching for the final piece of research to a Confederate ancestor for full membership.

It’s picnic time! The annual Key Camp Family Picnic will be held on Saturday, August 15, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. The Key Camp will have Shelter 10 at Shawnee Mission Park reserved for our group. We technically have the shelter from 8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Commander Thornton would like to have a few good men (and ladies) arrive around 9 a.m. or so to get things set up.

The camp will supply burgers, brats, hot dogs, condiments, plates, utensils, and drinks. It is asked that each family bring a dish such as salads,

fruit, desserts, ice cream, cherry cobbler, etc. to share with all.

Shelter 10 is right next to a playground area for the kids or grandkids and restroom facilities are close by as well.

Please sign up at the August 6 meeting, or if unable to attend the meeting, please give Commander Thornton a call at 913-441-1736 or 816-516-7204 to let us know if you will be joining in on the fun so we know how much food to purchase.



Just as they were 150 years ago, the coffers are depleted and the funding for the defense of the Confederacy is drying up. Sadly, everything has a monetary cost attached to it.

150 years ago, financial support for the Confederacy meant spending on weaponry, uniforms, food, camp supplies – anything needed for the support of troops. Today, financial support for the Confederacy involves funding legal defense teams, advertising and media campaigns, office staff, office supplies, and overhead costs.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans has always had a Heritage Defense Fund. It has until now been able to mount a counter to negativity spewed forth against the good name of our Confederate Veterans. But, nothing could have prepared us or the fund for the brutal onslaught and blitzkrieg thrown up against us like we have seen over the past two months. This sheer, massive assault can only be compared to William Tecumseh Sherman’s total war machine as he marched through Dixie destroying

anything and everything Confederate that stood in his path.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans Heritage Defense is facing a war on multiple fronts. We have battle lines formed against the United States Government (National Cemeteries, National Parks, etc), individual State Governments, the media, and organizations, such as the NAACP. These are just the main battlefields. There are minor skirmishes throughout the land, too numerous to list. Our supply lines are stretched beyond belief and our resources are dwindling. This is more than our annual dues can cover.

This is why we, as an organization, must now call upon our membership – our Compatriots – for financial assistance. Just as the citizens of the Confederate States of America sacrificed

their own financial reserves and personal belongings to finance the defense of their country and what they believed was right, we must now call upon their descendants to do the same. 150 years later, we must again reach into our wallets and finance

the defense of the good name of the Confederate Veteran. We must fund the defense of what we believe is right and just.

Our Commander-in-Chief, Charles Kelly Barrow, has put out a call for all Armies, Divisions, and Camps to donate to the SCV Heritage Defense Fund and replenish the coffers. I ask each of you to reflect on the events that have transpired over the last several weeks and ask yourself how this impacts you and how these events and possible results affect the image of your ancestor – and most importantly, your family’s name and reputation. Then, decide what you can do to assist your organization in the fight to protect the name and reputation of The Confederate States of America – and the name and reputation of your family.

Once you decision has been made, please visit the SCV Heritage Defense website, scvheritagedefense.org and click the button marked $ SUPPORT THE HERITAGE DEFENSE FUND. Then follow the directions to make your donation.

Your support and commitment to the defense of our heritage is all that stands between the good name of our ancestors and the erasure of the Confederate State of America from history. Thank you for your consideration and any financial assistance you can provide.

Below: Map of Shawnee Mission Park. Shelter 10 is highlighted.

Wanted:Male Descendants of Confederate SoldiersThe Key Camp is currently recruiting new members to honor and affectionately memorialize our Southern ancestors and their brave deeds. We are making progress, but we must always be thinking of recruiting.

The Commander’s CornerContinued from page 1

Next Camp Meeting:August 6, 2015

Upcoming EventsSaturday, August 15 • Shawnee, KS

» Major Thomas J. Key Camp Annual Family Picnic

Shawnee Mission Park, Shelter 10 7900 Renner Rd. Shawnee, KS 66219

The Major Thomas J. Key Camp Annual Family Picnic will be held at Shawnee Mission Park, Shelter 10 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. More information will be shared at our August meeting and on our Upcoming Events listings on the Key Camp website.

POSTPONED: Saturday, August 29 • Easton/Atchison, KS

» Headstone Dedications in Easton and Atchison, Kansas

THESE DEDICATIONS HAVE BEEN POSTPONED as we do not want to bring any undue attention to our newest headstones and potentially make them targets for vandals that find some perverse joy in desecrating headstones, especially since they are both in more obscure, unprotected areas. No date has been set for future dedications, but we will notify you once the events have been rescheduled.

Thursday, September 3 • Lenexa, KS

» Major Thomas J. Key Camp September Meeting

Zarda Bar B-Q 11931 W. 87th St. Parkway Lenexa, KS 66215

The Major Thomas J. Key Camp will meet on Thursday, September 3 at Zarda Bar B-Q on the southwest corner of 87th and Quivira in Lenexa, Kansas at 6 p.m. for dinner and conversation with the official meeting beginning at 7 p.m.

Information regarding Thomas J. Key Camp activities and events is available on our website, www.MajorKey1920ksscv.org, by selecting Activities and clicking Upcoming Events.

The Telegraph Key

The Telegraph Key is a newsletter published for the Major Thomas Key Camp #1920 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV). The SCV is a non-profit organization with a patriotic, historical, and genealogical orientation and is not affiliated with any other organization. Opinions in this newsletter reflect the views of the writers and are not necessarily a statement of the views of the SCV, the Kansas Division, the Kansas Brigades, nor any other camp. Comments and articles are solicited.

E-mail comments, article ideas, and suggestions to John Kirchmeyer at [email protected].

Key Camp Website Resources

Key Camp: www.MajorKey1920ksscv.orgSCV National: www.SCV.org

legal requirement) for ships to carry flags designating their nationality. Even today, flags are part of the communication systems in everything from military to the Boy Scouts.

Anybody can attach a stigma or shame to any object. But before jumping all over an object such as a flag and saying it symbolizes something you don’t like, please learn its history and true meaning. Think before you act. Learn before you speak on a subject. My grandfather used to tell me, “Jimmy, always

engage you brain before you open your mouth.” There are many times I find something ugly or offensive, but I try to find the truth behind it – what was its intent or original meaning and purpose? Why can’t these protestors and detractors do that? It’s the old term, “jumping on the bandwagon” again.

So, we are back to my question from above. Do these people want to take on ALL the flags of the Confederacy? What about it? Do you? We’ve got a lot of them.


JULY 2015 DEO VINDICE JULY 2015 DEO VINDICE


The Key Camp will meet on Thursday, August 6, at Zarda Bar B-Q on the southwest corner of 87th and Quivira in Lenexa, Kansas at 6 p.m. for dinner and conversation with the official meeting at 7 p.m.

Our guest speaker for the evening will be Mr. Al Fry. Mr. Fry will give us a first-person presentation as President Jefferson Davis, the leader of the Confederacy and an often overlooked figure in the nation’s history.

Please join us for camaraderie, dinner, and education. As always, your wife or significant other is welcome. Don’t forget to bring a prospective recruit!

Left to right: Bonnie Blue, Price’s Missouri Battle Flag, Key’s Battery Flag, 1st Confederate Navy Jack, and 8th Arkansas Infantry Battle Flag

Above: An honor guard of Civil War reenactors walks through the Confederate Prisoner of War Cemetery on Arsenal Island in Rock Island, Illinois

The Telegraph KeyMajor Thomas J. Key Camp #1920Sons of Confederate Veterans7325 Oakview StreetShawnee, Kansas 66216

reminder!

Our next meeting will be August 6 at 7 p.m.

Bring a friend or prospective member.

VOL. 16, NO. 7 JULY 2015

The Telegraph Key- . . . . . / - . . - . . . -- . . - . . - . -- . . . . . / - .- . - . --

THE OFFICIAL DISPATCH FOR THE MAJOR THOMAS J. KEY CAMP #1920KANSAS DIVISION, SCV • JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS

Major Thomas J. KeyCamp Officers

CommanderJames D. Thornton

1st Lt. CommanderJohn Weir

2nd Lt. CommanderJames L. Speicher

AdjutantSteven Crawford

Communications OfficerSteven Crawford

Historian and ScrapbookDan Peterson

Web MasterJohn Weir

Newsletter EditorJohn Kirchmeyer, Jr.

Media CoordinatorLane Smith

Cadet Member CoordinatorLee Crutchfield

The Commander’s CornerThomas J. Key Camp Commander, Jim Thornton

www.MajorKey1920KSSCV.org

I have questions about flags. All of the controversy over the Confederate Battle Flag being a symbol of racism and hatred

got me wondering what all these people think about all the other numerous flags of the Confederacy.

Do they find the Bonnie Blue, Price’s Missouri Battle Flag, the first Confederate Navy Jack,Key’s Battery Flag, or my ancestor’s 8th Arkansas Infantry Battle Flag offensive as well?

The list goes on and on. There are literally dozens, if not hundreds, of flags associated with the Confederacy. I didn’t even mention the three National Flags of the Confederate States of America. Are these detractors and protesters going to take on ALL the flags of the Confederacy?

The purpose of a flag (a piece of cloth, varying in size, shape, color,

and design, usually attached at one edge to a staff or cord) is to be used as the symbol of a nation, state, or organization, as a means of signaling. That’s what the Battle Flag was – a signal device for troop movements. That’s what all the flags I mentioned above were for – signaling devices. The troops did not have the radio and communication technology we have today. They had to rely on signaling devices. FLAGS.

So, if they find the flags so offensive, these people need to step back and think for a moment. These flags probably, whether they like it or not, potentially saved the lives of their ancestors. Without these flags, there would have been no signals between troops. There would have been no way to tell one side from the other. There is a reason for the old saying, “Rally ‘round the flag boys.”

Flags are part of our history. They are part of evolution. Flags became the means of battlefield communications as early as medieval times. In the 17th century it became customary (and later a

Continued on Page 2

the telegraph key

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