>>>>>>Basically, after being rejected here and then rejected by our flags group because they could not prove their case, they found Mr. Hudson who would do so and used him. <<<<<<<

First let me reiterate that 1. I have no affiliation with the Citadel; 2. I have been out of the loop for awhile now; and 3. I don't want to be in a position where I'm defending anybody or anyone.

But, I do have to say that you have this order wrong. Ben Hudson was researching this flag before the Citadel alumnus who wrote the first article/report even heard about it. I know this because I'm the one that contacted Ben Hudson and subsequently I was informed when Mike Kirby contacted that fellow (I wish I could remember his name - I remember he graduated from the Citadel in 1983 =) who wrote the first article.

>>>>>>>>>I can state categorically, that one of the Citadel people that we worked with last year on this for over a month's worth of emails basically stated, "well they don't want to help us!" That translates to "they do not want to sign off on the flag in Iowa being Big Red so let's go." <<<<<<<

Please see my reiterations up top =). I'm going to use your sentences to get something off of my chest and it's NOT directed at you. When all of this started, there were three of us, Ben Hudson, Mike Kirby, and myself who were really trying to track the provenance of the flag down. We looked at lots of options for the flag - ship in Mobile, store in Mobile, Fort Blakely, etc. It wasn't a foregone conclusion, EVER, that this was Big Red. In MY opinion, the worst thing that happened was when the 1983 Citadel alumnus sent out an email that said something to the effect of "Big Red has been found". Because from that time on, the impetus of most people was to shoot down that theory rather than trying to find the provenance of the flag. I can only speak to my feelings at that time, but I know it steamed me. Why? Because I didn't give a good damn if it was associated with the Citadel or not. All I cared about was that there was a rare, obviously SC, probable Civil War, absolutely beautiful Civil War flag in Iowa and a bunch of South Carolinians who should have been helping us research the flag were instead spending their resources shooting everything down. Had they spent 1/4 of their energy in actually doing research instead of poking holes, we would probably have the provenance of that flag by now. As a Saluda County country gal and somewhat redneck, I'm telling you, if I could have gotten a hold of some of them, I would have boot-kicked them right across the state line =).

Wow, that felt good to type =).

>>>>>>>Personally, I wish Iowa would NOT send this flag to the Citadel. What the CHC has done with this report has tarnished the name of that fine school. They simply do not deserve to have it on display - and I guarantee you that they will display it as "Big Red from Morris Island, 1861. <<<<<<

I don't know you, where you are from, etc, but I would ask that you look at it from my point of view. It's a SC flag making a visit to SC. That is something to celebrate.

If the Citadel has tarnished their reputation from the report, it won't be the first time that South Carolinians have bit themselves in the hind quarters and it won't be the last =). Heck, we have a reputation to uphold - top of every bad list and bottom of every good list.