BUY Rebel Flags For SaleOn April 9, 2016, the anniversary of General Lee’s surrender at Appomattox, Pensacola resident Stephen R. Malloy raised a Confederate battle flag in honor of the men who gave their lives fighting for the Confederacy. Southern Heritage News and Views shared his letter explaining the dedication, along with photos of the flag flying high and of supporters gathered around its pole.
Why April 9?
April 9, 1865, is the day General Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House. For many Southerners, it is a day of remembrance for the soldiers who served and sacrificed for four long years. Raising a memorial flag on that date is a way of saying their service will not be forgotten.
Pensacola: The City of Five Flags
Few cities in America have a history as layered as Pensacola. Known as the City of Five Flags, it has been under the rule of Spain, France, Great Britain, the Confederate States of America and the United States. Spanish explorers first tried to settle the area in 1559, making it one of the oldest European settlement sites in the country.
During the war, Pensacola was a key Confederate port. Southern troops took over the Navy Yard and Fort Barrancas in January 1861, while Union troops held on to Fort Pickens across the bay on Santa Rosa Island. The two sides exchanged fire across the water, and Confederate forces held the city until May 1862, when they withdrew to send men and guns to other fronts.
A Flag on Private Land
Like many heritage supporters, Malloy chose to honor the Confederate dead on his own terms. Flying a flag on private property is a right protected by the First Amendment, and across the South, individuals and groups have raised memorial flags to keep the memory of their ancestors alive.
Read about another memorial flag in What Happened to the Chester I-95 Flag?, and fly your own from our Confederate flag collection.
Source: Southern Heritage News and Views: Battle Flag Flies in Pensacola
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