History of the Cleburne County Flag – Commentary by Billy Bearden
|
Webmaster's Note: This is a great story that illustrates what persistence,
good public relations and teamwork can accomplish. I'm honored to call Billy a friend; Georgia and the South needs more patriots like him.
|
I wish to thank the following people that helped along the way and made the Battleflag of
General Patrick Cleburne fly again:
General William Hardy, for designing the flag, General Cleburne for bestowing
great leadership behind it, the brave men of Cleburne's Division who gave it great honor and respect in battle, The
Cleburne County Commissioners, especially Mr.Ryan Robertson, for adopting it, Mr. Brian O'Mahony of Cork City, County
Cork Ireland (Birthplace of General Cleburne) for helping provide research and background from the Emerald Isle, Ms.
Janet Baber of Edwardsville for helping push the flag idea in Cleburne County, Mr.Steve Scroggins of Macon for bringing
the original idea together on the computer, Mr.Richard Boarts of Bremen for donating the flag used for the original
design, Mr.Dustin Compton of Carrollton for the hand-painted artwork used in the original design, Mr.Willie Rice of
Cleburne County for acting as liason to Commissioner Robertson, the citizens of Cleburne Couty for their gracious
southern hospiltality, and Villa Rica Georgia's Sons of Confederate Veterans Forrest's Escort Camp #1239 for the
participation in helping Cleburne Day become a huge success, and without whose participation, the flag would not have
become reality.
Back in March 2003, after the closing ceremonies of the 2nd annual Cleburne
Day, and after I had helped load Wayne Cook's Cannon on the trailer, I was returning to my car when I happened past a
white Cleburne County truck that had a circular logo on the door. The logo was a blue ring with the words "Cleburne
County Alabama" written in white, surrounding a white circle in which were depicted two mountains, a sun, a river, and
six pine trees. Instantly I pictured the Hardee Corps Battle Flag, under which General Patrick Cleburne fought and gave
his life, and whose memory we had just finished honoring.
Wouldn't the logo fit perfectly and look great as part of a County Flag? I
thought to myself. I asked a passing dignitary if in fact the county did have a flag, and to my pleasant surprise found
out there was no such banner. I did mention to him that the county logo would make a perfect addition to the Hardee
Corps Battleflag and make a beautiful county flag, and while he nodded in acknowledgement, I doubt he understood what
I was talking about.
It wasn't until December 2003 that I received info on the 3rd annual Cleburne
Day, and that it would be the 140th anniversary of the General's untimely death. I was included in a planning session
email, and gave suggestions for a parade, and reiterated my flag proposal to the group. A member of the group was Ms.
Janet Baber, who donated the painting of the General with a Hardee Corps Battleflag in the background. She and I had
worked on another project a few months previous.
Below are some surviving correspondence with some of the folks who are
mentioned above. These messages and paper clippings are from 2004.
Date:Wed, 31 Dec 2003 07:38:30
From:"Billy Bearden"
Subject:A great idea for the Cleburne event.....
To:Bobeeple@aol.com
Hello Janet
This is Billy Bearden -
I have been to the last 2 Cleburne days, as a member of Forrest's Escort SCV Camp #1239
http://members.tripod.com/~car0lesc0tt/startwo.jpg
(that's me holding my ears). I do remember suggesting a parade for us Confederates, and am glad to see it will now
happen.
Here is my idea. If you would choose to help , we would have about 80 days to
make it happen. The idea is simple , but in what final form is a matter of debate. Please get as many folks involved as
possible....
County named after Gen Patrick Ronayne Cleburne
http://www.thewildgeese.com/pages/images/clburne.gif
General Cleburne's forces carried a Hardee Corp flag http://www.flagguys.com/img/hardee.jpg
Cleburne County Government's official logo
http://www.cleburnecounty.org/images/roadlogo.jpg
My idea - just place the county logo in the center of the Hardee corps flag and
get the County commisioners to adopt the newly created flag as the county flag - thus Cleburne county will fly a
Confederate (Cleburne) Battle Flag - PLUS the fact that in 2004 it will be the 140 year anniversary of the General's
death.
I could get a Hardee corp flag and have an artist (or yourself) replicate the
logo in the center moon, then go before the County commission and do a presentation on it and have them approve it
(I believe they would) and then it could be officially dedicated on March 20th 2004 by the local dignitaries with
press coverage yada yada and everone comes out like a winner.
Whatcha think?
Thanx & God Bless
Billy Bearden
(The following is my reply to those addresses listed below due to them [Cleburne Planning Committee] sending me an
email requesting ideas for Cleburne Day)
From : Billy Bearden
Sent : Saturday, January 31, 2004 5:37 PM
To : [various committee members]
Subject : Re: Cleburne planning day
Hello good people:
My name is Billy Bearden, and I have participated in the last 2 years Cleburne
Day festivities, as a member of Forrest Escort SCV Camp #1239 from Villa Rica. I was forwarded the message of the
planning session on Tuesday @ 10:30 am, which I would love to attend, but I will be at work at that time, so I will
pass my idea along. Ms. Janet Baber is also aware and she should be present
My idea is simple. Take the Hardee Corps design flag that General Patrick
Cleburne's troops used (Blue field with white border and white moon in center) and place the Cleburne County government
(Blue ring "CLEBURNE COUNTY ALABAMA" around white circle containing 2 mountains, road and six trees) seal in the middle -
which would take the place of , or fill the void of , the white moon. Then have the Cleburne County commission adopt it
as the official County flag.
My belief is that this would be a excellent memorial to the distinguished
General and his brave troops. The colors match - the design of both the flag and the county logo are a perfect match,
and there is time enough between now and the event to get this accomplished.
Ms. Baber has suggested that the reenactor portraying the General could ride
up to the dignitaries and present it, or the Confederate Belles (as they were usually the ones who sewed the flags for
their sons and husbands).
Thanx & God Bless
Billy Bearden
(Below is Janet's reply to me, verifying the flag idea, altering the letter font style, and filling in some Cleburne
Day itinerary)
From:Bobeeple@aol.com
Date:Sat, 7 Feb 2004 09:32:03 EST
Subject:Re: Cleburne day planning
To:cobbslegionscv@yahoo.com
Billy:
Yep, I went and it's on for March 20. They want to do the flag thing and want
y'all to come as the first time, do the salute, etc. This time will have no speakers like last year, but they want to
do a parade with y'all and the guy from FL who portrays Cleburne on his horse.
I have to work the next 3 nights, but then will be off a week and will
probably make the flag. It will be the county seal inside the white disk of a Hardee with Cleburne County in white
lettering, like the 33rd AL flag. They want to close off the street and get vendors, etc., make it a festival type of
thing .
--j
(The following appeared as a Letter to the Editor in the Cleburne News, taken from my email to the Planning Committee 20
days previous)
http://www.cleburnenews.com/opinion/2004/cn-letters-0219-0-4b19k2721.htm
(Although the picture isn't shown, this is the email where Georgia Heritage
Council webmaster created in jpeg format the image of the Cleburne County Flag I had envisioned)
Date:Sun, 22 Feb 2004 17:32:54
From: "Steve Scroggins"
Subject:Re: Help build a flag
To:"Billy Bearden"
See attached. Hope that works for your purpose.
--steve
Billy Bearden wrote:
Steve
Could you piece a flag together for me? The banner is the Hardee Corps Battle Flag
http://www.flagguys.com/img/hardee.jpg
And the logo is to take the place of the moon center
http://www.cleburnecounty.org/images/roadlogo.jpg
I am trying to get the good folks in Cleburne County Alabama to adopt the
Cleburne Battle Flag for their new County Flag. I have had this idea for the past year. It only seems logical to me....
Thanx & God Bless
Billy
(Here I invite Ms. Janet over to the Raburne City Council meeting to
request a Confederate History Month Proclamation be signed - which it was)
From:Bobeeple@aol.com
Date:Wed, 3 Mar 2004 00:52:17 EST
Subject:Re: Free on March 15th @ 7 pm?
To:cobbslegionscv@yahoo.com
Billy:
I have a copy of the Cleburne County heritage book with the rosters of the
2 units from the area in which most of the Calhoun locals served, the 48th Ala Co I,K "Newman Pounds Guards"and 44th
Ala Co I,K, ,Some also served in the 3rd Ala Cav Co G, "Floyd Bush Rangers" , Randolph County men served in the 22nd
Ala Co G, 25th , 45th Ala as well as the 26th/50th Ala All served at Franklin in Cleburne's Division along with the
17th Ala and 33rd Ala .
Don't know if I have to work that nite or not, but will advise as soon as I
know.
j
(The following appeared in the Cleburne News leading up to Cleburne Day # 3.
It was also the time I learned that the flag idea was not to be implemented)
Cleburne Day to be big event 3-11-2004
Cleburne Day set for Saturday [3-18-2004]
(The following Cleburne News account tells us the results of the "Student Flag
Drawing Contest", where the winning design was slated to be placed in the Mt Cheaha Museum and a county flag still not
adopted)
Cleburne Day attracts many [3-25-2004]
(Communications between Steve and myself - an 'after action' report to keep
him in the loop)
Date:Sun, 28 Mar 2004
From:"Steve Scroggins"
Subject:Re: Yet another CoC flag disaster
To:"Billy Bearden"
Billy, thanks for the info.
You know, many rural or small city chambers are full of regular and heritage
folks. For a few folks, money will always be more important than heritage, but that trait is more common in larger
cities with yankee transplants.
WHAT WE NEED are folks who could make the case that honoring heritage makes
good sense money/tourism-wise (see SC boycott & tourism increases).
Hope your flag or a simpler Confed design wins out.
Now you have me wondering about the flags on my home county and city. There
are several flags I've been wondering about. Near our county courthouse is a light blue flag (not Barnes)...each time
I've noticed it, there was no wind and it was limp.
....and I've seen other flags that I gathered was a city flag (Macon)...it's
mostly red with one diagonal blue stripe...when it's limp, it can be mistaken for a CBF or '56 flag. Reckon I need to
research these.
--steve
-----------------------------
Billy Bearden wrote:
Hello Steve
Here is an up to date report on the "Flag Issue" in Cleburne County Alabama.
Since I involved you, you deserve to be informed.
Last year I had the idea to place the Cleburne County logo in the Hardee Corp
flag and have them adopt it as their county flag.
This year begining in late January I passed along my idea AGAIN to those whom
I shared it with last year , but also numerous Cleburne County folks who were in on the 2004 Cleburne day planning
committee. One of the emails included in the reply to addresses was apparently the Cleburne News, as part of it made
the "Letter to the Editor".
I sent them all my idea with a very descriptive instructions. You even put
together a very excellent rendition of my vision for a visual aid. Very simple, Very logical, Very beautiful. General
Cleburne would be proud.
Our flagger lady from Edwardsville Alabama - Miss Janet Baber decided to alter
the plans and discarded the county logo, and wanted to instead place "CLEBURNE COUNTY' over the moon, and insert
'1866' inside the moon (year the county was formed) in the style of the 33rd Alabama unit's font. She turned it over
to some unnamed seamstress who was supposed to be "doing a great job"
Then the Cleburne Historical Society took over and created a school child
flag drawing contest and opened it up for all schools in the county. I was unaware and unable to gather any info on
it until the day of the unveiling.
A fifth grade girl named McKenzie Cash won the drawing contest. The finished
flag contained her design, which was a square Hardee Corp sewn flag , in the upper left corner was Praying Hands, in
the upper right was a Diploma, in the lower right was a shamrock, and the lower left was mountains. In the moon, off
center to the left, was the numbers "1866" Nowhere was anything designating it Cleburne County.
A quote from the Cleburne folks said the flag will have some other use,
because the design is too intricate for mass production. I am left feeling betrayed because the most logical design
was not used, but vindicated because now they are wanting simplicity, which is what they had to begin with. Hopefully
my design will make a comeback. We will have to wait till 2005 to find out.
(Ms Janet's take on the situation, and comments on 2005's Cleburne Day)
From:Bobeeple@aol.com
Date:Sun, 28 Mar 2004 13:18:36 EST
Subject:Re: Mornin' Ma'am
To:cobbslegionscv@yahoo.com
The flag is on the flagpole still.
Next year we have to get a parade together that will be really impressive.
This year was only a drill. Let's face it, we need numbers. Lots of people and lots of horses, floats etc.and LOUD
music. We must think BIG and advance this thing. The flag incident and taking of the artillery spot were both insults
as far as I'm concerned but I know that they were not intended as such. They were merely the results of a lack of
planning and will be addressed at the "post-mortem." The flag itself was poorly done, to say the least. The whole
thing was haphazardly thrown together in a short amount of time. Next year it will be different.
Last year, I did the promotion beforehand myself, writing the articles for
the newspaper, supplying photos, securing the entertainment, reenactors, speakers and distributing about 4500 flyers
all over Cleburne, Calhoun, west GA with no help, except from the SCV camps. This year, I simply could not do all that,
because I had to work and fence in these paddocks for the horses, do work on the house, etc.
Wayne Ruple of the Cleburne News is really a Confederate-friendly guy, and
if he is supplied with the info, he will print it. Everything I gave him last year as far as articles and photos about
the speakers, reenactors, and entertainment he put on the front page. This year, all that was left up to the CoC, which
did nothing. They did not even put up banners until two days before! and only put up one! We can look at the whole
thing as a step in the right direction; we know what went wrong and how to fix it.
The folks who put on the big parades in NY and California start working on
next year the day after; we have to do that as well, if we want ours to grow.
On the positive side:
The folks who saw the parade , small as it was, were all smiling.
The ones who came from Florida had a blast, plan to return and bring MORE friends
and horses.
The horse folks from around here will increase, as I am working even now to
get it on their agenda for next year. The ones who rode in it had fun and will encourage more of their friends to
participate next year.
I will have our music issues as far as timing and volume etc. RESOLVED
We will have a musical act to promote well beforehand and knowledge of exactly
what is going to be in the parade so we can promote that as well as the living history stuff.
For example, I had no idea beforehand that one of the horses that was in the
parade was one that Robert Duvall rode as Gen'l Lee in the movie, "Gods and Generals" until after the parade, and that
the tents set up were used in the movie as well.
I was just outside digging up a clump of garlic that was in the line of my
fence posts yet to be installed and found something pretty amazing. I have mowed along this area and excavated many
times in the past, always on the lookout for glass. I happened to look down as I was walking up the hillside and saw
what looked like a piece of glass sticking out of the ground. I pulled it up and it was a perfectly intact antique
bottle, the kind that had to have a stopper or cork in it. In it was growing some kind of green plant. When I looked
closer,I saw the cutest little "shamrocks" Ever hear of a message in a bottle?
Later, J
(This goes under the "If ya want something done right..." category)
Undeterred at the setback, in January 2005 I secured a Hardee Battleflag from
Mr. Richard Boarts, and commissioned artist Mr. Dustin Compton, a fellow employee and Roopville resident, to hand paint
the logo over the moon. He completed the task in early February, and the results were fantastic. I then called and
placed my name on the Cleburne County Commission Agenda for February 14th - Valentine's Day.
I arrived at approx. 4:45pm and went to room 207 on the 2nd floor. The meeting
was moved to the Grand Jury room on the ground floor to accomodate a handicapped individual. Ms. Jane Sanders of the
Cleburne Historical Society went first under new business to ask for $500 in support of Cleburne Day, but she left as
soon as her request was granted, and didn't get to hear my proposal, which was another setback, as I'll explain.
I gave a brief history and made my proposal about 7:30pm, requesting it be
adopted as the official county flag. Then Chairman Robertson said he was impressed and got affirmative responses from
the other 3 commissioners present, it seemed like they would vote for adoption right then. Chair Robertson suggested
that it be shown as a courtesy to Ms Sanders, but noone could locate her, so reluctantly Chair Robertson tabled the
issue for 1 month until March 14th to give him time to show it to her.
In early March, Chairman/Judge Robertson discussed the flag with Ms Sanders,
and she stated she was not doing another 'contest' and the proposed design was fine with her.
The flag was presented to the full commission on March 14th, 2005, and was
UNANIMOUSLY adopted at approx 6:20pm CST. There is to be a ceremony on the courthouse grounds on Cleburne day the
19th of March to introduce it to the public.
Here's to you, General Cleburne, and your brave men! Long may we remember your efforts and sacrifices!
Billy Bearden (left) presents flag to Cleburne County Commission
EMAIL THIS
PRINT THIS
