Response to the Mayor of Richmond

Recently, the Mayor of Richmond issued the following statement when asked about the RVA Flag Site:

"I'm not looking to refight battles of the past and am not interested in symbols that divide Richmond. I'm interested in promoting symbols that unite people and would rather rally around the American flag than one that divides so many in our city. I encourage all Richmonders to do the same."

When asked for a response, we issued the following:

"In response to the statement issued by Mayor Jones, we wholeheartedly agree. We also are not looking to re-fight the battles of the past. If we were simply allowed to honor our Confederate Veterans in the manner in which we choose, there would be no "re-fighting" in Richmond, at all. Our battles are all defensive...in defense of the honor and good name of our ancestors, and against actions taken to dishonor them and desecrate their monuments and memorials.

"We, too, are interested in symbols that unite, and believe that the history of ALL Richmond residents should be included in the City's commemorations and remembrances. We also have no issue with encouraging Richmonders to "rally around the American flag", especially since the Confederate flag IS an American flag, as Confederate Soldiers are American Veterans by Act of the U.S. Congress, (http://www.veteranstoday.com/2013/04/03/confederate-soldiers-american-veterans-by-act-of-congress/)

"As such, the Confederate Flag, which brave Virginians carried into battle in defense of the Commonwealth, should be offered the same respect as the U.S. Flag."

Jimmy Jones, Va Flaggers

VMFA Update 9/25/2013

As fall makes its way to the Capital of the Confederacy, the Virginia Flaggers approach the anniversary which will mark two years of Flagging the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.  For the past two years, Flaggers have stood vigil outside of the museum at least TWICE a week, forwarding the colors, educating the public, and protesting the forced removal of Confederate flags from the portico of the Confederate Memorial Chapel.  Along the way, we have brought national attention to the situation at the Chapel, and have once again made Confederate Flags a common, even expected part of the landscape in Richmond, ALL in an effort to make sure the honor and valor of the Confederate soldier is NOT forgotten!

Thursday, September 19th saw 16 Flaggers gathered on the Boulevard.  The weather was beautiful and foot and auto traffic was heavy, allowing many opportunities to share the truth about the Confederate Veteran, and the flags under which he fought and died.  As is usually the case, the overwhelming majority of those we spoke with agreed that the flags SHOULD be returned to the Chapel.

 

Our next flagging will be TONIGHT, Thursday, September 26th, 3:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.  We encourage all of you within driving distance to join us, and be a part of those fighting the good fight on the front line.

If you cannot be there, we hope you will take a moment to provide support to the Flaggers by calling the VMFA and asking them to return the Confederate Battle Flags to the Confederate Memorial Chapel.  Tell them that the Veterans who lived and died on the grounds of the Old Soldiers home deserve honor and respect, not contempt and disdain.  Call (804) 340-1400 and file a complaint. The Va Flaggers, like our fathers before us, are determined to stand for what is right!  Please make a phone call...and support us wherever you are!

This weekend is a JAM PACKED one for the Va Flaggers.  Following the dedication and raising of the I-95 Battle Flag on Saturday, and at the request of those traveling to join us, we will hold a special flagging of the VMFA.  We want to make sure that museum officials know that even though we have other projects in the works, we WILL NOT forget our commitment to the men of the Old Soldier's home.  We will be flagging the VMFA Saturday, September 28th from 2:00 p.m - 5:00 p.m. and are looking for many folks to join us for the first time.

The Va Flagger Picnic on Sunday will wrap up the weekend with a time of fellowship and celebration.  Please join us for any or all of these events!

RETURN the flags!
RESTORE the honor!

Grayson Jennings
Va Flaggers











UPCOMING EVENTS:

Thursday, September 26th:  Flagging the VMFA, 200 N. Boulevard, 3:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 28th:   I-95 RVA Battle Flag Flag Raising/Dedication, 10:00 a.m.  Chesterfield, VA., contact info@vaflaggers.com for directions/more information

Saturday, September 28th:  Flagging the VMFA, 200 N. Boulevard, 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Sunday, September 29th :  Va Flaggers 2nd Anniversary Celebration/Picnic, 3:00 p.m., Mechanicsville Moose Lodge Pavillion, 716 Flag Lane, Mechanicsville, VA 23111.  Va Flaggers will provide the main dish and drinks.  Please bring a side dish and RSVP to info@vaflaggers.com.  ALL ARE INVITED TO JOIN US!

Thursday, November 7th:  Susan will be speaking at the November meeting of the Jackson Rangers, Camp #1917, SCV, Jackson County NC.  The meeting is at 6:00 p.m., and is held at the Barker's Creek Community Center.

Saturday, November 9th:  2:00 p.m. Flag rededication at the NC Museum of History, Raleigh, NC

Friday, January 18th - Saturday, January 19th:  Lee-Jackson State Holiday/Flagging/Memorial Events, Lexington, Va

Saturday, February 1st:  Susan will travel to Statesboro, GA to speak at the Lee-Jackson Banquet, held by the Ogeechee Rifles, Camp #941, SCV.  RJ's Restaurant, 454 South Main St. (US 301 S.) @ 6 pm for the meal, preliminaries @ 7 pm and the program immediately following.  Seating limited to 125.  Ticket information forthcoming at a later date.

Saturday, February 22nd:  Susan will be speaking at the February meeting of the Rev. Beverly Tucker Lacy Camp #2141, SCV, Fredericksburg, VA.  4:00 p.m., Perkins Restaurant, 10 Simpson Rd.

April 19, 2014:  Susan will be traveling to Quincy, FL to speak at the Confederate Memorial Day Service at the Soldier's Cemetery, sponsored by the Finley's Brigade, SCV.

Contributions to the I-95 Battle Flag project may be mailed to:
Va Flaggers
P.O. Box 547
Sandston VA 23150

Payable to Va Flaggers

or through PayPal:
http://www.vaflaggers.com/i95flagdonate.html

Virginia Flaggers' 2nd Anniversary Family Picnic

Plans are being finalized for the I-95 RVA Battle Flag Raising/Dedication/Memorial Service, which is scheduled for Saturday, September 28 at 10:00 a.m. in the Bermuda Hundred area of Chesterfield County.  More details will follow this weekend.  We hope you will attend.

The following day, Sunday September 29th, we will celebrate the occasion AND our 2nd Anniversary with a family picnic.  Attached, please find a flyer invitation, in both PDF and word documents.

Please forward to anyone you think may be interested in attending and RSVP to info@vaflaggers.com as soon as possible

Y’all come!

__________________________

Va Flaggers 2nd Anniversary Celebration and Family Picnic

Join us as we celebrate TWO YEARS of forwarding the colors, defending our Heritage and flags, honoring our Confederate ancestors, and changing hearts and minds!

   Who:  ANYONE who has ever flagged with us…supported us…is considering joining us...  wants to know what we are all about… or just wants to enjoy a Confederate friendly good time on a Sunday afternoon!
   When:  Sunday, September 29      
   Time:  3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – Dinner served at 5:00
   Where:  At the Mechanicsville Moose Lodge picnic grounds, 7167 Flag Lane,  Mechanicsville, VA 23111.
   Bring:  Your family and friends, a chair or two, a side dish...and of course, your CONFEDERATE FLAGS!

The Va Flaggers will provide BBQ from Carter’s Pigpen, drinks, live blue grass music, a look back on our first year, and a peek at what we have planned for the future! 

Please share this invitation with your family and friends, and RSVP to info@vaflaggers.com with a head count  as soon as possible.

Facebook event here…  http://www.facebook.com/events/249895068464717/

Susan Hathaway
Va Flaggers











Contributions to the I-95 Battle Flag project may be mailed to:
Va Flaggers
P.O. Box 547
Sandston VA 23150

Payable to Va Flaggers
or through PayPal:
http://www.vaflaggers.com/i95flagdonate.html

A Flag By Any Other Name...

There has been some discussion/speculation about the unusual lay out of the stars on the RVA I-95 Battle Flag. The flag, made especially for the RVA site, and special ordered weeks ago, is a replica of an Army of Northern Virginia, 3rd bunting issue battle flag. More info here... http://www.confederate-flags.org/army%20of%20northern%20virginia-2.html

Photo:  5th Alabama Infantry, Source:  http://www.alabamaheritage.com/Issues/issue71.htm

I-95 Battle Flag Projects Supporter Sandy Kendall eloquently expressed his feelings about the flag chosen...

"Let me tell you why the ANV Battle Flag is Historically Accurate and what it means to me and my family now living in South Carolina.

In 1647 the seed to my Ancestral Links was Col. William Kendall who was not in the first ship that landed at York Town, Va. , but he was definitely in the second or third ship and after a short stay at York Town moved to Colonial Williamsburg where he became the First Chairman of the Virginia House of Burgess. Here he lived and raised a family. He and his sons and there sons and daughters carved the Colony of Virginia out of the Wilderness. They fought the Indians and the British under George Washington. The family continued to grow and migrated further into Virginia and the Land known as the "Old Dominion" .

Their sons fought the British again with Richard Lee to defend Washington, DC during the war of 1812. The family grew a d migrated again into what was to become North Carolina, Maryland and Pennsylvania. When the Tyrant Lincoln chose to send armed troops into the waters of Charleston, SC and ignored the Constitution by Suspending the Writ of Habias Corpus , implementing Martiall Law, and Nullified the Fist and Second Amendments, the Grandsons of the Virginians revolted and fought with Robert E. Lee. The family had spread throughout the South , to the Carolinas , Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas. When the Union invaded Virginia and sent troops to attack Richmond , the Capital of the New Confederacy, her President Jefferson Davis called for troops from every state in the Confederacy. The combined troops under General Beauregard were formed into the Army of Northern Virginia . A new flag was needed for the Battlefield for these soldiers as the First National Flag of the Confederacy looked to much like the Union Flag from a distance . Therefore General Beauregard ordered a new flag that was so brilliant that it stood out and was easily recognized and No one would have any trouble in knowing what soldiers were under this flag.

The flag had to be designed to be resistive to weather conditions so the flag was reduced to a square 4 ft X 4 ft flag with an Inch and a half Border known as Bunting. The flag also bore the cross of St Andrew the Patron Saint of Scotland for reason of his known defiance and stand against Tyranny. The Thirteen stars were added , one for each of the Thirteen States or Territories of the Confederacy. This Flag was to be known as the Soldiers Battle Flag of the Army of Northern Virginia and it represented further the unity of the Confederate States which had all sent their sons to Virginia to defend the Honor of their families unified under this most unique and distinctive Flag.

My family had members from each of those states fighting under this square ANV Battle Flag and many of them died on Virginia Soil to defend it. My ancestors from every Southern State shed their blood into the soil of VIRGINIA. We shall never forget them nor shall we forsake their sacred memory .

FOR ONCE WE WERE ALL VIRGINIANS . Thanks be to God."

Thank you, Sandy. We wholeheartedly agree.  Although we would believe that ALL Confederate flags are honorable and worthy of display, we thought it appropriate that our first project, in the heart of the Commonwealth, should showcase the flag of the ANV.   LEST WE FORGET!

Susan Hathaway
Va Flaggers

Commemorating the Birth of the Confederate Battle Flag

"When the Confederate Army of the Shenandoah, under Joseph E. Johnston, and the Confederate Army of the Potomac, under Pierre G. T. Beauregard, met Union forces at the First Battle of Manassas on July 21, 1861, their troops flew an assortment of flags, both state and national. (States' rights was a founding principle of the Confederacy and influenced the attachment many units had to their state flags. Some Virginia and North Carolina soldiers refused to fly anything but their state flags.) The Stars and Bars' resemblance to the U.S. flag, combined with similarities between the two sides' uniforms and the general confusion of battle, contributed to an incident at First Manassas in which Confederate forces fired on a Confederate infantry brigade commanded by Jubal A. Early. Shortly after, Johnston and Beauregard resolved to establish a new, sufficiently distinctive flag for their troops, and they consulted one of Beauregard's aides, the same William Miles who had opposed the original flag in the first place.

Miles resurrected what had been his preference for the national flag, a design of his own that featured a blue saltire, or X shape, with a white border and white stars (again, one for each state) on a field of red. The Committee on the Flag and Seal had rejected it the first time, suggesting that it looked "like a pair of suspenders," and now the members rejected it again. Johnston and Beauregard decided to use it anyway, with Beauregard proposing to Johnston two Confederate flags: "a peace or parade flag, and a war flag to be used only on the field of battle." This second flag, the so-called battle flag, would be the one Miles designed, and the two generals and their lieutenants met at Fairfax Court House in September 1861 to work out the details. At Johnston's urging, a square design was adopted, and each branch of the army was assigned a different size: forty-eight inches square for infantry, thirty-six inches square for artillery, and thirty inches square for cavalry." - Encyclopedia Virginia

152 years later, the Virginia Flaggers marked the occasion of the birth of the Confederate Battle Flag, THE SOLDIERS' FLAG, by displaying the 15x15 ANV Battle Flag that will be raised September 28th at the RVA I-95 Flag Site, on the steps of the Virginia State Capitol.

LEST WE FORGET!

Contributions to the I-95 Battle Flag project may be mailed to:

Va Flaggers
P.O. Box 547
Sandston VA 23150

Payable to Va Flaggers

or through PayPal:
http://www.vaflaggers.com/i95flagdonate.html

Grayson Jennings

Va Flaggers

 

Virginian In Exile Sends Support to Flaggers In the Commonwealth

Letter from I-95 Flag Supporter:

"To the heroic Virginia Flaggers,

I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to your for every effort you make on behalf our heritage and people. Every few days I see something new about your work and your courage. As a fellow Virginian, my heart aches to be with you. The time is drawing near when I shall return to our beloved Commonwealth, and at that time I hope to be able to aid you with my own volunteer service. Until then, please accept this cheque in the spirit that it is given: the deepest love for our beautiful Virginia and the bond of brotherhood which unites us. I only regret that I cannot presently send more.

May God bless and protect each an every one of you. You are all in my heart and prayers."

Douglas B.
MN

Photo, Library of Congress : Unidentified soldier in Confederate uniform of Co. E, "Lynchburg Rifles," 11th Virginia Infantry Volunteers holding 1841 "Mississippi" rifle, Sheffield-type Bowie knife, canteen, box knapsack, blanket roll, and cartridge box

A Southern Woman's Birthright

"I had a right to my own political opinions. I am a Southern woman, born with Revolutionary blood in my veins. Freedom of speech and of thought were my birthright, guaranteed, signed and sealed by the blood of our fathers." - Rose O'Neal Greenhow, August 23, 1861

Photo courtesy of I-95 Battle Flag Supporter R. Bacon

Susan Hathaway
Va Flaggers
 

 

Dick Poplar Day and a Visit to Florida

It was a VERY busy weekend for the Virginia Flaggers...

Saturday, morning, in Petersburg, Va Flaggers attended the "Dick Poplar Day" memorial service at Memorial Hill in Blandford Church Cemetery.  15 Flaggers attended , serving on the Edmund Ruffin FireEaters Camp #3000 SCV Color Guard, participating in the wreath laying ceremony, and attending as guests. 

"Dick Poplar , a Black Confederate, had been a caterer at the Bollingbrook Hotel in Petersburg, Virginia where his cornmeal creations were said to be unequaled.  He took his culinary genius to war with some Confederate fighting units and was captured at Gettysburg.  Sent to Point Lookout Prisoner of War Camp, he was put under special pressure to desert the Southern Cause and take the oath of allegiance to the United States, but he treated oppressors with cold contempt.  He declared himself "a Jeff Davis man" and said he didn't care who heard him say so.  He endured almost twenty months of life in one of the three very worst prisoner of war camps of the war, selling his famous pones to the other prisoners.  He returned to Petersburg after the war, and became a celebrated local figure and prospered. Upon his death he was buried with full Confederate honors as befitting a loyal Son of the South."

More information here:  http://www.craterroad.com/richardpoplar.html

More photos here:  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.273485582776734.1073741931.186485551476738&type=1

LATER THAT AFTERNOON...

14 Flaggers gathered on the Boulevard in the Capital of The Confederacy, forwarding the colors and protesting the forced removal of Confederate Battle Flags from the Confederate Memorial Chapel on the ground of the Old Soldiers Home.





Huge crowds and beautiful early weather meant MANY, MANY chances for conversations with citizens, and MANY, MANY opportunities to educate about our flags, our ancestors, and the continued desecration of the Confederate War Memorial Chapel by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.  The Flaggers reported that almost everyone they talked with, as usual, agreed that the Confederate Battle Flags SHOULD be returned to the Confederate War Memorial Chapel.

 

More photos here:  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.273491612776131.1073741932.186485551476738&type=1

MEANWHILE, IN TAMPA...

Susan was spending Saturday speaking to members and guests of the Augusta Jane Evans Wilson Chapter #2640, United Daughters of the Confederacy, in Temple Terrace, FL.  It was a great time of sharing and fellowship, making new friends, visiting old ones, and raising awareness for Confederate Heritage Defense issues.  Susan was inspired by the support and appreciation she received, and very grateful for  the warm hospitality and welcome from those in attendance, including many members of the Judah P. Benjamin Camp # 2210, Sons of Confederate Veterans.  .





ALL THE WHILE...

Site work continued at the I-95 RVA Battle Flag site, in preparation for the September 28th Flag Raising/Dedication/Memorial Service.  The service is on schedule for 10:00 a.m., and details will be forthcoming this week.

PLEASE make plans to join us for the weekend of 9/28 - 9/29, as we paint RVA Confederate Red!
Saturday, September 28, 10:00 a.m.  I-95 RVA Battle Flag Dedication/Raising
Saturday, September 28, 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. - Flagging the VMFA
Sunday, September 29, 3:00 p.m. - Va Flaggers' 2nd Anniversary Celebration/Family Picnic - Mechanicsville Moose Lodge

Grayson Jennings
Va Flaggers



Contributions to the I-95 Battle Flag project may be mailed to:

Va Flaggers
P.O. Box 547
Sandston VA 23150

OR Donate here:
http://www.vaflaggers.com/i95flagdonate.html


UPCOMING EVENTS:

Thursday, September 19th:  Flagging the VMFA, 200 N. Boulevard, 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, September 21st:  Flagging the VMFA, 200 N. Boulevard, NOON - 4:00 p.m.

Saturday, September 28th:  SAVE THE DATE, I-95 Battle Flag Flag Raising/Dedication, 10:00 a.m.  Chesterfield, VA.

Sunday, September 29th :  SAVE THE DATE,  Va Flaggers 2nd Anniversary Celebration/Picnic, 3:00 p.m., Mechanicsville Moose Lodge Pavillion, 716 Flag Lane, Mechanicsville, VA 23111.  Va Flaggers will provide the main dish and drinks.  Please bring a side dish and RSVP to info@vaflaggers.com.  ALL ARE INVITED TO JOIN US! 

April 19, 2014:  Susan will be traveling to Quincy, FL to speak at the Confederate Memorial Day Service at the Soldier's Cemetery, sponsored by the Finley's Brigade, SCV.

Fight Like Forrest, Not Sherman

Over the weekend, one of the Anti-Confederate Bloggers took his campaign of hate against the Va Flaggers to a new low, when he made my private employment information public by posting it on the world wide web, then tweeting the information along with false accusation to my employer, anti-Confederate agitators in the Richmond area, and our local press.

Almost immediately, I was overwhelmed by the incredible show of support from friends, Flaggers, and folks I have never met, from both North and South of the Mason-Dixon Line. I cannot adequately express my appreciation for the encouragement, offers of assistance, and willingness to help.

Some of the offers came by way of wanting to repay him and other Bloggers in like kind, by posting their information and encouraging others to do the same. I want to take this opportunity to express that I am adamant in not wanting ANYONE in our movement to ever do such a thing. Disagreeing with someone is one thing, and we have every right (a duty, even) to defend our honor, but publishing information that could very possibly affect one’s livelihood, and therefore their ability to care for their families and fulfill their obligations, is not something I want to EVER be a part of.

Unlike our enemies, WE have truth, honor, and right on our side and do not need to sink to unethical and immoral tactics in order to gain victory.

In my humble opinion, the best thing we can do to neutralize those who attack us with no provocation is to stay focused on our Cause and continue the good work that has been started. With every flag that is raised, returned, or added to the landscape, we win a victory for the Confederate Veterans who fought and died under them…and when THEY are not the focus of our efforts, our efforts truly are in vain.

Our heritage is under attack in ways that even our parents and Grandparents would have never imagined. The time has come for Southerners to stand in defense of our Confederate ancestors and against those who would desecrate their honor and memory.

I have no doubt that victory will be ours, even in the midst of this latest assault. I may not know what lies ahead, and I am certain there will be many more such attempts to stop us, but I know one thing is for sure…I’m determined to stand, fight, and never back down...but I'm gonna fight like Forrest…NOT Sherman.

Susan Hathaway
Virginia Flaggers

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done..." Genesis 50:20

McKinley Visits Atlanta

In 1898, 34 years after Sherman’s army burned Atlanta to the ground, a Union veteran visited the city. The veteran addressed the Georgia legislature, praising the valor of the Confederate dead and offering federal aid in the care of their graves. Georgia rose up to welcome him and with Georgia the whole South. It was a magnificent gesture by President William McKinley, who had been a teenager at Sharpsburg. The scene has been recreated by biographer Margaret Leech in her book,  In the Days of McKinley:

"He sprang to his feet when the band played 'Dixie' and waved his hat above his head. He reviewed the marching ranks of gray-clad troops....His voice was fervent as he said that the old disagreements had faded into history and the nation would remain indivisible forever. Gen. Joe Wheeler often stood beside the president, swelling the ovation by his immense popularity."

My friends, if this veteran of four years of fighting could stand out of respect for the flag of his foes, why is it a problem 115 years later?
 
Susan Hathaway
Va Flaggers 

(as shared by Al Perry)

Virginia Flaggers Celebrate Second Anniversary

September marks the second anniversary of the Virginia Flaggers, and we enter our 24th month of Flagging the VMFA with new, nationwide attention focused on the forced removal of Confederate Battle Flags from the Confederate Memorial Chapel in Richmond,  The news of the I-95 Battle Flag Project, and the media frenzy that has ensued has meant that MANY MANY people are hearing about the desecration of the Chapel for the first time!

It has also meant new recruits on the Boulevard, and we welcome the chance to join with more and more folks who have decided to take a stand in the face of the growing attacks against our heritage.

Saturday, August 31st was a warm day, but still found 12 Flaggers on the Boulevard, forwarding the colors and standing in protest of the VMFA.  Foot traffic was reported a bit slow, but plenty of flags were flying in the breeze to replace those removed from the Chapel.  A supporter from Chesapeake stopped by to bring a donation for the I-95 Battle Flag Projects, and offer his support for  our efforts.

Another warm afternoon greeted Va Flaggers on Thursday, September 5th, where a half dozen Flaggers held the line in front of the VMFA.  Temps reached 94 degrees, and winds were low, but the Flaggers stood strong and helped educate both Richmond residents and visitors about our Confederate Veterans and the flags they fought and died beneath.

The weather cooled off a bit for Flagging on Saturday, September 7th.  Once again, a dozen Flaggers gathered, and this time conversations were plentiful, including a woman and her son who were visiting from Missouri.  As is the case with most folks we talk with, they were very supportive of our efforts.

More photos here:  https://www.facebook.com/JudyPSmithPhotography

Grayson Jennings
Va Flaggers








Contributions to the I-95 Battle Flag project may be mailed to:
Va Flaggers
P.O. Box 547
Sandston VA 23150

OR Donate here:
http://www.vaflaggers.com/i95flagdonate.html

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Tuesday, September 11th:  Flagging the VMFA, 200 N. Boulevard, 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, September 14th:  Flagging the VMFA, 200 N. Boulevard, NOON - 4:00 p.m.

Saturday, September 14th:  Susan will be traveling to Tampa, FL to speak at the September meeting of the Augusta Jane Evans Wilson Chapter #2640, UDC, Antonio's Past Grill, 11401 N. 56th St., Temple Terrace, FL, 10:45 a.m.

Saturday, September 28th:  SAVE THE DATE, I-95 Battle Flag Flag Raising/Dedication, 10:00 a.m.  Chesterfield, VA.

Sunday, September 29th:  SAVE THE DATE,  Va Flaggers 2nd Anniversary Celebration/Picnic, 3:00 p.m., Mechanicsville Moose Lodge Pavillion, 7167 Flag Lane, Mechanicsville, VA 23111.  Va Flaggers will provide the main dish and drinks.  Please bring a side dish and RSVP to info@vaflaggers.com.  ALL ARE INVITED TO JOIN US! 

April 19, 2014:  Susan will be traveling to Quincy, FL to speak at the Confederate Memorial Day Service at the Soldier's Cemetery, sponsored by the Finley's Brigade, SCV.

VMFA Talking Points Debunked: Myth #1

Almost two years after the Va Flaggers began their campaign to RETURN the flags and RESTORE the honor to the Confederate Memorial Chapel , officials at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) are STILL offering the same talking points that they released then, all of which have been thoroughly debunked and refuted.  As we have in several meetings with Museum officials, we offer the facts here, one at a time,  for your information:

BOGUS "TALKING POINT" #1:  

VMFA:  “Archival documents show that no flags were flown on the Chapel in the late 1800’s.  An illustration published in the Richmond Dispatch in 1896 that depicts the Camp shows only one flag being flown on the property, the U.S. Flag”

Va Flaggers:  There are many photographs showing the Soldiers raising and lowering a Confederate Battle Flag on the grounds of the Old Soldier’s home, and many others of the Confederate Battle Flag flying.  To choose a single sketch drawing, where the artist may/may not have taken artistic liberties, from a single day in time and claim that the decision was based on that information is obviously grasping at straws.

History is made at a moment in time.  Tradition is made over a continuation of time.  The Chapel does have a historical tradition of flying two Confederate Battle Flags, from 1993 – 2010.  Added to that 17 year period is the time from 1884-1941 when the soldiers themselves flew a 10x10 Confederate Battle Flag from the Lee Camp pole for 57 years, making a grand total of 74 years in which the Confederate Battle Flag has had a presence in Confederate Memorial Park. 

TriPp Lewis

Va Flaggers

Report From the Front Line! Flagging the VMFA 9-7-2013

Virginia Flaggers report from the front line! 

10 Flaggers are on the ground and forwarding the colors in the Capital of the Confederacy.

Beautiful weather...and plenty of folks stopping by and eager to hear about the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts' desecration of the Confederate Memorial Chapel. 

Defending the heritage...and changing hearts and minds!

It's not too late to join the Flaggers...and stand with them in defense of our ancestors and the flags under which they fought and died.

Even if you can't make it, you can be part of ground support! Call the Museum NOW! Ask them about the Flaggers and why they are out on the sidewalk. Tell them you agree that the Confederate Battle Flags should be returned to the portico of the Confederate Memorial Chapel! 

Tell them to RETURN the flags and RESTORE the honor!

Call NOW! (804) 340-1405

Grayson Jennings
Va Flaggers

In Memorium - Lest We Forget!

Note received with donation to I-95 Battle Flag projects...

"I got notice that y'all had finalized a lease for OUR flag on I-95! Congratulations!!

Please accept this small amount to help with the project or whatever you may need it for."

Chris H.
Great-Great-Great Grandson of 
James D. Spencer, Co. F, 3rd Va Cavalry. IN HIS MEMORY!

Contributions to the I-95 Battle Flag projects may be mailed to
Va Flaggers
P.O. Box 547
Sandston VA 23150

Payable to Va Flaggers

or through PayPal:
http://www.vaflaggers.com/i95flagdonate.html

TriPp Lewis
Va Flaggers

Compromise Is Not An Option

We heard today that one of the Floggers has recently had a change of heart and has suggested a compromise for the flying of a Confederate Flag on the grounds of Confederate Memorial Park, now desecrated by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA). Apparently, another Flogger has chimed in, chiding us for “refusing to support a compromise offered”.

Refusing to support a compromise?

FIRST of all, we have never heard of this “offer”, as we do not read the garbage posted on these hate-filled blogs, so we did not “refuse” anything.

SECONDLY, neither of these amateur historians/bloggers speaks for the VMFA, that we know of, so NEITHER of them has the authority to “offer” anything... especially from their homes in MASSACHUSETTS and ARIZONA!

THIRDLY, even if there was an ACTUAL offer made by folks who are ACTUALLY authorized, we would ABSOLUTELY refuse compromise in any way, shape or form. The ONLY thing that will end the Flagging of the VMFA, is for the Confederate Battle Flags to be returned to the portico of the Confederate Memorial Chapel. NO compromise! NO retreat!

FINALLY, if these Floggers had any idea of what is going on in the Capital of the Confederacy, they would know that their “compromise” suggestion is as irrelevant as their attempt to insert themselves into our endeavors, since research by the Va Flaggers has determined that the Anti-Confederate behavior by the VMFA is not limited to the removal of the Battle Flags from the Chapel. In a March 31, 2010 meeting of the Executive Committee of the Board Trustees, the following motion was made...and carried UNANIMOUSLY...

“Motion: proposed by Mr. Moore and seconded by Mrs. Goode that the Museum is opposed to flying the Confederate Battle Flag or any of its derivatives on the Museum property. Motion carried unanimously.”

Yep… that’s a motion opposing ANY derivative of a Confederate Flag ANYWHERE on museum property. This is particularly egregious when you consider that the "Museum Property" they speak of is actually is located on Confederate Memorial Park, as specified in an agreement between the State of Virginia and the United Confederate Veterans.

Complete meeting minutes can be found here: http://www.vaflaggers.com/mins03312010.pdf

~ Grayson Jennings
   Va Flaggers



"I hold concession or compromise to be fatal. If we concede an inch, concession would follow concession — compromise would follow compromise, until our ranks would be so broken that effectual resistance would be impossible." John C. Calhoun

I-95 Battle Flag Memorial Donations: 22nd Va Infantry

MANY of the contributions towards the I-95 Battle Flag project are coming in with designations to honor the donors' ancestors.  We are thrilled to receive this information, as it adds an even more personal connection to the memorial...

Tonight we are recognizing the donation to the I-95 Battle Flag Project by Terry Mccallister, of WV, in memory and honor of:

Pvt. William H. Tucker Co A, 22nd Va Inf.

The unit was led by Col. George S. Patton III, (pictured), a graduate of  the VMI Class of 1852, and grandfather of the George S. Patton of WWII fame.

LEST WE FORGET! 

Contributions to the I-95 Battle Flag project may be mailed to
Va Flaggers
P.O. Box 547
Sandston VA 23150

Payable to Va Flaggers

or through PayPal:
http://www.vaflaggers.com/i95flagdonate.html

Our Time is NOW!

Practically since the moment the Va Flaggers hit the sidewalk two years ago, our efforts, and many of us personally, have been the subject of numerous attacks from a group of bloggers/amateur historians who are apparently twisted up in knots over the fact that there are folks who are willing to push back against their Anti-Confederate agenda. For some time, they have had control over the message and how the WBTS was “interpreted”…i.e…”It was all about slavery, Confederates are traitors, all Southerners are racists, etc…” Their smear campaign against us has been entirely unsuccessful, as our movement has grown by leaps and bounds, and Southerners all across the U.S. are standing up and shouting “NO MAS” to the lies and distortions directed at our ancestors. 

Recently, the news of the I-95 Battle Flag project has ratcheted up the attacks. Numerous blog posts were made claiming everything from laws being broken at the flag site to dead bodies being disturbed by the installation of the flag pole. There have been many false reports to our local media, attempting (unsuccessfully) to have them chase wild leads and discredit us. One media outlet actually took the bait on one of these “tips” , and reported that the flag was “being assembled” last week. This was, of course, news to us, since it hasn’t arrived yet, and as far as we know, comes “no assembly required.” The (completely unsubstantiated) report that aired gave new meaning to the phrase “don’t believe everything you read and hear in the press.”

A few days ago, a blogger posted a photo of a group posing with our banner before the Heritage Rally parade in Richmond in January of 2012. In the photo, standing with the Flaggers is a young man that they label a “white supremacist” and each of the heretofore mentioned bloggers have submitted posts attempting to link him and his activities outside of that parade, with us.

Of course, any claims that our group has any connection to anything other than heritage defense are completely false, and part of what is clearly a desperate attempt to create a controversy where none exists, in order to thwart our efforts. A comment from the source who “leaked” the so-called “connection” is very telling:

                    "Well, they should be scared of us, we win at this game, always have and always will.
We would like to help put a stop to this flag going up, but we need a little assistance."

Apparently, the assistance to "put a stop to this flag going up" he sought and received was in the form of folks scanning the internet for hours trying to find SOMETHING… ANYTHING… to attempt to smear us and damage our credibility. After two years, and HUNDREDS of flaggings, the best they could come up with was a single photo of a group of people who gathered to march in a parade, some 18 months ago.

Many people, having watched this obscene drama unfold on these blogs, have asked us if we know what drives these folks to the point of obsession. We contend that those of us who were raised in the honorable and principled tradition of our noble ancestors could never fathom to understand the hate and animosity that motivates this kind of behavior.

One of the most offensive claims is that the Va Flaggers have ever participated in or somehow condoned the flagging of a place of worship and/or Civil Rights Memorial.  This is utter and complete nonsense and nothing that we have ever done, nor will we ever consider doing so in the future.  PERIOD. 

The Virginia Flaggers have not changed our message since September 5, 2011. Everything we do is to honor the memory of the Confederate soldier, and to stand against those who would desecrate our memorials and dishonor our veterans. Unlike these Floggers, there is no part of what we do that is related in any way to any kind of hate or intolerance. It has always puzzled us that those who shout “intolerance” the loudest, are typically the most intolerant among us, and that is particularly true in this case.

The positive side to all of this media attention, a large part of which we (ironically) owe to the constant attention from these bloggers, is that we have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support that we have received. It seems that there are MANY, MANY people, both north and south of the Mason-Dixon line who are fed up with the PC attempts to completely eliminate our flags and monuments, and with them the memory of the Confederate soldier, from the public venue.  We are thrilled at the number of Compatriots “rallying around the flag", and offering support for the project, often in memory and honor of their Confederate ancestor, like this one, recently received:

In memory of Pvt. William S. Smith, Co. A, 1st Georgia Inf, Savannah Volunteer Guards
AND
Pvt. Samuel Clay Newcomb, Co. I, 56th Va Infantry.
From Saxe, VA

We have been challenged to “answer” each and every outrageous claim made by these bloggers. We submit that we will not be seduced into abandoning our true mission to waste time defending our organization against false claims and innuendo. We are committed to the cause of defending our ancestors and challenge anyone who questions our credibility or motivation to come out and meet our Flaggers, who are on the Boulevard in Richmond twice a week, EVERY WEEK, as we have been since October 1, 2011, and will remain until the Battle Flags are returned to the Confederate Memorial Chapel.  Stay for a spell, and listen as we change hearts and minds in Richmond, and educate citizens and visitors about the honor and valor of the Confederate soldier and the flags under which he fought and died.  

We are steadfast in our determination, and sincerely grateful for the continued support from so many across the Confederation.

Tommy Clinger
Va Flaggers

Contributions to the I-95 Battle Flag project may be mailed to
Va Flaggers
P.O. Box 547
Sandston VA 23150

OR Donate here:
http://www.vaflaggers.com/i95flagdonate.html