History Lessons

Of Flagg, American flag and yellow flag

A Civil War hospital flag. (Army Medical Dept., Center of History and Heritage)

A few years after the Civil War ended, a multi-volume opus was written. Titled “The Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion, 1861-’65,” it bulged with case studies, surgical breakthroughs – and some flags, one of which was a person. FLAGG One of the breakthroughs involved Corporal Eugene Flagg, a member of… continue

History Lessons

Two flag stories for Black History Month

Anti-lynching banner in NYC (Library of Congress)

Black History Month in February provides the opportunity to recall events that connected Black Americans to flags. One story is horrible; the other, inspiring. LYNCHING After the end of the Civil War Flags and the emancipation of slaves, many angry Southerners avenged their defeat by persecuting Blacks, denying their rights and lynching them for supposed… continue

History Lessons

Kansas and Civil War arrive together in U.S.

Kansas state seal (Kansas Historical Society)

One hundred and fifty-five years ago, the U.S. got a new state – and a state of war. The state was Kansas, which celebrated its addition to the Union in 1861 with expressions of loyalty to the American flag and preparations to become a battleground of the North vs. the South. An iconic moment of… continue

History Lessons

A peek at New Jersey’s historic flags

Rutgers' flag flies with American and New Jersey flags

The state of New Jersey, the city of Trenton and Rutgers University boast flags of great appeal and historical interest. RUTGERS The design of Rutgers University’s flag, with its large “R” and date of 1766, was approved in 1965, just a year before the bicentennial of the institution’s founding. This year marks the school’s 250th… continue