Cultural Resources

This page is dedictaed to providing educational and historical information about the cultural resources of the Military Order of the Stars & Bars.

Salute to the Confederate Flag

I salute the Confederate flag with affection, reverence, and undying devotion to the Cause for which it stands.I salute the Confederate flag with affection, reverI salute the Confederate flag with affection, reverence, and undying devotion to the Cause for which it stands.ence, and undying devotion to the Cause for which it stands.

Seal of The Confederate States of America

In its simplest terms, the Seal of The Confederate States of America depicts George Washington on horseback, surrounded by the principle crops of The South – tobacco, cotton, rice, sugar cane, corn, and wheat. The outside edge includes the date of the inauguration of Jefferson Davis as President of the C.S.A., and the motto Deo Vindice, which is usually translated as God will vindicate. The story behind the Seal is far more interesting and tells much about life during that period of time. The seal was designed and created by Joseph S. Wyon in London, England. Mr. Wyon’s engraving firm was engravers to Queen Victoria and makers of the Great Seal of England. The actual seal is comprised of a set of embossing dies made of silver which must be placed in its embossing press in order to be used. The embossed image is approximately 3.6 inches in diameter. When the Seal was completed, it was delivered to James Mason, a confidential agent of the Confederacy in England. He selected Lieutenant R.T. Chapman of the Confederate Navy to bring it to America. In order to avoid the naval blockade, Lt. Chapman was forced to take a long and circuitous route. He went from England to Halifax, Nova Scotia, then to the Island of Bermuda and finally to Wilmington, North Carolina. When the Confederate Government evacuated Richmond in April of 1865, Mrs. William J. Bromwell, the wife of an official of the Confederate State Department, smuggled the Seal from the doomed city. Together with an important part of the Confederate archives, the Seal was hidden from Federal forces in a barn near Richmond. It eventually made its way into the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, where it can be seen today. The seal shown here was probably never used in any official capacity. The seal plates and the press traveled separately and were never known to have been in the same place at the same time during the Confederate period. The seal that was actually used by the Confederate government was the provisional seal, which consisted of a scroll with the word “Constitution” above, and the word “Liberty” below. After the Confederate government collapsed, Secretary of State, Judah P. Benjamin threw the provisional seal plates into the Savannah River as he fled for England. The embossing press is currently in the custody of the Cox family of Hamilton, Bermuda.

Confederate Holidays & Notable Dates

JAN_19Robert E. Lee Birthday – Confederate Heroes Day (TX)
JAN_21Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson Birthday
FEB_22Confederate Independence Day / Founding of the C.S.A. / Jefferson Davis inaugurated
MAR_4Confederate Flag Day
MAR_27Confederate Day of Prayer, designated by President Jefferson Davis in 1863 as a day of “fasting, humiliation, and prayer” in the Confederate States
APR_26Confederate Memorial Day in AL, FL, GA, MS
MAY_10Confederate Memorial Day in NC, SC “Stonewall” Jackson died
MAY_30Confederate Memorial Day in VA
JUN_3Confederate Memorial Day in KY, LA, TN Jefferson Davis Birthday
JUL_13Nathan Bedford Forrest Day in TN
OCT_12Robert E. Lee died
DEC_6Jefferson Davis died

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