The Texas Ranger's Flag

Confederate Veteran
Volume10, Number 4, Page 159
April 1902

Mrs. Maude McIver Rountree, Birmingham, Ala.:

When the small remnant of that glorious Eighth Texas Cavalry, Terry's Texas Rangers, meet with the other veterans in Dallas this spring, they will doubtless have with them two flags—one old and battleworn, the other fresh and bright, but both inexpressibly dear to the heart of every living Ranger.

In the history of the former flag four States are closely connected, as it was made in Tennessee, presented in Alabama to a Texas regiment, and was found by an Indiana regiment, who held it until 1899.

It was made by Miss Mary McIver, who still resides in Nashville, Tenn., assisted by Miss Robbie Woodruff, who died some years ago. The material used was a blue silk dress of Miss McIver's and was lined with a white satin wedding dress. It bore a circular field of blue, with the motto, "God Defend the Right," "Terry's Texas Rangers," with a Texas star in the center, and was taken to the regiment by Miss McIver's brother, John S. McIver, September 12, 1864, and presented by Col. Gustave Cook near Florence, Ala.

On October 22, 1864, after the Rangers had joined the Army of Tennessee under Gen. J. B. Hood on his march in the rear of Gen. Sherman, and after taking Dalton and cutting off the communication of Sherman with Thomas at Nashville, the Confederate army fell back toward Blue Mountain. Hood's rear was then ten miles south of Gaylesville, ordered Harrison's Brigade to reconnoiter in the direction of Rome, Ga. Gen. Tom Harrison obeyed the command and met Wilder's Division, which with a like purpose was advancing, and our command was forced by overwhelming numbers to retreat. In the confusion the standard bearer of the Rangers, Count Jones, in passing through the woods, lost the flag from the staff. The next day it was found by Maj. Wicler, of the Seventeenth Indiana Regiment. He is now a resident of Dallas, Tex.

Having lost all hope of ever recovering the flag, Miss McIver made another, lined with a part of the same wedding dress and had it presented to the Rangers during the Confederate reunion held in Nashville in June, 1897.

In March, 1899, the Legislature of Indiana passed a concurrent resolution to restore the flag to the Rangers and appropriated $250 to defray the expense thereof. It was taken to Dallas, Tex., by Gov. Mount, of Indiana--who has since died--accompanied by his staff and members of the Legislature and of the G. A. R.s, thus emphasizing the appreciation of the true soldier for the men he fought. Gov. Mount remarked during his address: "We come to return in love a battle flag we took in anger." Every Texas Ranger well knows that their flag was never captured, and at the time of its return Maj. George B. Guild published the facts of the case, in which he says: "The loss of the flag, which was torn from the staff in the dense woodland, was considered quite a joke by the Tennessee portion of the command, who always thought it should have been given to them. The Texans understood this and took delight in guying the Tennesseans about it. But after this occurrence the tables were turned, and the Tennesseans would cry out to the Texans: "Look here, boys, what did you do with the flag our girls gave you?"