Preserving old textiles is no easy feat, especially when
they are made of silk. My friends in the Yadkin Gray Eagles Camp, Sons of Confederate
Veterans, decided back in the fall to tackle the preservation of a company-level
Confederate silk flag now located at the North Carolina Museum of History.
The Yadkin Gray Eagles was the local designation of group of
men who enlisted in Yadkin County in May 1861, before North Carolina had even
left the Union. John K. Connally was the first captain. The Yadkin Gray Eagles
was mustered into service as Company B, 11th North Carolina Volunteers, a
designation that was changed to the 21st North Carolina Troops in 1862. The
flag was made by local women, and Miss L. M. Glenn presented the flag to the
men before they marched away. The flag resembles a First National, and on the observe
is the phrase "We Scorn the Sordid Lust of Self & Serve Our Country
For Herself."
The flag was supposedly carried throughout the war, but not
surrendered at Appomattox. Instead, it was returned to Miss Glenn. The flag was
eventually donated to the North Carolina Hall of History.
For decades, the flag had been in storage, and no one was
quite sure what to expect when it was unrolled in 2016. But the great folks at
the North Carolina Museum of History believe that it can be conserved. So many
times, the silk flags from the time period are found in little pieces.
The price tag is $30,000, far more than the cost to conserve
a bunting (wool) flag. I do not know of a web page or gofundme page, but if you
are interested in helping, please contact my friend Greg Cheek at ghcheek@earthlink.net.
To learn more, check out this article.
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