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***The Bonnie Blue Flag*********** * * *
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The lone star flag was first flown in the year 1810.
What was called the West Florida Territory(named Florida by the British) in America(was much larger than what is today the Florida Panhandle) had been under several flags. British, French and in 1810 the Spanish. The english speaking settlers of this territory sought a more representative government. One more formed along the rules of English Law. They wanted equal representation and civil rights that were not permitted by Spanish rule. An attempt was made to achieve this through political means, but the settlers were double-crossed by the governor. He had promised to consider change, but was raising troops in the mean time to supress what he saw as a revolt. The settlers took matters into their own hands.
On Saturday, September 11, 1810, a troop of West Florida Territory dragoons under the command of Major Isaac Johnson advanced on the Spanish provincial capitol at Baton Rouge. At the head of the column rode a sergeant bearing a blue flag with a single five-pointed white star. The Bonnie Blue Flag, bonnie being Scottish for beautiful. This flag had been made Mrs. Melissa Johnson. Joined by other republican forces under the command of Colonel Philemon Thomas, the dragoons captured Baton Rouge without loss and imprisoned Governor de Lassus. They raised their Bonnie Blue Flag over the Spanish fort of Baton Rouge. The president of the West Florida convention, John Rhea, signed a Declaration of Independence and the lone star flag became the emblem of a new republic.
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Here is an excerpt from the West Floridian dragoon's marching song:
West Floriday, that lovely nation,
Free from king and tyranny,
Thru’ the world shall be respected,
For her true love of Liberty.(1810)
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One key figure in the revolt was Reuben Kemper. He was variously described as a n'er do well, brigand and even outlaw. After the conclusion of the revolt he went on to fight with the Mexicans against the Spanish. Also in 1814 shortly before the Battle of New Orleans he impersonated a British officer and led a number of British officers into captivity. Sounds like the type of individual you could not find enough of in times of strife.
On December 10, 1810, the flag of the United States replaced the Bonnie Blue flag over Baton Rouge. The Republic of West Florida passing into history after 74 days as the territory was annexed by the United States, under a proclamation of then US President Madison.
In 1836 the Bonnie Blue Flag served as inspiration for the original Flag of Texas. Known as the "Burnet Flag", it was the same as the Bonnie Blue Flag except that the star was yellow. (Variants of the Burnet Flag with a white star, identical to the Bonnie Blue Flag, were also used.) It was replaced in 1839 by the current State Flag of Texas, The Lone Star Flag.
On January 9, 1861 the convention of the people of Mississippi adopted an Ordinance of Secession and the Bonnie Blue flag was raised over the capitol building in Jackson. One witnesses to the event was an Irish born actor named Harry Macarthy. He was so inspired by the spirit of his fellow citizens, he wrote a song entitled 'The Bonnie Blue Flag'. This song was destined to become the second most popular patriotic song in the Confederacy. When the song was first played in New Orleans before an audience of Texans and Louisianans, it came close to causing a riot. The crowd liked it that much.
The Confederate government did not adopt this flag, but the people did and lone star flags were adopted in some form in five of the southern States by 1861. Also variations were adopted as state flags in the civil war..come to think of it...a single star was a widely used symbol in WW II, by the US Army.
A few other interesting facts:
The single star of the Bonnie Blue Flag was also the inspiration for the red star in the 1846 Bear Flag of California.
In the 1939 film Gone with the Wind, Rhett decides to call his newborn daughter "Bonnie Blue Butler", when Melanie remarks that her eyes are "as blue as the Bonnie Blue Flag".
The melody of the song was adapted from an Irish ballad called 'Irish Jaunt'...this melody has been used as a Georgia Tech...college football fight song.
[Note...I have come across some accounts of the West Florida Rebellion that try to make the point, the rebellion was other than a struggle for liberty. My thought is that today some people mistakenly view these events as if they were occuring in current times, this would obviously be faulty reasoning. These frontier areas were just that. Regions with a broad spectrum of individuals, fortune seekers, outlaws, persons who needed a new start, in other words the populace ran the full gamut of human behaviour. It was neither a good or bad situation , just the way it had to be..[One official in the region said that the territory was the most curious mixture of good and evil, he had ever seen.] Ironically many who sit in their ivory towers and critique these events and men in US history, would I promise you grovel at the feet of these self same men whom they find fault with. (If in fact they were able to meet these historical figures today.) These men in American history were truly hard, tough men of necessity. On any frontier there are none of the protections that current society affords an individual. Therefore I feel modern historians should temper their comments with a more realistic assessment of the real forces that shaped our country's history....
At the time of this West Florida Revolt, the US was hellbent on expansion to the West, it was the will of the people of our nation. The lands to the West were essentially controlled by foreign powers that had not developed or settled them and had no viable plans to do so. The US needed territory to support a growing population and economy. Every nation that intends to survive needs to become as strong as possible and secure it's borders. If in the process we 'stepped on a few toes", so be it...that has been and always will be the way of the world, human nature....
President Madison knew this and did what a true leader does.(a true leader takes tough measures, sometimes against the will of certain elements of the electorate, that are for the ultimate good of the people they lead...even if the people are often not knowledgeable enough to know what is best) As he could not get congressional authority soon enough to recognize West Florida(congress was not in session), he acted on his own authority. Essentially declaring an emergency...in other words he led, right out front....
Spain decried the action of President Madison and his administration saying that it was a breach of trust. And further saying that the US had 'siezed the occasion when Spain was beset by enemies and the Floridas were bereft of defense, its(US) agents stirred up insurrection in West Florida and threatened still further encroachments in the eastern province. Their course was not merely perfidious but ungrateful, for Spain had assisted the United States in gaining its independence.'...My response to them and current day historians would be 'get real', welcome to real world power politics...not some fictional utopian world that defies human nature and necessity, full of political double speak....
So that is my take on criticism of the West Florida Revolt. And also other historically necessary actions that the US had to take, to create this great country we live in and as a result provide a place for these revisionist, unrealistic historians to state their questionable historical analyses.
Here are some of the various accounts of the short lived Republic of West Forida...“small, spunky, and short-lived nation", “half-baked republic”, “simply a mock government used by the Americans to cloak their aggression”...what matters is that they were successful in their revolt, and in the world of geo-political endeavors.....dude, that is all that matters. Myself, I am well proud of the West Forida Rebels. One way or the other, ones country wins or passes into history with the sands of time. Try and revise that. And if you think the rules have changed today?...Brother, these rules never change.]
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The Bonnie Blue Flag Song and Melody
Lyrics by Harry Macarthy
Song lyrics
We are a band of brothers
And native to the soil,
Fighting for the property
We gained by honest toil;
And when our rights were threatened,
The cry rose near and far--
"Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag
That bears a single star!"
Chorus--Hurrah! Hurrah!
For Southern rights hurrah!
Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag
That bears a single star.
As long as the Union
Was faithful to her trust,
Like friends and like brothers
Both kind were we and just;
But now, when Northern treachery
Attempts our rights to mar,
We hoist on high the Bonnie Blue Flag
That bears a single star.
Chorus--
First gallant South Carolina
Nobly made the stand,
Then came Alabama,
Who took her by the hand.
Next quickly Mississippi,
Georgia and Florida
All raised on high the Bonnie Blue Flag
That bears a single star.
CHORUS--
Ye men of valor, gather round
The banner of the right;
Texas and fair Louisiana
Join us in the fight.
Davis, our loved president,
And Stephens statesman are;
Now rally round the Bonnie Blue Flag
That bears a single star.
CHORUS--
And here's to old Virginia--
The Old Dominion State--
Who with the young Confederacy
At length has linked her fate;
Impelled by her example,
Now other states prepare
To hoist on high the Bonnie Blue Flag
That bears a single star.
CHORUS--
Then cheer, boys, cheer;
Raise the joyous shout,
For Arkansas and North Carolina
Now have both gone out;
And let another rousing cheer
For Tennessee be given,
The single star of the Bonnie Blue Flag
Has grown to be eleven.
CHORUS--
Then here's to our Confederacy,
Strong are we and brave;
Like patriots of old we'll fight
Our heritage to save.
And rather than submit to shame,
To die we would prefer;
So cheer for the Bonnie Blue Flag
That bears a single star.
CHORUS--Hurrah! Hurrah!
For Southern rights hurrah!
Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag
That bears a single star.
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The Bonnie Blue Flag melody was adapted from an old Irish ballad called Irish Jaunt...
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here is a link to ...Gen Robert E Lee...Dixie
and one to ...Old West Songs
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