Saturday, September 7, 2024- In February 2015, the membership of the Cedar Fork Rifles Preservation Society, Inc (i. e. the 6th North Carolina State Troops Reenactors) decided to undertake the effort to raise the funds to conserve the silk company flag of the North Carolina Grays, currently stored in the inventory of the North Carolina Museum of History. This company became Company I of the 6th North Carolina State Troops, who we proudly portray as reenactors.
At the time, it seemed like an almost impossible task, given that the estimated total needed was nearly $14,000 for the conservation of a silk flag. Considering how much effort and time went into managing the fund raising for the now successful Sailors Creek Battle Flag conservation, a cotton flag requiring $6,500 and taking nearly three years, it was a leap of faith to undertake a project more than twice as costly. We kicked off the campaign with money in the left over from our Sailor's Creek project and forged ahead.
Starting in 2015, we slowly crept toward our goal, raising our total to $6000 by late 2018. The 26th NCT Reactivated announced in 2019 that they would take the N.C. Grays flag as their next preservation effort and joined with us to complete the fund raising which was accomplished by early 2023, sending this relic to be conserved.
On Saturday, September 7, 2024 the conserved flag was unveiled at a dedication ceremony at the North Carolina Museum of History before a mixed crowd of reenactors, historians and well-wishers.
The following is the Keynote address and slide show presented by Historian Rick Walton that will explain the interesting history of this unique flag.
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| Author, Rick Walton, with North Carolina Grays Flag |
“I have the proud honor to receive from your hands, and with the
kindly good wishes of Colonel Higgins, this tattered, torn and beloved flag of the “North Carolina Grays” and it is to be tenderly placed in the State library at Raleigh, to remain an everlasting reminder of bravery and devotion,”
True to his word, the flag was presented to the Governor, who turned it over to the State Library where it was on display for many years.
(Slide 3) The Library became the Hall of History in 1914, where this flag was joined by many other Confederate flags and mementos.
In 1965 the Hall of history was renamed the North Carolina Museum of History.Three years later the museum moved more than 90,000 artifacts into a new $3 million building at 109 East Jones Street, sharing space with the North Carolina Archives and the State Library.
The museum finally received a home of its own in April 1994, in the building in which we’re meeting.
(Slide 4 ) Which is where the 6th North Carolina State Troops reenactors first became aware of this flag and others relating to the 6th. And this is where we first took an interest in conserving them.The flag had lain dormant for many years, deep in the bowels of the North Carolina Museum of History, in a dark storage drawer, unseen and forgotten but for a few researchers.
(Slide 5) The once proud flag of the North Carolina Grays was now fragile and fraying. The paint cracked and flaking.
Long ago, it was once lovingly hand stitched out of fine silk by the young ladies of the Cedar Fork community in Wake County, North Carolina.
(Slide 6) The State Seal was hand painted by accomplished Raleigh artist, Sophia Partridge.
(Slide 7) Presented with pride to the brothers, fathers, uncles and husbands from the Cedar Fork Community who were about to venture forth to defend their hearths and homes and their sacred State… North Carolina.
Today we gather to re-dedicate this flag to, as Col. Harrell so eloquently put it 132 years ago:
“to remain an everlasting reminder of bravery and devotion”
(Slide 8) When the threat of civil war swept through North Carolina, a young school master named Richard York suspended his classes at the Cedar Fork Academy in western Wake County.
He began to drill his pupils, forming one of the earliest militia companies in North Carolina.
Both the young boys AND the young girls enthusiastically joined in, to practice drilling.
(Slide 9) Ultimately it was the young men that would march off to fight. The young ladies, yearning to contribute something themselves, formed the Cedar Fork Soldiers Relief Society to help their young men survive the ordeal with some of the comforts of home.
A period newspaper article quoted their spokeswoman:
“We wish to do something in the defense of our country, and our desire is to render the burdens of those, whose duty it is to take a more active part in the defense of the same, as light as possible.”
Presenting the boy soldiers with “a handsome flag” to remind them that the folks at home were thinking of them was a primary stated objective of the society.
(Slide 10) On one side of the blue silk banner is a single gold star in the white canton framed with their company name “THE NORTH CAROLINA GRAYS” and the reminder “PRESENTED BY THE LADIES OF CEDAR FORK”.
(Slide 11) On the front of the flag, beneath the Canton’s hand painted State seal, was emblazoned the motto “THE OLD NORTH STATE FOREVER” to remind the boys to do their duty, even when far away from home.
(Slide 12) It was presented to the young soldiers during a day long celebration on June 1, 1861 in Morrisville, N. C.
Attended by throngs of citizens wishing to show their support, the day started with Captain York smartly drilling his men “to the satisfaction of the expectant crowd”.
Fifteen year old Miss Fanny Lyon, sister of one of the recruits, stepped forward to give a passionate speech charging them to:
“aid in the defense of our rights”
and presenting to:
“the brave sons of this vicinity, this beautiful ensign.”
Newly appointed Lieutenant, Malcus Williamson Page accepted the flag and in an equally passionate speech remarked that the sight of the flag would give them cheer and refresh their spirits. He pledged to keep the flag safe through the trials ahead.
(Slide 13) A number of other prominent local gentlemen took this opportunity to address the crowd before being dismissed to an appetizing lunch prepared by the ladies of the neighborhood that was enjoyed by all attending. The closing event was a sermon and presentation of bibles before the soldiers marched off to war under the newly acquired silken banner floating in the breeze above their heads.
(Slide 14) The North Carolina Grays became Company I of the Sixth North Carolina State Troops. They joined their new comrades at Camp Alamance, for training, in Company Shops, North Carolina. (present day Burlington, N. C.)
(Slide 16) Captain York recalled that many of the men took trunks, to carry some of the comforts of home to the battlefield.
Finding them cumbersome and unwieldy during campaigning, the trunks were eventually put into storage sometime in the fall of 1861. The flag and York’s dress uniform had been packed in his wife's borrowed Saratoga trunk. This was the last the men ever saw of this flag.
(Slide 17) At a later date, A Federal cavalry detachment chasing some Confederate “bushwhackers” came upon a cabin containing the trunks, where they had been stored by the North Carolinians when leaving their winter quarters in the spring of 1862. Upon searching the trunks, The Federal’s found and confiscated the contents including spare Confederate uniforms, underwear, linens and the barely used company flag of the “North Carolina Grays”.
(Slide 18) During the following war years, Company I and their comrades earned their nickname, “The Bloody Sixth” by becoming experienced combat veterans of nearly every campaign fought by the Army of Northern Virginia. Their precious flag was the last thing on their minds.
After the war, the men heard their trunks had fallen into the hands of the Yankees, some blaming it on the treachery of the man left in charge of their belongings.
(Slide 19) As the returning soldiers got on with their lives and the battles became distant memories, the men defended their honor by reminding any who questioned them.. that their flag was STOLEN, not captured in battle.
(Slide 20) It had become such a foggy memory that some of the post war descriptions of the flags details were now being “mis-remembered”. For example, their historian Major York described the flag in 1892 as:
“On one side the arms of North Carolina and on the other a pine tree in a coiled rattlesnake”.
He was only half right. The pine tree motif was more commonly seen on the regiments buttons.
(Slide 21) By the 1890’s the old soldiers of the Blue and Gray were beginning to reconcile their differences. On the morning of January 30, 1892, veterans of the North Carolina Grays must have been surprised to read a letter from a Yankee in their local newspaper, addressed to them.
“I am writing you this letter”
wrote Major Thomas W Higgins, of the 73rd regiment of Ohio Infantry,
“I now propose to return the flag to the survivors of the “North Carolina Greys" (sic).
Higgins explained how he was in charge of the expedition that captured the flag and has had it in his possession, adding that it is “in a tolerably good state of preservation”.
He had previously offered it to former N. C. Governor Holden at the end of the war, on the condition that “a company be raised to sustain the Union”. In the spirit of reconciliation he was now offering it without any conditions.
Higgins received a volley of letters from veterans, each directing him how to return the flag. The Chatham Record newspaper suggested in an editorial that the flag return be part of a veterans reunion.
( Slide 22) Former schoolmaster Richard York, now known as Major York, organized a committee and planned a gala reunion to bring veterans together to accept the flag.
The Governor was invited, and on October 7, 1892 over 3,000 showed up in Morrisville, N. C. to see the North Carolina Gray’s get their flag back at the same place it was originally presented to them.
The Durham-Globe reported:
“at least 800 ladies were present and over 200 Veterans were on hand wearing badges”
(Slide 23) Of the 152 men serving in the company throughout the war, only 67 were left.
When Sergeant Cannon Lunsford Williams, age 54, a wounded veteran of the Company, read Company I’s roll, only 31 members were present to answer “here”.
The newspaper reported:
“as the call proceeded. Almost every eye glistened with tears, as one after one of the original members was announced “dead“ by some friend.”
(Slide 24) The primary event of the reunion was Major Higgin’s presentation of the Flag. It was first given to Mrs. Fannie Lyon Lowe, now married to a veteran of the Sixth, who had presented the flag 31 years earlier.
She in turn presented them to the survivors of the company, represented by Lieutenant Demetrius C. Gunter.
(Slide 25) Major York, on behalf of the veterans, presented it to Colonel Harrell, the Governors representative, who proudly accepted it, remarking that it would be “tenderly placed in the State Library at Raleigh, to remain an everlasting reminder of the bravery and devotion”.
(Slide 26) Ironically, through this much publicized event the flag became better known and viewed than when it was originally presented in 1861.
The tattered relic had become a symbol of the “Lost Cause”.
Besides being on display at the North Carolina State Library, it was present at the dedication of the N. C. Confederate Veterans Memorial* on May 20, 1895 and flew over more veterans parades than it ever flew over Virginia battlefields.
(Slide 27) This silken banner is a reminder of North Carolina’s heritage:
Lovingly made by the daughters of the old North State to demonstrate their devotion…
Presented to the brave young men of their community who answered the call of their state government, many, never to return…
Proudly displayed by the state of North Carolina in the State Library and Hall of History for many many years…
(Slide 28) Today it is still as a tangible reminder of the devotion of North Carolinians who lived and died over a century and a half ago, but whose blood still runs in the veins of their descendants.
(Slide 29) Like William O’Quinn and Matt Holder, descendants of original members of the 6th North Carolina State Troops, who proudly honor their memory as historians and reenactors.
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| William O'Quinn with the Flag he helped conserve and the Ancestor that fought under it. |
(Slide 30) The North Carolina Museum of history has been a diligent steward of this flag for over a century.
Professional conservation was needed to preserve this flag for future generations.
But it is costly, which is why The Cedar Fork Rifles Preservation Society, Inc. stepped in to manage a lengthy fund raising campaign in partnership with the museum.
When local fund raising opportunities withered, the 26th North Carolina troops stepped up with a commitment to help us reach our goal of nearly $14,000.
Today marks the end of a 5 year effort to conserve and display this flag.
The veterans who gave this flag to the state wanted it to be preserved and seen as a reminder of the sacrifices of her citizens.
So do we!
(Slide 31) The 6th North Carolina State Troops Battle Flag Preservation committee wishes to Thank all the individuals, descendants, the 26th North Carolina troops, the museum and all the other donors who helped us preserve this important reminder of the sacrifices made by the North Carolinians of the 6th North Carolina State Troops over one hundred and sixty years ago.
Congratulations and THANK YOU.
Links to other Posts related to this topic:
* In June of 2020, in the wake of anti-racism civil protest in the Spring and early Summer, the statue of the N. C. Confederate memorial was illegally toppled by civil protestors. The rest of the monument was disassembled by the State of North Carolina between June 20-28, 2020 and all of the pieces removed to offsite storage. The news initially reported that the base of the monument contained a time capsule, however, this is incorrect. The monument did not contain a time capsule. The Governor of North Carolina, Cooper, also ordered the remaining Confederate monuments on the State Capitol grounds to be removed, including the Henry Lawson Wyatt monument and the monument to the Women of Confederacy which were removed to offsite storage.
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