Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag!

Pictured to the right is the Navy Jack of the Confederate States of America. It was not the country's flag. It wasn't even the battle flag of the short-lived republic. It was the flag flown from the CSA's ships that were fighting for southern freedom. Unfortunately, however, this flag today has gained a very negative image, representing to many people a spirit of rebellion and infidelity. This is really a shame, as in the old days this was definitely not intended. I daresay that the negative image attributed to the Navy Jack has also spread to other things as well. Since it is often thought to have been the flag of the Confederacy itself, it gives the country a bad image also.

A popular song during the War Between the States hailed the first (unofficial) flag, a blue flag with a white star in the center:

We are a band of brothers and native to the soil,
Fighting for our liberty with treasure, blood and toil;
And when our rights were threatened, the cry rose near and far,
Hurrah! for the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star.

Hurrah! Hurrah! For Southern rights hurrah!
Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star.

As long as the Union was faithful to her trust,
Like friends and like brothers both kind were we and just;
But now, when Northern treachery attempts our rights to mar,
We hoist on high the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star.

Hurrah! Hurrah! For Southern rights hurrah!
Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star.

The verses then go on to welcome each new state to the confederacy. The first official national flag is the one often called "the stars and bars" (pictured to the left). This flag was employed for two years, and then retired due to its similarity to the United States flag. After that, a new flag was adopted, called the "stainless banner". This flag had a white field, with the battle flag in the canton (the battle flag being a square version of the Navy Jack). This flag was clearly distinct, but when there was no wind, it could easily be mistaken for a flag of truce, since it was mostly white. Thus, the third national flag was adopted in 1865. This one was identical to the stainless banner, except that it had a red bar on the right edge, to clearly distinguish it from being a sign of surrender. Unfortunately, this flag was very short-lived, since the South was conquered just a month later.

Although many regard the banners of the Confederacy as negative symbols, we should not be ashamed of our heritage. Let us display the flags proudly in memory of the soldiers who fought and died for our freedom long ago.

Wow! Look at that!

We were in the cafeteria visiting at Freed-Hardeman University in Tennessee, when we spotted a very unusual sight. It was an 18-wheeler truck, hauling a flatbed trailer full of logs—big long logs! Of course it was just a logging truck passing through Henderson, a common sight there, but it was so foreign to us Texans because the only trees in Texas big enough for logging are in east Texas, and we don't even go there very often.

On our trek throughout the southern states, we saw a few more logging trucks, and even some lumberyards. This was just one thing that makes Texas different from the rest of the south. It seems that as you travel east from where we live, the trees get taller and taller, especially when you cross the Mississippi. We were constantly amazed by the great height of the trees in Tennessee and North Carolina.

Another thing that makes Texas unique (or makes everywhere else unique; it depends on your perspective) is the meaning of the word "barbecue". Mention this in Texas and people will get visions of brisket and chopped beef sandwiches, slathered with barbecue sauce. However, we have discovered that back east, barbecue is a whole 'nother deal. Sure, it has barbecue sauce, but they put it on pork! Can you imagine that?

Southern Monuments

Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia

As we drove through the Chickamauga battlefield at the Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park, we noted the monuments that had been put up in honor of all the soldiers who had fought in that battle. There were simple and ornate ones, monuments of great size and others that were smaller. Some were in honor of all soldiers from a certain state, whereas others were in memory of those who fought in a certain brigade. All monuments, however, clearly displayed the pride of those who erected them in their fallen heroes, whether Union or Confederate. One very large monument is the one for the northern Wilder Brigade, pictured above. This colossal tower contains steps which lead up to the turret at the top. Much money and effort were apparently expended in order to create this magnificent memorial.

As we drove along one road through the park, the Union monuments were all placed on the right side of the road, and the Confederate ones on the left. We could not help but notice that those monuments erected by Northern states were very much more numerous than those on the other side, and also that the Northern monuments were often bigger and more elaborate.
As we speculated why this might have been the case, especially since we were in Georgia, we figured that most likely it was due to the Southern states not having money to built great and numerous monuments, as had the northerners done. Even though most of the monuments were built years after the war, the devastation was so great in the south that money for such things was not allocated.

As we drove through the park viewing all the monuments and the battlefield itself, we remembered our ancestors, who fought for what they believed in: the lost cause.

Dragons of the Sea

Tennessee Aquarium, Chattooga

While in Chattanooga, we had the privilege of going to the Tennessee Aquarium. This complex is housed in two different buildings, and contains all manner of fish and crustaceans, not to mention many other water-loving creatures. The otters were great, the paddlefish fantastic, the piranhas fearsome, but the part I enjoyed the most was the room of seahorses.

Although not in the ocean building, this room held aquariums filled with every type of seahorse imaginable, including pot belly sea horses (that's right!). Even aside from displaying these odd-looking fish, signs on the tanks told of all their interesting characteristics.

As I went around the room, peering into each tank and noting which species lived in each, I marveled, though not too greatly. We all know what seahorses look like, having seen them in books, but when I came to one tank, I was simply astonished. The creatures inside resembled seahorses, but they were bigger, and were unlike anything I had ever seen. As I looked at their long trumpet-like noses and their bodies that resembled clumps of seaweed, a thought entered my mind—These look just like dillapedes! And indeed they did. These creatures—sea dragons they're called--looked like a product of my imagination, something that might have jumped off the pages of my Dillapedia and came to life.

There are two kinds of sea dragons, leafy ones and weedy ones. The leafy sea dragons are metallic green, but are not quite as leafy as the weedy sea dragons, which look like they're sprouting leaves all over.

I believe sea dragons really show God's creativity. While all the other creatures and plants show His handiwork and design as well, it's these strange-looking ones that really grab your attention, and make you think, "I bet He had fun making those!"