Texas Almanac, 1945-1946 Page: 86

STEXAS ALMANAC -1945-1946.

flag with interlineation of the word, inde-
pendence, protected by a bloody sword firmly
clenched in the hand of an uplifted arm
Apparently this flag and that of Mrs Dodson
were flown at Wasnington-on-the-Brazos dur-
ing the Independence Convention. The flag
of the company of Capt. William Scott of
Lynchburg, Texas, raised in the fall of 1835,
consisted of a blue field with white star and
the word, "independence." Apparently it was
designed by James L. McGahey. The flag
was flown at San Felipe and possibly at the
capture of San Antonio by the Texans in
December, 1835. A flag presented to Capt.
Moseley Baker's Company at San Fellpe
March 5, 1836, was described by a newspaper
of the time as "composed of the English
jack, showing the origin of the Anglo-Ameri-
cans; thirteen stripes, representing that most
of the colonists in Texas are from the United
States; and the star of Texas, the only state
in Mexico retaining the least spark of the
light of liberty, the tricolor is Mexican (red,
Screen and white), showing that we once be-
onged to that confederacy."
"Liberty or Death" Flag.
Famous among these early flags was that
designed by Joanna Troutman of Knoxville,
Ga., for Col. William Ward's Georgia Volun-
teers. It was presented in November, 1835.
consisting of white field with blue star and
the words, "Liberty or Death." Colonel
Ward's battalion landed at Velasco, marched
to Goliad, and later was captured at Refugio
and massacred with the Goliad heroes. The
famous flag of the New Orleans Greys, pre-
sented to them when they entered Texas at
the Sabine, was a blue field inscribed with
the name of the company. It was captured
by Santa Anna in the storming of the Alamo.
After nearly one hundred years it was dis-
covered recently in the National Museum of
Mexico. A solid red flag was that of the
company of Capt. Jack Shackelford which
came to Texas from Alabama. They were
known as the Alabama Red Rovers.
San Jacinto Battle Flag.
The flag flown at the Battle of San Jacinto
was that brought to Texas by Col. Sidney
Sherman with his volunteers from Newport,
How to Fly and Display
The national flag should be flown or dis-
played only from sunrise to sunset, should
be carried at the marching right in proces-
sion with other flags, should be displayed in
the center of a group of flags and at highest
point, should be at peak when flown on same
halyard with other flags, but flown from
different staffs at same elevation as other
flags.
When displayed against a wall, with stripes
in either horizontal or vertical position, the
blue field should be on the flag's own right
(observer's left). When suspended in a street,
the flag should be draped vertically with the
blue field to the north in an east-and-west
street, and to the east in a north-and-south
street.
The flag should never be used for a cover-
ing, drape or other utilitarian or purely deco-
rative purpose, should not be exposed in such
a way that it will be damaged or soiled. A
flag no longer a fitting emblem for display
should be destroyed, preferably by burning,
"with reverence and respect," according to
the statute.
Legal provisions with respect to mutilation
or defiling the United States flag, or using it
as part of advertisements, are found in Sec. 3
of Title 4 of the U S Code. A national flag
code was formulated by a National Flag Con-
ference, sponsored by the American Legion,
In 1923.
Texas Flag Usage.
Following rules are from Acts of the Forty-
Third Legislature, 1933 (p. 186, ch. 87):
Flown out-of-doors, the Texas flag must be

Ky. The flag, consisting of a female figure.
liberty, in militant posture, on a field of
white, was presented to the company by Mrs
Sherman and other Newport women After
the Battle of San Jacinto, this flag was pre-
sented by the Republic of Texas to Mrs Sher-
man. After remaining in the possession of
the Sherman family many years, it was pre-
sented to the State of Texas Restored, it
now hangs on the wall of the Hall of Repre-
sentatives in the Capitol at Austin.
The company of volunteers from Zanesville,
Ohio, brought to Texas a flag of blue with
gold star with the letters T-E-X-A-S between
the points, similar to the flag adopted by the
De Zavala committee. The flag of the com-
pany of Capt. T. J. Morgan of Pennsylvania
was a lone star with the words, "Liberty or
Death."
Flags of Pre-Revolutionary Revolts
and Expeditions.
The foregoing list includes the most promi-
nent of the flags used during the period of
the Revolution. Prior to the revolution a
number of independent flags were flown over
Texas. Immediately preceding the revolution
the flag of the Fredonian Rebellion against
Mexico was raised by Hayden Edwards at
Nacogdoches, a red and white banner with
the words, "Independence, Freedom and Jus-
tice." (See p. 56.) During the era of fili-
bustering and revolt against Spain, 1811-1821,
the flags of Luls Aury and Jean La Fitte,
privateers, were flown at Galveston. Dr.
James Long from Mississippi, in 1819, hoisted
a flag of red and white stripes, with red field
and white star. Possibly this was the very
first "lone star" flag. Most famous of the
flags of the era of filibusters was the Green
Flag of the Gutierrez-Magee Expedition. (See
p s 53) There is also the contention that
Texas has a seventh flag in the red flaq
of the Comanche Indians. If both Green and
Red Flags are accepted it would, of course,
give Texas eight flags, instead of the six
usually mentioned.
$According to the research of Mrs Mary Jordan
Atkinson of the University of Texas, the Coman-
ches frequently flew a red flag
National and State Flags
on flagpole or staff which Js at least two and
one-half times as long as the flag. It should
not be unfurled earlier than sunrise and
should be taken down not later than sunset.
It should not be left out in rain, snow or
other inclement weather It should always be
hoisted briskly and lowered slowly. It should
be flown with the white stripe uppermost
except in case of distress. When the flag is
displayed against a wall, the blue field should
be at the flag's own right (observer's left).
The Texas flag should be displayed on all
state memorial days, it should fly at every
school on every regular school day.
The Texas flag should be on the marching
left in a procession in which the flag of the
United States is carried, its staff should be
behind the staff of the flag of the United
States when the two are displayed with
crossed staffs. The Texas flag should be
underneath the national flag when the two
are flown from the same halyard. When
flown adjacent to the United States flag, it
should be unfurled after the national flag,
and should always be displayed to the lest
When flown from separate, adjacent flag-
poles, the United States flag and the Texas
flag should be of approximately same size
and on flagpoles of equal length. When the
two flags are displayed on a speaker's plat-
form, the Texas flag should be on the left
side of the speaker, the national flag on the
right. If the Texas flag is displayed alone
on the wall behind a speaker, it should be
above him and with the blue field on the
flag's right (observer's eft). The Texas flag