Preserved Civil War flag unveiled after three year project

After three years of careful work, the Louisiana Area Historical Museum in Louisiana, Missouri, unveiled a fully preserved Civil War flag at American Legion Post 370 on Thursday, November 10. The flag had once belonged to Sam Minor before it came to the museum. The unveiling began with a talk by Judy Schmidt on the history of the Confederate flag and the Civil War in Missouri.

Missouri: A State Divided

Missouri was one of the most bitterly divided states of the war. It never formally left the Union, but much of its population sided with the South. In 1861, Governor Claiborne Jackson and the pro-Southern Missouri State Guard under General Sterling Price fought to bring the state into the Confederacy. After the Battle of Wilson’s Creek in August 1861, a Southern victory, a pro-Confederate government passed an ordinance of secession, and Missouri was admitted to the Confederacy as its 12th state. That is why many Confederate flags show 12 or 13 stars.

Throughout the war, Missouri saw more battles and skirmishes than almost any other state, along with brutal guerrilla fighting. About 30,000 Missourians served the Confederacy.

Saving an Old Flag

Preserving a flag that is more than 150 years old is slow, delicate work. Wool and silk flags fade, tear and become brittle over time, and many original flags were carried through battle and weather. Conservators clean them gently, stabilize weak areas by stitching them onto supportive fabric and mount them in protective cases away from light and humidity. A project like the one in Louisiana, Missouri, can easily take several years.

The result is worth it. A preserved flag lets future generations see and connect with the past in a way no book can.

Read more about how the stars on the flag changed in The 7, 11 and 13 Rebel States, and see Missouri flags in our Confederate flag collection.

Source: Louisiana Press-Journal: Preserved Civil War flag unveiled after three year project

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