Southern Icons
In this section, we will explore some of the people, places, and things that come to mind when thinking about what Southern really means.
Robert E. Lee, Southern Gentleman
Robert E. Lee is the epitome of the Southern Gentleman. What does one do to deserve such a title? How does one think and act and speak to be known as such a great man? The best place to begin, perhaps, is the definition of a gentleman - as defined by Robert E. Lee. This should be committed to memory by anyone aspiring to earn the title Southern Gentleman:
"The forbearing use of power does not only form a touchstone, but the manner in which an individual enjoys certain advantages over others is a test of a true gentleman. The power which the strong have over the weak, the employer over the employed, the educated over the unlettered, the experienced over the confiding, even the clever over the silly -- the forbearing or inoffensive use of all this power or authority, or a total abstinence from it when the case admits it, will show the gentleman in a plain light. The gentleman does not needlessly and unnecessarily remind an offender of a wrong he may have committed against him. He cannot only forgive, he can forget; and he strives for that nobleness of self and mildness of character which impart sufficient strength to let the past be but the past. A true man of honor feels humbled himself when he cannot help humbling others."
Be sure to see the Quotes section for more on Robert E. Lee.
Gone With The Wind
"There was a land of Cavaliers and Cotton Fields called the Old South. Here in this pretty world, Gallantry took its last bow. Here was the last ever to be seen of Knights and their Ladies Fair, of Master and of Slave. Look for it only in books, for it is no more than a dream remembered, a Civilization gone with the wind." This prologue from Gone With The Wind captures the spirit of the antebellum South - and what we are trying to recapture here at Confederate Colonel.
Margret Mitchell published Gone With The Wind, her one and only book, in 1936. It quickly became one of the best selling novels of the 20th century. The 1939 film of the same name has sold more tickets than any other film in history.
As with anything that shows the Old South in a good light, Gone With The Wind was met with controversy by those with narrow minds.
Plantations
The large plantations of cotton, rice, and tobacco are certainly one of the most widely recognized icons of The Old South. While these plantations were relatively few in number compared with the number of small family farms, they loomed big on the cultural horizon of The South and had a major impact in shaping Southern society.
Uncle Remus and Song of The South
This book, written in 1880 by Joel Chandler Harris, is the book that the Disney movie Song of The South was based on. Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, Brer Bear, Tar baby, and of course, Uncle Remus were favorite characters that many of us grew up with while reading the Uncle Remus stories.
In 1946 Disney released the movie version called Song of The South. This classic was doomed to disappear due to its "politically incorrect" story line depicting slaves being happy and treated well. After it's last theater release in 1986, it was never again officially seen in the U.S., although it was released on VHS and laserdisc in other countries. In 2001, Disney pulled it off the market worldwide. While Disney will not release the film in theatres or on DVD, they have apparently decided to turn a blind eye to those selling DVD copies on the Internet (do a Google search on song of the south dvd and you will find some excellent copies on DVD for around $20).
Uncle Remus was the slave and key character in the stories. It was a common practice to refer to a cherished family slave as "Uncle". I have a photograph of my grandfather and his sawmill crew. There is a black man in the photo identified as "Dave Wilson, Uncle Henry's boy". "Uncle Henry" was the family slave a generation earlier. His son continued to work for the family in the sawmill business. "Uncle Henry" is buried in our family cemetery on McGehee Mountain in Clay County Alabama.
The Flags of the Confederate States of America
The flags of The South reflected the sentiment of the times as well as more practical matters. The Bonnie Blue Flag, for example, represented removing a single star from the field of the federal flag and placing it by itself - thus the name "Flag of Secession".
The First National Flag (also known as The Stars and Bars) was used when there was still hope by The South that reconciliation could take place with the north. There is a strong similarity to the federal flag in this early design. This similarity sometimes resulted in confusion on the battlefield, and the need for a battle flag became apparent.
The Second National Flag shows a very clear break from the federal design. The Stainless Banner is regarded by many as the most beautiful of the Confederate flag designs. It was replaced by the Third National with its red vertical bar for a very practical reason - during battle on a windless day, the flag could be mistaken for a white flag of surrender.
The Confederate Naval Jack is what is today, widely known as the "rebel flag". The blue of this flag is considerably lighter than the blue of the other Confederate flags. This flag is often mistakenly referred to as the "stars and bars" by those who know little about The South. In addition to being used as a Naval Jack, it was also used by some regiments in the Army of Tennessee as a battle flag.
Confederate Seal
In it's simplest terms, the Seal of The Confederate States of America depicts George Washington on horseback, surrounded by the principle crops of The South - tobacco, cotton, rice, sugar cane, corn, and wheat. The outside edge includes the date of the inauguration of Jefferson Davis as President of the C.S.A., and the motto Deo Vindice, which is usually translated as God will vindicate. The story behind the Seal is far more interesting and tells much about life during that period of time.
The seal was designed and created by Joseph S. Wyon in London, England. Mr. Wyon's engraving firm was engravers to Queen Victoria and makers of the Great Seal of England. The actual seal is comprised of a set of embossing dies made of silver which must be placed in its embossing press in order to be used. The embossed image is approximately 3.6 inches in diamater.
When the Seal was completed, it was delivered to James Mason, a confidential agent of the Confederacy in England. He selected Lieutenant R.T. Chapman of the Confederate Navy to bring it to America. In order to avoid the naval blockade, Lt. Chapman was forced to take a long and circuitous route. He went form England to Halifax, Nova Scotia, then to the Island of Bermuda and finally to Wilmington, North Carolina. When the Confederate Government evacuated Richmond in April of 1865, Mrs. William J. Bromwell, the wife of an official of the Confederate State Department, smuggled the Seal from the doomed city. Together with an important part of the Confederate archives, the Seal was hidden from Federal forces in a barn near Richmond. It eventually made its way into the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, where it can be seen today.
The seal shown here was probably never used in any official capacity. The seal plates and the press traveled separately and were never known to have been in the same place at the same time during the Confederate period. The seal that was actually used by the Confederate government was the provisional seal, which consisted of a scroll with the word "Constitution" above, and the word "Liberty" below. After the Confederate government collapsed, Secretary of State, Judah P. Benjamin threw the provisional seal plates into the Savannah River as he fled for England. The embossing press is currently in the custody of the Cox family of Hamilton, Bermuda.
An unknown number of brass embossings were made from the Confederate Seal. These were embossed onto heavy brass and then mounted for display. This photo is of one such embossing purchased at an auction. This is part of the McGehee private collection.
