Literature Analysis

-Private Carlton McCarthy wrote "Beauregard and the Confederate Battle- Flag." I think this piece of literature was written after the war by a surviving Confederate Private. I think this because many of the recalls of the soldier are of battles going on during the war. Such as, "Looking across the Warrenton turnpike which passed through the valley between the position of the Confederates and the elevations beyond occupied by the Federal line." In fact this literature was written about the famous battle of Bull Run.

Beauregard and the Confederate Battle-Flag

It was at the battle of Manassas, about four o’clock of the afternoon of the 21^st of July, 1861, when the fate of the confederacy seemed trembling in the balance, that General [Pierre G. T.] Beauregard, looking across the Warrenton turnpike which passed through the valley between the position of the Confederates and the elevations beyond occupied by the Federal line, saw a body of troops moving towards his left and the federal right. He was greatly concerned to know, but could not decide, what troops they were, whether Federal or Confederate. The similarity of uniform and of the colors carried by the opposing armies, and the clouds of dust, made it almost impossible to decide.

Shortly before this time General Beauregard had received from the signal officer, Captain [Edward P.] Alexander, a dispatch saying that from the signal station in the rear he had sighted the colors of this column, drooping and covered with the dust of journeying, but could not tell whether they were the stars and stripes or the stars and bars. He thought, however, that they were probably Patterson’s troops arriving on the field and re-enforcing the enemy.

General B. was momentarily expecting help from the right, and the uncertainty and anxiety of this hour amounted to anguish. Still the column pressed on. Calling a staff officer, General Johnston, at the Lewis house,and say that the enemy were receiving heavy re-enforcement's, that the troops on the plateau were very much scattered, and that he would be compelled to retire to the Lewis House, and there re-form, hoping that the troops ordered up from the right would arrive in time to enable him to establish and hold the new line.

Meanwhile, the unknown troops were pressing on. The day was sultry, and only at long intervals was there the slightest breeze. The colors of the mysterious column hung drooping on the staff. General Beauregard tried again and again to decide what colors they carried. He used his glass repeatedly, and handing it to others begged them to look, hoping that their eyes might be keener than his.

General B. was in a state of great anxiety, but finally determined to hold his ground, relying on the promised help from the right; knowing that if it arrived in time victory might be secured, but feeling also that if the mysterious column should be federal troops the day was lost.

Suddenly a puff of wind spread the colors to the breeze. It was the Confederate flag-- the stars and Bars! It was [Jubal A.] Early with the Twenty-fourth Virginia, the Seventh Louisiana and the Thirteenth Mississippi. The column had by this time reached the extreme right of the Federal lines. The moment the flag was recognized, B turned to his staff, right and left saying, "See that the day is ours!" And ordered an immediate advance. In the meantime Early's brigade deployed into line and charged the enemy's right; [Arnold] Elzey, also, dashed upon the field, and in one hour not an enemy was to be seen south of Bull Run.

While on this field and suffering this terrible anxiety, General B. determined that the Confederate soldier must have a flag so distinct from that of the enemy that no doubt should ever again endanger his cause on the battle field.

Soon after the battle he entered into correspondence with Colonel William Porcher Miles, who had served on his staff during the day, with a view to securing his aid in the matter, and proposing a blue field, red bars, and gold stars.

They discussed the matter at length. Colonel Miles thought it was contrary to the law of heraldry that the ground should be blue, the bars red, and the stars gold. He proposed that the ground should be red, the bars blue, and the stars white. General B. approved the change, and discussed the matter freely with General Johnston. Meanwhile it became known that designs for a flag were under discussion, and many were sent in. One came from Mississippi; one from J.B. Walton and E. C. Hancock, which considered with the idea of Colonel Miles. The matter was freely discussed at headquarters, till, finally, when he arrived at Fairfax Court House, General B. caused his draughtsman (a German) to make drawings of all the designs which had been submitted. With these designs before them the officers at headquarters agreed on the famous old banner- the red field, the blue cross, and the white stripes. The flag was then submitted to the War Department, and was approved.

The first flags sent to the army were presented to the troops by general B. in person, he then expressing the hope and confidence that they would become the emblem of honor and of victory.

The first three flags received from "ladies’ dresses" by the Misses [Hetty and Jennie] Cary, of Baltimore and [their cousin Constance, of] Alexandria.

Many lines talk about a General Beauregard. I’m guessing he is this private’s commander, and leading officer. Beauregard is told that a column of men is coming towards his way, but the dispatcher can’t tell if they’re Confederate or Union soldiers. Beauregard believes they are Union soldiers so he is told to retire for a while until the Southern re-enforcements arrive to help hold back the new line of men. Still the General wanted a clear identification so all day long him and his men looked through their field glasses trying to identify the unknown column. Suddenly a strong breeze blew the dust off the flag, and the advancing column was recognized as the confederate troops. The South had re-enforced Beauregard with the Twenty-fourth Virginia, the Seventh Louisiana, and the Thirteenth Mississippi. At this time the column of Confederate troops had already began to attack the right of the Federal line. Then Beauregard turned to his staff and said his famous fraise, "See that the day is ours!" Then he ordered an immediate advance on the Federal line. After an hour of battle not an enemy was to be seen south of Bull Run.

Seeing how close General Beauregard could have come to defeat if a strong wind had not come, and blow the flag so it could be identified. Right after the war Beauregard and Colonel William Porcher Miles began to work on a new design of the Confederate flag. Miles thought that to the law of heraldry that the ground should be blue, the bars red, and the stars gold. This on the contrary resembled too much of the Union flags, and this is the problem they want to fix. Then Miles proposed that the ground should be red, the bars blue, and the stars white. General Beauregard approved the change, and then many flag deigns were sent in from all over the South. One was from Mississippi, one from J.B Walton and E.C Hancock, which agreed with Miles design. Then designs for the flags were sent to the Fairfax Court House, and then the idea for the red field, blue cross, and the white stars was approved by the War department. The first three flags were received from the "ladies’ dresses," Hetty and Jennie Cray.

This piece of literature was written to tell everybody the truth of how the Confederacy got their famous flag. The difference of this document, and something that would have been written today is that everything is written in long sentence. For example one small paragraph is one sentence just with a lot of commas in it. I think this piece of literature is okay. It provides little detail though so it’s hard to imagine what the moment of the war was like. I think they provide great detail of about how the Beauregard was worried about whether or not the men were his or not. The problem is though that they some up the battle in one sentence, "And in one hour not an enemy was to be seen south of Bull Run." This is very little detail so I have no idea what the battle was like. This part was the only thing in the whole piece of literature that I had a problem with.

By: Eric Bazzell 8-1

The Autumn leaves, rich golden-tinted leaves,
Have fallen, and all barren lie the fields,
For, t'is the Reaping-time, when full-grown sheaves
Are gathered in, and kindly Nature yields
Her choicest gifts, while Nature's children share
The Autumn Glory, flooding vale and hill,
And thus the man, with life so full, so rare,
Ripe, in his Autumn time, sleeps calm and still.

This poem is a tribute to William Lloyd Garrison. Garrison was a great abolitionist. He fought the government to stop slavery from spreading, and end it too. This poem was written and took place in the late fall. Many clues lead to me believing this. One, is "For ‘tis the reaping time," the reaping time is an old saying that refers to it being harvest time. Also many lines in the poem refer to the autumn leaves falling from the trees and the fields being bare. The sheaves are also referred back to several times. Sheaves are bundles of grain or tall grass bound tightly into large stacks. I think the sheaves are kind of a symbol of life. I think this because towards the end of the poem one of the lines states, " That we like him may bring our Autumn sheaves, /And lay them at the Master-Reaper’s feet." Therefore I do believe that the Master-Reaper is a symbol of God once a person dies they will go into heaven, and lay down their lives at the Lord’s feet, but this is just my faith. Somebody else might take it as something else. I think this poem is either written in the point of view of an African American or an abolitionist. I think this because of this line "That we like him may bring our autumn sheaves." I took sheaves as either one of his many speeches or his life, and to bring them to the government or to heaven.

Also I think the autumn setting goes great with the poem. I think this because everything dies in the autumn so this setting helps add to all the imagery. One of my favorite lines of imagery is " The Autumn leaves, rich golden-tinted leaves, / Have fallen, and all barren lies the fields." This is my favorite line of this poem because it helps you see all the trees and fields bare, and the ground covered with different shades of leaves.