Battle Flag of the 4th Texas Volunteer Infantry - Anderson, TX - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

The Confederate Memorial Park in Anderson, TX is along Main Street, just a few lots south of the Grimes County Courthouse. It is a small park dedicated to the memory of the 1,700 Confederate soldiers from Grimes County who served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War from 1861-1865. There is a red brick and iron pole fence across the front of the park's entrance which has an iron arch in the middle supported by brick columns and "Confederate Memorial Park:" spelled out along the arch. Looking into the park at the entrance you immediately see a life-size bronze sculpture representing a Confederate soldier. This soldier represents those men from Grimes County that formed Company "G", 4th Texas Volunteer Infantry, Army of Northern Virginia, more commonly known as "The Grimes County Greys." Farther on behind the sculpture is a flag pole that continuously flies its Confederate battle flag.

The Confederacy had several officially adopted national flags during the war years, but the most enduring and most iconic of all their flags is the version known as the "Southern Cross." This was always used as the Confederate battle flag and was made into a square shaped flag with a red background across which blue diagonal ribbons trimmed with thin white borders ran over the red background. On the blue diagonals were a white star in the center with three white stars going out on each of the four arms of the "X" for a total of thirteen stars. This design, or variations of it, was also incorporated into the three national flags that were always made in a rectangular shape. At the Confederate Memorial Park, only the battle flag version of the CSA flag is flown at all times, day or night.

The Sign of History next to this park's flag pole tells the history behind the first CSA battle flag that was handmade by Miss Lula Wigfall in November of 1861 and was eventually presented to the Fourth Regiment Texas Volunteer Infantry to use in their battle charges.Miss Wigfall make the center star a bit bigger than the other 12 stars because she felt that star represented Texas, so it was more important, so she make it the biggest.

The plaque giving the history of the CSA flag used by the Grimes County Greys is found to the right of the foundation stones surrounding the flag pole. It reads as follows:

"Battle Flag of the Fourth Texas Volunteer Infantry
(Replica Wigfall flag flown at this site perpetually)

Made by Miss Lula Wigfall in November of 1861 and presented to Colonel John Bell Hood in Virginia by her father General Louis T. Wigfall with her request that it be presented to the Fourth regiment Texas Volunteer Infantry. The thirteen stars and the white trim were made from her mother's wedding gown. Inscribed on the bronze finale of the flagstaff was this motto: 'Fear not for I am with you. Say to the North give up, and to the South keep not back.'
Through the battles of Ethan's Landing, Seven Pines, Gains' Mill, Freeman's Ford, Second Manassas, Boonsboro Gap, and Sharpsburg this banner waved proudly and victoriously. Nine color bearers fell in battle carrying it. It was at the battle of Second Manasses that the finale was struck by a mini ball. Pierced by 65 bullets and 3 shells this historic silken standard was retired on October 7, 1862. It was returned to Texas by Captain S.H. Darden and presented to Governor Lubbock and deposited in the state archives. In 1865 the day before federal troops reached Austin, two men from the 4th, home at the time, retrieved this flag from the Capitol. the sacred banner was wrapped in oilcloth and buried on the banks of Barton Creek near Austin. In June of 1871 veterans of Company "B" 4th Texas Volunteer Infantry resurrected it. The banner became the property of the United Daughters of the Confederacy and was recently conserved.
NOTE: The thirteen stars appearing in the St. Andrew's cross of the Confederate battle flag were of the same size. each star represented one of the 13 states of the Confederacy. Naturally, Miss Wigfall felt the Texas star was more important and gave it the larger center star."

Group that erected the marker: Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 924, The Grimes County Greys URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link] Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: 121 S. Main Street Anderson, TX USA 77830

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Date Logged Log   02/11/2020 WayBetterFinder visited it