Senior Moments

The Battle Flag at half mast. October 12, 2008.

We fly the Confederate Battle Flag twice each year.  As the picture above shows we fly it a half-mast on October 12 and we fly it at full-mast on January 19.

Robert E. Lee died on October 12, 1870, in Lexington, Virginia (he was born January 19, 1807).  At the time he was  president of Washington College, which is now Washington and Lee University.

I’ve admired Lee for just about as long as I can remember, and that is getting to be a long time!  When I was in the third grade I asked Santa for an encyclopedia, which he brought.  I found a painting of Lee at the Battle of Chancellorsville in the encyclopedia which absolutely fascinated me.  The painting showed Lee on Traveler with the burning Chancellor mansion in the background.  Confederate troops were cheering Lee, but in the lower right hand corner was a wounded Union soldier who was also raising his hat to Lee.  What kind of man could cause an enemy to cheer him?

I know Lee fought for the ‘wrong’ side, but he did so, honorably, for what he thought were the right reasons.  But what I most admire is that Robert E. Lee was a gentleman in the best sense of the word.

So we’ll continue to fly that battle flag twice a year.

Tags: Battle Flag, History, Robert E. Lee

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