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8th Tennessee Infantry C.S.A. flag


greensquid68-69
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greensquid68-69

My Grt Grandpa, who went by J.J., being of age in the south during the American Civil War, ended up serving in the 8th Tennessee Inf C.S.A. The big battle I know he was in was at Stones River, Murfreesboro, Tennessee Dec 31 - Jan 2 1862. As it turns out this was a very significant battle & I've read it took the highest casualties on both sides in all the major battles during the War. Although it never gets the press of Shiloh, Antietam, or Gettysburg.

J.J.'s unit had 306 casualties out of 425 men. The flag bearer J.M. Rice was shot in the leg, went down on his knees & crawled forward holding the colors until a second bullet killed him. The flag was ultimately captured by the Union troops. About 20 yrs ago that flag was found in a trunk in Ohio & restored (the Union capturers cut up the fly end for souvenirs ) & I visited the owner & took this photo in front of it. I don't look like that now haha. It's a monster at 81/2 by 51/2 feet.

post-5464-0-71024400-1422909289.jpg

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greensquid68-69

I'm an artist, but don't do a lot of Civil War art. I recently painted this of J.M. Rice as the theme was so dramatic in my mind. I tried to put with the other post, but kept getting an error. So I'm doing it this way.

 

post-5464-0-43891300-1422909617.jpg

 

 

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Great seeing the restored flag and your artwork is outstanding! I had relatives in the 8th TN as well. Co I ''New Hope Volunteers". Thanks for sharing!

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greensquid68-69

Hey ssggates - Thank you for the positive note. Small world having a relative in that particular unit. They took a beating there at Stones River. If my Grt Grandpa hadn't survived, I wouldn't be here. He was in his 20's & unmarried during the War. Married my Grt Grandma when he was 40 & she was 18. They ended up having 8 children, one of them being my Grandpa who then had my dad.

 

I went down to the 152nd Anniversary of the battle this last end of Dec. Had a good time getting filled in on some of the particulars of the battle & watching some re-enactors in their garb firing muskets & cannons.

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greensquid68-69

Thank you for the feedback. It was serendipitous I ended up seeing the flag in the first place. And it took me awhile to research & get that painting done.

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Beautiful painting. Is the flag in the hands of an individual? What an item to own. Here in NY I think the state tried to collect the flags of all NY regiments. I also think there was a concern that they were rotting away in storage but some group was looking to restore them. I'll have to look into that. Keep painting.

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Beautiful painting. I am glad the flag survived and has been restored. I don't think we will ever come close to understanding the sacrifice those men went through in the defense of their families and homes. Thank you for your part in remembering our Confederate ancestors. DEO VINDICE

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suwanneetrader

Very nice painting, you are to be commended that you look at and reproduce the actual item you are depicting in your work. That is also what Don Spaulding does. In 1986 I sold him a 1840 Ringgold Saddle that he copied for one of his paintings. Keep working at it and maybe you can be like Don Spaulding and Ray Giron and turn a hobby into a very good living. Richard

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greensquid68-69

Beautiful painting. I am glad the flag survived and has been restored. I don't think we will ever come close to understanding the sacrifice those men went through in the defense of their families and homes. Thank you for your part in remembering our Confederate ancestors. DEO VINDICE

 

Howdy - Thank you for the kind comment. To answer your first question, yes it is owned by an individual in Nashville, Tenn. He was kind enough to let me come to his home & photograph it. I was living in Calif at the time & I have relatives in Tenn, so on a visit to see them, I went up to his place.

 

I believe the flag sat in a trunk in Ohio for decades & was found & sold to a CW relic dealer in Murfreesboro, Tenn who told me who he sold it to & where it was located. The dealer is the one who had it restored before he sold it.

 

Yes, they were Americans also, caught up in their complicated times.

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greensquid68-69

Very nice painting, you are to be commended that you look at and reproduce the actual item you are depicting in your work. That is also what Don Spaulding does. In 1986 I sold him a 1840 Ringgold Saddle that he copied for one of his paintings. Keep working at it and maybe you can be like Don Spaulding and Ray Giron and turn a hobby into a very good living. Richard

 

Thank you, yes it helps to see the real thing. My research turned up the fact the lettering between the stars were of a yellow/gold color. They are more visible on the original flag than this photo, but they were a very faded light color, so I was originally going to make them white. So I'm glad I discovered that tidbit to get it accurate.

 

Don Spaulding is one of the CW genre art masters. Out of my league. That is interesting you sold him the saddle he used in one of his paintings. I've only seen photos of his work, I would like to see an original up close.

 

Seems if I do art to sell it becomes a horse of a different color. I've done a little to sell (mainly trade) at times, but it adds pressure. But I've contemplated doing some reproduced cards, with my nature art, to make an extra buck or two. Just haven't brought myself to actually do it!

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greensquid68-69

Beautiful painting. I am glad the flag survived and has been restored. I don't think we will ever come close to understanding the sacrifice those men went through in the defense of their families and homes. Thank you for your part in remembering our Confederate ancestors. DEO VINDICE

 

Thank you 4th Miss Cav. You are absolutely right, to think of the torrent of mini-balls, canister shot & cannon balls they marched into is beyond comprehension. Sometimes 2 or 3 different assaults on the same area.

 

They said thousands of dead & wounded laid for days in the fields & forests of this battle. It was freezing weather also. One guy had a gaping wound in his leg & it took them 9 days to find him. He survived. Talk about grit!

 

They all sacrificed a lot.

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  • 4 months later...
AFCMNAP47-81

Very Nice painting. My Grandfather's brother fought at Stone's River. He was born in 1837 oldest brother, my Grandfather was the youngest, born around 1860. I had retired from military and living in Tennessee when I discovered that he was buried some 16 miles from me-Tullahoma Confederate cemetery. The names of the men in the cemetery were lost to history for years-until a researcher discovered a record of the names in the National Archives. The local SCV has installed a plaque with the names to honor their Service. Private Isaac Elliott 1st Florida Infantry, Breckinridge's Division, Hardee's Corps, died of Pneumonia in February 1863 following the battle of Stones River.

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pathfinder505

Very Nice painting. My Grandfather's brother fought at Stone's River. He was born in 1837 oldest brother, my Grandfather was the youngest, born around 1860. I had retired from military and living in Tennessee when I discovered that he was buried some 16 miles from me-Tullahoma Confederate cemetery. The names of the men in the cemetery were lost to history for years-until a researcher discovered a record of the names in the National Archives. The local SCV has installed a plaque with the names to honor their Service. Private Isaac Elliott 1st Florida Infantry, Breckinridge's Division, Hardee's Corps, died of Pneumonia in February 1863 following the battle of Stones River.

Where do you live? I am about 15 miles from tullahoma

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