Bonnie Blue Flag of Texas to be Auctioned by Heritage!

May 23, 2007 Americana Bonnie Blue Flag of Texas to be Auctioned by Heritage!

Dallas, TX: One of the most stirring patriotic banners ever created, renowned in song and story, the Bonnie Blue Flag of Texas was immortalized with these brave words:

"We are a band of brothers and native to the soil,/Fighting for our liberty with treasure, blood and toil;/And when our rights were threatened, the cry rose near and far,/Hurrah! For the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star."

This striking blue flag with its single white star was originally the banner of the short-lived Republic of West Florida, established in 1810. After a mere 74 days, the United States annexed the territory of West Florida, and the Republic ceased to exist.

The flag itself, however, remained a potent symbol, and in 1835, when a group of Louisiana volunteers came to Texas to help that future state fight for its independence, it was the Bonnie Blue Flag under which they marched. Furthermore, it was this flag that served as the inspiration for the Burnet flag, the first official flag of Texas, identical except that the star in the center of the blue field was now yellow. The white star, however, was retained in the current flag of Texas, named The Lone Star State in its honor.

In 1861, the Bonnie Blue Flag was raised over the Capitol building in Jackson, Mississippi when that state seceded from the Union in the days preceding the Civil War. When Harry McCarthy saw this inspiring sight, he was moved to write the words that would soon be sung to a traditional Irish melody as "The Bonnie Blue Flag." The song would become one of the most heartfelt and inspiring of the entire era. It was so popular, in fact, that when Benjamin Butler captured New Orleans in 1862, he actually outlawed the tune, instituting a $25 fine for anyone caught singing or whistling the song.

Also during the Civil War, Terry's Texas Rangers, one of the most famous regimental units of the confederacy, adopted the design. Under the command of Benjamin Franklin Terry, this group of Texas volunteers fought 275 battles in seven states over a four-year period, and were the only cavalry unit ever to defeat an infantry unit, a feat they accomplished twice. The Bonnie Blue Flag was their standard throughout most of their existence.

As a further evidence of the lasting impact of this stunning banner, Margaret Mitchell paid tribute to it in her 1936 book, Gone with the Wind, when Rhett Butler names his daughter Bonnie Blue Butler, after Melanie Wilkes notes that the baby's eyes are "as blue as the Bonnie Blue Flag." Today, many still revere the Bonnie Blue Flag as a strong symbol of the South, as important as the more familiar flag of the Confederacy.

"The flag that Heritage is offering in its upcoming auction of Civil War memorabilia is one of only six known to exist," said Dennis Lowe, Director of Civil War auctions for Heritage. "The others are all held in either private collections or institutions, so an opportunity to own this spectacular artifact may not present itself again for many, many years, if at all."

Lowe said, "History ascribed to this particular flag states that it was 'picked up on one of the Texas battlefields during of the War of the 60's by Private 1st Class S.A. Buffum, Co. A. 3rd Regt. Cavalry Texas State Troops.' We also know this flag was part of the centerpiece display at the Texas Historical Exhibit in the Texas Building during the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition, and was obtained by Mr. George W. Wray, Jr., Atlanta, Georgia in 1970s. From there, it passed into the collection of the Crow Art Partnership, who have decided to offer it in this auction."

The Bonnie Blue Flag of Texas will be offered in Heritage Auction Galleries' upcoming Civil War Signature auction, to be held on June 24, 2007 in Gettysburg, PA.

Rare Texas Confederate "Bonnie Blue" Flag of the 3rd Texas State Cavalry:
ESTIMATE: $80,000 - $120,000

For more information about Heritage's auctions, and a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit www.HA.com.

Prospective consignors and sellers of political memorabilia, Americana, and related collectibles are invited to visit www.HA.com/Sell. Or simply email Dennis Lowe at DennisL@HA.com.

To reserve your copy of any Heritage auction catalog, please contact Client Services at 1-800-872-6467, ext. 150, or visit www.HA.com/Catalog.