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FIRST NATIONAL CONFEDERATE FLAG OF THE RED RIVER VOLUNTEERS, CO. E 11th TEXAS CAVALRY

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This eleven-star First National Confederate Flag was sewn by Mrs. Isabella (“Ibbie”) Haddon Hopkins Gordon of Clarksville, Texas, and presented to the “Red River Volunteers,” later Company E 11^th Texas Cavalry, a company commanded by Capt. John C. Burks, just before their departure from Clarksville, TX, for Fort Washita, Indian Territory on Thursday June 20, 1861. The flag was in a privately owned New Mexico museum prior to its transfer, with its display label, about 1948 to a woman acting as unofficial historian of the town of Kingston, NM, “the keeper of Kingston’s story” according to a 1996 newspaper article about her, and was a subsequent gift by her to her grandson, from whom it passed to the Texas Civil War Museum.

The identification of the flag is made by a circa 1940 typewritten display label preserved with it. Some subsequent sleuthing confirmed its details from a June 22, 1861, “Clarksville Standard” newspaper account of the making of the company’s clothing by the ladies of Clarksville and the sewing of the flag in particular by Isabella “Ibbie” Gordon. The only substantial errors in the label are the reference to her as “Miss” when she was on her third marriage, and erroneously designating the unit as Co. B of the 11^th Texas Cavalry, when they in fact mustered in as Co. E, something confirmed by the name of commanding officer.

The regiment had a substantial service and combat record, from its first duty in Indian Territory, now Oklahoma, in 1861, all the way up to Johnston’s surrender in North Carolina on April 26, 1865, including more than one hundred battles and skirmishes. Major engagements included Pea Ridge, Chickamauga, Knoxville, Dalton, Resaca, Allatoona Pass, Dallas/ New Hope Church, Kennesaw Mountain, Atlanta, Savannah, and Bentonville among others. The museum label mentions specifically Iuka, Corinth, Murfreesboro, and Chickamauga.

The flag has been professionally conserved, mounted and framed by respected and well-known Textile Preservation Associates and comes with their 2009 treatment proposal and 2010 report, which we summarize below and can provide in full to interested parties. The flag has strong color and is 90% intact. The last 22” of the fly were torn off and later reattached, less one its red stripes and small strip of the white. Whether this was accidental or battle-damage is unclear, but given its neatness and that the removed section was preserved, it remains possible the fly end of the flag may have been shortened to make it more manageable on horseback and later restored by the unit’s veterans. It was likely brought to New Mexico by a veteran of the regiment drawn to Kingston or its surrounding area by a silver strike in 1882, which created a population explosion reaching several thousand before the crash of silver in 1893, after which the town declined to several hundred by 1900, 120 by 1940, and just 52 by 2020 as a “census designated place” in Sierra County. A few of its grander buildings still remain, with historical displays, and the flag was likely in a similar museum up to about 1948. A ca. 2008 letter of provenance from the grandson who ended up with it says the flag had been in the family for about 60 years. A regimental history of the 11^th TX Cavalry published in 2006 might shed some light. The regiment seems to have had annual reunions starting about 1877. We know the unit’s last officer died in 1924 and last veteran in 1937, though we expect we are looking specifically for a veteran of Co. E.

The flag is made of one layer of wool and measures 39-3/4” down the leading edge and 68-1/2” along the fly, and is completely hand-sewn, with the edges bound originally with a metallic tape, 3/8” wide, portions of which remain. The flag was attached to its staff by tacks, one of which was still in the leading edge of the flag and has been preserved by the conservators. The blue canton is a single piece, 26-1/4” by 23-1/2”, embroidered in white silk with eleven five-pointed stars roughly 3” point to point, arranged in a circle about 19” in diameter. The top, red, bar measures 13” in height; the middle bar, 13”; and the bottom bar 13-1/2.” The flag shows some period damage and some insect or moth and storage damage, but is 90% intact, with strong color and great presence. A lower strip about 4-1/2” wide is missing along the bottom, red, edge, except for a 1” wide section of the leading edge, which contained the remaining tack. The last 22” of the fly end was ripped off at some point, but one red bar and most of the white bar were preserved and reattached by a whipstitch along the edge of the red bar and about half of the white bar. In doing so, however, the piece was flipped over, placing the bottom red bar at the top and leaving the bottom red bar missing its fly end, along with the narrow, lower edge strip.

The flag retains strong color and makes an impressive display. Some scattered holes remain as shown. Some splits or separation lines missing no fabric were sewn closed and to the backing by a running stitch with matching thread or closed up and held in place by the pressure mounting.

The old label, looks to have been done in the 1940s, and reads as follows:

“The Confederate Flag of Company / "B" 11 th Texas Cavalry. / John C. Burks, Captain.

/ W. C. Young, Colonel /Made and presented to the Company / by Miss Ibbie Gordon early in 1861. / In its first battle with the Indians / in Oklahoma. / Was carried in the battles of/ Iuka, Corinth, Murfreesboro and / Chicamauga. (sic) / It is one flag which never surrendered: / When they heard of the surrender of / Lee the Regiment disbanded.”

Identification of the company’s Captain as John C. Burks, later Colonel of the regiment and mortally wounded at Murfreesboro, makes clear this was Company E of the 11^th Texas Cavalry. This is confirmed, as is the identity of the maker and the date, by the Clarksville (TX) Standard of June 22, 1861. We post the complete clipping in our listing. The most relevant portion is:

“Fifty or sixty ladies and sundry sewing machines, were at work several days, making up every required kind of clothing and tents, for the company and the company started Friday morning, well armed, well clothed, and in all respects, well provided for. They number one hundred rank and file.

Success to the Red River Volunteers, and many thanks to their Patron Saints, the memory of whom will gladden the hearts oft times, when far off and undergoing dangers and hardships.

Prior to their departure, a most elegant Confederate States Flag was presented to them, without ceremonial, by Mrs. Isabella H. Gordon, who had prepared it at home, of superior materials, and with the Stars handsomely embroidered upon the blue Union, in white silk, ornamentally and durably.”

After its departure from Clarksville, the company became part of what was designated for a time as the 3^rd Texas Cavalry, or simply Col. W.C. Young’s Regiment, first organized for duty along the frontier about May 1861, but was formally organized for one-year’s service as the 11^th Texas Cavalry on Oct. 2. 1861, at Camp Reeves, Grayson County, TX, 855 men strong, with companies coming from Cooke, Grayson, Hopkins, Red River, Fannin, Collin, Hunt, Titus, and Bowie counties in northeast Texas. Its first assignment was to the Department of Indian Territory and then to the Department of Arkansas, with its affiliation changing several times in the course of the war. It saw action first at the Battle of Chustenahlah, Dec. 29, 1861, in which Confederate forces put to flight the remainder of an Indian band, some 1,700 strong, who had contested Indian alliance with the Confederacy, the regiment suffering 2 killed and 4 wounded in the fighting.

The regiment wintered in Arkansas and in March 1862 took part in the Battle of Pea Ridge as part of McIntosh’s cavalry brigade and helped cover the army’s retreat. The regiment was reorganized from a one-year regiment to two-year regiment as of May 8, 1862, with Burks taking over as Colonel and was dismounted about the same time along with several other cavalry units to serve as infantry due to the difficulty of finding forage. As infantry it took part in operations during May against the Union advance on Corinth, MS, falling back to Boonville, MS, in June. In August it fought in the Confederate victory at Richmond, KY, and White’s Farm, losing at least 3 killed, 7 wounded and 19 prisoners, took part in the advance on Murfreesboro in December, with skirmishes at Perkins Mill and Parker’s Crossroads, and then saw heavy action in the Battle of Murfreesboro as part of the Army of Tennessee at the end of December and beginning of January, with Burks mortally wounded in the fighting, and the regiment suffering 8 killed, 89 wounded and 18 missing.

The regiment was remounted following Murfreesboro and served as cavalry again to the end of the war, serving renewed mounted service  under Wheeler and taking part in raids in Tennessee and Kentucky, with fighting in April at Hadley's Bend and Hurricane Creek, and Harpeth River near Franklin, TN; a May reconnaissance to Lebanon and Liberty; a June scout from Smithville with Skirmishes, followed the Jun 23-Jul 7 Tullahoma Campaign with actions at Fosterville, Guy's Gap, and Shelbyville, Butler's Mill, and skirmishes at Bethpage, Rock Creek Ford, Pelham, Elk River Bridge and Jones' Ford, Elk River, TN. In August they were in a skirmish at the Junction of Larkin's Fork and Point Rock River, TN, followed by the move into middle Tennessee and the Battle of Chickamauga in September. Then followed a skirmish at Hiwassee, TN, and a Sep 30-Oct 17 cavalry raid on Rosecrans’s communications above Chattanooga, with skirmishes and actions at Shelbyville, Farmington, and Sims' Farm. They saw action again in early November at Huff’s Ferry and in the Nov 5-Dec 23 Knoxville Campaign, with fighting at Campbell's Station, skirmishes near Kingston, followed by service in the Nov 21-Dec 4 Siege of Knoxville.

In early 1864 they were in skirmishes at Mossy Creek, Colliersville, operations near Dandridge, fighting at Fair Garden TN and then at Larkinsville, AL. From May to September they were active in the Atlanta Campaign, contesting Sherman’s advance, fighting at Varnell Station, GA. Pine Log Church, Cassville and Cass Station, the Marietta Road, Ackworth, Big Shanty, Burnt Hickory and Noonday Church, Marietta, Lafayette, Decatur Road, Campbellton, and Turner's Ferry, followed by operations against Union raids on railroad lines in late July, and actions in August at Dalton, Liberty, Block Houses 4 & 5 on the Nashville and Chattanooga RR, and Clifton and LaVergne, TN. In September they fought under Wheeler at Franklin, the Nashville & North RR, Campbellsville, Lawrenceburg, Readyville, and Lexington, TN, Shoal Creek and Florence, AL., followed by Hood’s operations in northern Georgia and Alabama with at least nine more skirmishes in October, harassment of Sherman’s March to the Sea in November and December, with at least seven more skirmishes, and then the siege of Savannah in mid-December.

In February 1865 they were involved in almost daily skirmishes in South Carolina, and from early March to mid-April saw the same amount of activity in North Carolina, tapering off slightly after the Battle of Bentonville in late March and concluding with another half-dozen or so skirmishes in April, with the last on April 15 near Chapel Hill. Only a fragment of the regiment was left at Johnston’s surrender, with most of the survivors simply drifting back to Texas as the situation became clear. As the old museum label has it, apparently unaware of its continued service with Johnston: “This is one flag which never surrendered. When they heard of the surrender of Lee the Regiment disbanded.”

Texas associated flags are rare and eagerly sought after. One with a cavalry connection is especially desirable.    [sr] [PH:L]

EXTRA SHIPPING REQUIRED.

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