Fulton-Gwinnett-Hall County GaArchives News.....Veteran James R. Stringer September 30, 1901
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Linda Blum-Barton http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00003.html#0000645 April 9, 2006, 9:21 pm

The Semi-Weekly Journal, Atlanta, GA. September 30, 1901
The man who saved the flag at the Soldiers' Home Monday during the 
conflagration at that place is James R. Stringer, formerly of Buford, who 
entered the Soldiers' Home on July 27th.

Mr. Stringer was a member of the Forty-first Georgia regiment, which was in 
Stovall's brigade during the civil war.

The flag he saved he now has.  He carried it around with him and it was seen by 
hundreds of Atlantians today.  Before thinking of his personal property before 
attempting to call the inmates of the building to a place of safety, Mr. 
Stringer thought of the Confederate flag, under which he passed numbers of 
times, everyday.  He took it from its place over the door and carried it 
outside the building.  There he secured it just before starting to the city, 
and he now has it at Thompson's hotel.

Next day he said:  "When the fire first started I first went to the front door 
and took down the flag we were all so proud of.  After placing it where the 
smoke and cinders could not hurt it, I went back into the building and took out 
my bed and a few personal effects I had.  After carrying these to where the 
flag was I again went back in and carried out George Lackey, of Atlanta, on my 
back.  He was suffering with paralysis, and was in the room that had been named 
for Mrs. Joseph E. Brown.  I want to say that, although Comrade Lackey has been 
in great pain, I have not heard him complain even once.

"I then took out Robert Griffith, of Hall county, and carried him to a place of 
safety.  By that time the fire had spread to such an extent that it was 
dangerous to go into the building again.  Everybody had been taken out and we 
sat on the hill and watched the fire.

"I was to say just one word more.  The confederate soldiers of the south, of 
Georgia especially,a nd their friends will never forget what The Journal has 
done for us.  We had splendid quarters last night, everybody was comfortable 
and we were given excellent food.  For a time we did not know where we were 
going until it was announced that The Journal had rented a hotel for us." 

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