This afternoon, during the Lee-Jackson State holiday in Virginia, the Virginia Flaggers took a break from flagging Lexington and Washington & Lee University, just long enough to raise a 10 x 15 Battle Flag on a 50 foot pole in a small ceremony on private property on Route 60, just outside of Lexington's city limits.
The flag will fly in honor and memory of all Confederate soldiers, and specifically to remember Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson, the great Virginians whose final resting places are within just a few blocks of the memorial.
When we placed an ad a few months ago in the local paper, we were thrilled to receive calls from several citizens who were eager to offer their property for the placement of a memorial flag. It seems that we are not the only ones who are upset about the way officials in Lexington have turned their backs on Lee, Jackson, and the rich and honorable Confederate history and heritage of Lexington. This property, with its elevated location and close proximity to town, seemed a perfect location and we were thrilled at the prospect of placing a memorial flag on the hill. Little did we know that there was even more to this property than we imagined....
In 1859, Thomas J. Jackson took out a $500 note to purchase 13 acres just outside of Lexington, with the intention to farm the land, using the proceeds to pay the note. The War Between the States changed his plans, and in 1862 he wrote J.T.L. Preston and asked him to sell his little farm, which he did. The Va Flaggers have recently received information that the flag raised today is located either directly on or adjacent to the property owned by General Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson. We are overwhelmed by the knowledge that this Memorial flag, raised in honor and memory of Lee & Jackson, would also have such a profound and personal connection to General Jackson.
She will be a living, breathing memorial to our Confederate dead, and a beautiful tribute to our gallant ancestors. But, in the face of constant attacks by those who worship ignorance, historical revisionism, and political correctness, and at a time when officials in Lexington seem determined to completely ignore the sacrifice of her own citizens, and dishonor Lee & Jackson by their words and deeds, she will also be a visible reminder to all who see her that there are still many of us with Confederate blood coursing through our veins, who refuse to allow the ignorance and prejudice of others to force us to relinquish our birthright.
The Lexington Jackson Farm Memorial Battle Flag is the third roadside memorial battle flag erected in Virginia by the Va Flaggers since September of 2013, and part of an ongoing project to promote Confederate history and heritage, and honor Confederate Veterans in the Commonwealth. These projects, and numerous other heritage defense efforts, are made possible through the generosity of supporters from across America and beyond.
Virginia Flaggers
P.O. Box 547
Sandston VA 23150
info@vaflaggers.com
