Another interesting thread that I do not believe I just spent over ten minutes reading....
A few things here
Flags and Battle Flags:
http://www.nps.gov/gett/gettkidz/flag.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flags_o...tes_of_America
There is new, on going research into information on Blacks serving in the CSA Army. Pick up back copies of Civil War News ( Not sure if on web site
www.civilwarnews.com )
As for 'use' of the CSA flag....IMHO, it was miss used after the War Between the States. Many a good man, boy, woman and girl ( yes, women did fight in the war ) fought, bled, and died along side their friends and statesman under it. All were Americans. Most of the soldiers, on the fields of battle, did not care about nor perhaps understand the larger politices or economice issuies of the war. they were fighting for their towns, their states, their friends. General Lee even believed that the slaves should have been freed.
And in some ways, I believe that many groups today are using it fpr purposes of their own making and needs.
As for today, I have rather mixed feelings. I go down to FL and no one says anything about their state flag. Look at it with some care..can cause you to wonder.......
The perseption of it use falls on the people who see it and the people who use it.
Now, in the case that this thread started with if the flag was NOT up until the march/activity was about to start my belief is that the people who hung were out to make trouble.
I have been to many Reenactments, both in the North and in the South, and I never have heard or seen anything being said or done 'wrong' in any of the camps. Many reencators go into roles-live and speak as if they are in the 1800's. And I have seen both women and black soldiers on both sides.
Several years ago, in the Mid-west, a "group" thought that it would have a march during a reenactment. Somehow got it into their minds that the CSA troops would join them.
What happen was not their dream but a nightmare.
News of this march got into the camps. The reenactment came to a stop as the camps first gathered in their areas and then joined up behind their combined flag honor guards. The troops all had their "pig-stickers" fixed and locked.
The "group" took one look and ran or fled for hills.
Everyone else was very happy.
Time for dinner-where in is that Dinner thread.......