More follows:

Do you know where the records are for the flag makers you listed:

Bee & Silcox - Charleston
Charles West - Charleston
Henry Vaughan (was he in Mobile?)
R & D. Bush - Mobile>>>>>

Citizens & Business files in the National Archives has them under their respective names (M-346 Microcopy). That's where I got what I have in my files. A very overlooked CS resource.

>>>>>The thing is that SC doesn't have any money. Our state run organizations like the Relic Room were gasping for air BEFORE the economy went south. To get that flag from Iowa to SC takes money and without some type of provenance, I can't see the Relic room signing up to try to raise it. I am sure they have known what SC flags were in Iowa for many, many years. I am also sure I don't have to tell you that to get people to reach in their pockets, you need some type of hook. Good or bad historical research notwithstanding, the Citadel has quite the hook and the alumni with deep pockets to get this flag to SC. Would it be nice if the Citadel alumni raised the money and then let the flag go to the Relic Room or the State Museum for a visit - yes it would. Is that going to happen in our lifetime - doubtful. That's against human nature.>>>>>

Well that's too bad as the Relic Room people are great! I just fear that the Citadel would buck wanting to give this flag back to Iowa since the CHC probably has them fully convinced it is Big Red (see my post on chanting minions in grass skirts). I just do not trust the Citadel at all and this is purely based on the caliber of graduates that were involved in this report.

>>>>I worked in Iowa for many, many months and this country is priviledged to have Iowans as fellow citizens. But, as great as they are, they're not willing to turn over the Red Palmetto or our 1865 Statehouse flag to SC, when everybody knows that should have been done back in the early 1900's when everyone was returning flags. Shoot those flags should have been sitting in Washington, anyway =).>>>>

Sheila Hanke is terrific and was most accomodating when I was there a few years ago. I have since sent her a bunch of stuff from post-war Iowa papers about their flags. The 1905 flags return was only for flags in Federal hands and was not binding on the states. Some states have sent flags back over the years.

Can you get a copy of Ben Hudson's SC flags study? I would really like to see what he has.

Greg Biggs