The Confederate Battle Flag's Divisive History-- Part 3: Used by Confederate Veteran Groups and College Football

Continued from October 11 and 22, 2019.

Over the past half century, John Coski, who wrote a book about it, said it has evolved into "a widely and carelessly used symbol of many things, including the South as a distinctive region, individual rebelliousness, a self conscious 'redneck' culture, and segregation and racism."

There are several key periods in the flag's divisive history:

**  Post Civil War:  For decades after the war, the flag was used largely by veterans' groups at parades and as a symbol of Southern heritage.  Especially used by the United Confederate Veterans which was the main group for them.

**  1940s:  The flag appears at Southern college and university football games and some other cultural events that were not directly related to the war.

--Old Secesh

President McKinley's Speech on Decoration Day 1900-- Part 1: Back When Confederates Were Considered Honorable

From the May 18, 2020, Tribune-Chronicle  "President McKinley gives the Antietam Address in 1900" by Mike Wilson.

President William McKinley was a resident of Niles, Ohio.  The Spanish-American War of 1898 had recently ended and many of the troops were back home with their families.  This was the first time that Northerners and Southerners had formed one military since the Civil War.

During the war, McKinley had appointed two supreme commanders of American forces, one was a former Union officer and the other a former Confederate officer.

With Decoration Day (now Memorial Day) fast approaching, McKinley wanted to bring the nation together even more to honor all of our military.  During past decoration Days, families of Union veterans and families of Confederate veterans had  decorated the graves of their fallen separately.

McKinley changed that in 1900 as he traveled to the Antietam Battlefield to give a speech.

There were two significant things about this particular battle:  one was that McKinley had fought there as a Union sergeant and been awarded for heroism, and, second, Maryland had recently  completed a large memorial at the site honoring the state veterans of both sides during the conflict.

--Old Secesh

No New Attacks on Confederacy for March 15 or March 16, 2020

March 15, 2020

Just one letter to the editor about letting Confederate veterans rest, but don't celebrate them as heroes.

******************************

March 16, 2020

No new attacks.

I can live with that.

Sad that it took this pandemic to stop those guys.

Perhaps a Moratorium At Least.  --Old Secesh

The Second Civil War: UNC Gives $2.5 Million to Upkeep of Silent Sam

December 2, 2019.

**  Fact check:  Were federal benefits granted to Confederate veterans

**  UNC will give Silent Sam to Confederate group--  Along with a $2.5 million trust.

**  Letter:  Police arrest victims in Confederate counter-protest.

**  An opinion on Confederate monuments & history.

**  More diversity could fix  the UNC Board of Governors.

--Old Secesh

Heritage Attacks Continue: Now Charlottesville Will Remove the Lewis, Clark, Sacagawea Statue

November 16, 2019

**  Did two congressional acts give Confederate veterans federal benefits?

**  Photo shows another NJ high school student in blackface with Confederate flag.

**  Fayetteville (NC) residents flood public forum on proposed Civil War museum.

**  Nikki Haley urges Liberty University students  to 'push through fear.'

**  Plan to remove Lewis, Clark Sacagawea statue in Charlottesville approved.   (What next?)

**  GOP won't disavow Trump, but Nikki Haley has another strategy.

Well, If Charlottesville Can't Get Rid Of Lee....  --Old Secesh