Southern relics from the revolutionary era, Stephens said, have become increasingly hard to find. Many were destroyed in the American Civil War, specifically when Gen. William Sherman marched his troops across the south, burning large amounts of property and land in the process.
“Relics are few and far between because of the fact Atlanta burned, Columbia burned,” said Stephens. “Anything families may have had or museums or government entities had were most likely destroyed. The south’s participation in the revolution was erased.”
The Spartan Regiment flag came to be in the possession of Col. Thomas Brandon, who passed it down to down to his children, and it remained in the family for more than 200 years. It was kept in a small wooden trunk, and the names of the family members who inherited it are carved inside, according to the museum.
“(The vexillologist) said this is a national treasure and probably one of the most significant finds of an American Revolutionary Relic in the last 20 years. Those are some very big words,” said Stephens.
According to Cobb, the flag was the standard for the Spartan Regiment, which was formed in by Col. John Thomas at Wofford’s Iron Mill. The unit later split into two regiments, and Spartanburg is named for them.
“Spartanburg County is very deeply rooted in the Revolutionary War,” said Cobb.
To mark the acquisition of the battle flag, the veteran’s affairs office printed replica flags and matching challenge coins to give to local officials.
The Spartan Regiment flag is not the first historical relic the library system has brought back to Spartanburg County. Years ago the county was able to locate and return the Spartanburg Freedom Flag, which had been sewn by the wife of a Black pastor at the end of the Civil War, when news of the emancipation of slaves reached the Upstate.
That flag was flown in a parade celebrating the end of the war and the end of slavery. It eventually ended up in California before the county was able to bring it home.
A self-described “community nut,” Stephens said bringing back historical relics like the Freedom flag and the Spartan Regiment standard are an important part of helping to shape the narrative of local history.
“For me, I’m a kid of Spartanburg, I grew up in Spartanburg, I think it’s important for communities to be able to share their story and participate in defining who they are. Sometimes we spend a lot of time focused on wars or battles or military actions that overshadows what the Upstate’s participation was in the American Revolution,” he said.
Stephens said the battle flag will remain on display at the Museum of the American Revolution for another four or five months. When it is able to be safely transported it will be returned to Spartanburg County and kept on display.
–wspa.com
