SALUDA GUARDS

History

Captain William Moultrie Gibbes formed this company about April 1860 at the old fairgrounds across from the Lutheran Church in Lexington. They were given uniforms, muskets and ammunition then met at Saluda Factory for orders. According to an account in R&R, Vol. 9, p. 575-6, they were placed in Gregg’s 1st SCV as Company O and sent to Virginia. At some point soon after the unit disbanded and some of them came home or joined other units.  Probably with Sherman’s advance into Lexington, the flag was found hidden in a swamp by James Scott, 9th Michigan Cavalry. While being used as decoration in a tent, the tent caught on fire and the flag sustained burns. In 1908 it was returned from Michigan to M. D. Harmon, formerly of the Saluda Guards. Harmon finally gave the flag to the Wade Hampton Chapter in 1923.  Reverse side has not been seen since being framed years ago.  Note: Now is the opportunity to see other side and save this flag.

Description/Condition

Originally, the flag was of white silk, now yellowed.  On one side is painted a wreath of leaves and flowers which surrounds the slogan “Guard this till our Country’s Free, Guard it God will Prosper Thee.”  Above the wreath is printed in black “Presented by the Ladies” with “of” and “Lexington” on either side.  A gold star is painted in the upper left corner.  Below the wreath is a red ribbon with gold lettering, “Saluda Guards, January 11th, 1861.” There are major areas of loss in the upper right of the flag in the frame, where a small curved gold shape may be the remnants of a crescent.  There are also small areas of loss in the upper right and lower right of the wreath, and along the crease lines where the flag was formerly folded.  Notes in the museum’s files indicate that the reverse once had a palmetto tree with the words “Presented by the Ladies of Lexington.”