CONFEDERATE BIOGRAPHY: THE LONE STAR FLAG - Texas

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Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm

Submitted by Doris Peirce - ginlu@charter.net
1 February 2002 
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TEXANS WHO WORE THE GRAY by Sid S. Johnson 
THE LONE STAR FLAG

This bit of Texas history is being read in the newspapers of the 
country, and should be made a historical fact to be preserved.  It 
was copied as something worthy of a lasting benefit, and "Texans 
Who Wore the Gray" is a good place for it, hence it is copied: 
"The story of the origin of the Lone Star flag of Texas is one of 
the most beautiful in the annals of American history.  A beautiful 
young girl, Miss Joanna Troutman, of Knoxville, Ga., inspired a 
number of her admirers to join a company then forming for the 
purpose of going to Texas, to help the Americans fight for their 
independence.  Cathching the fire of her patriotism, a number of 
these adventurous young men enlisted under William Ward, of Macon,
Ga., and prepared for the long journey overland to Texas.

Miss Troutman made for them a silk flag.  A lone star of five points 
in azure on either side of it, with the inscription on one side 
"Liberty or Death," and on the other, "Ub libertas habitat, ibi 
nostra patria est",  'where liberty dwells, there is my country.'  
This flag she presented through Lieutenant Hugh McLeod, and it 
was borne to Texas at the head of the Georgia battalion.  This 
company of gallant men rendered yeoman service in the struggle 
for Texas liberty, and the Lone Star flag was at once thier guide 
and inspiration.  It was carried through various vicissitudes until 
it reached Goliad, the scene of some of the bitterest fighting in 
that fierce conflict.  Here the flag was inadvertently destroyed.  
It became, however, the basis from which the flag of Texas was 
adopted, the original flag made by Miss Troutman being only slightly 
altered.  In recognition of her services in this important matter, 
General Rusk sent Miss Troutman the handsome silver service 
captured at the battle of San Jacinto, from Santa Anna, the Mexican 
commander.  This silver service Miss Troutman's daughter in law, 
Mrs. H. L. Pope, of Tuskegee, Alabama, now owns.  This latter day 
lady, now well advanced in years, tells for the Passing Show the 
story of the making of the Lone Star flag.

Thus it will be seen that the insignia of the young republic was the t
ribute of spontaneous female patriotism, rendered glorious by the 
success of the revolution.  It was afterwards modified and adopted 
by the Texas congress as follows:  First, by act of December 10, 1836, 
the national standard of Texas  "Azure ground, with a large golden 
star central; and national flag for the national service, as adopted 
by the president (Hon. Davis R. Burnett) at Harrisburg, on the 9th of 
April, 1836, the conformation of which is union blue, star central, 
and 13 stripes alternate red and white."  This act was amended 
January 25, 1839, as follows:  "National arms, white star of five 
points on azure ground, encircled by olive and live oak branches.  
National flag, blue perpendicular stripes, with one third of the 
whole, white star of five points in the center, and two horizontal 
stripe of equal width, upper white and lower red."