With Opelousas being a major town and crossroads of trade in southwest Louisiana in the 1850s-1860s, it was home to two newspapers: The Opelousas Courier and The Opelousas Patriot. These papers have provided interesting detail to the beginning of the war in Opelousas. They documented a common occurrence that took place when companies went off to war — flag presentations. Even though this was a common practice, the recording of these events are limited in Louisiana and thus the recording of such an event in Opelousas is a unique event in our parish's history.
Once a company began organizing, the common trend is that a group of ladies from the community gathered together to sew a flag for the volunteers. Then, when the company was fully organized and prepared to leave for war, there took place a big event with prominent speakers and a presentation of the flag to the soldiers.
The recorded flag dedication left behind in The Patriot was Captain James Pratt's Opelousas Guards, the future Company F of the 8th Louisiana. On June 5, 1861, a crowd, "as large and as select an audience as ever graced Opelousas," crowded the streets of Opelousas to watch the presentation. The Opelousas Guards, in their gray uniforms with black trim, were deployed into line in front of the stands with the crowd to their back.
Presenting the flag to the company were John E. King and a Dr. Lee. Mr. King delivered a patriotic speech to the volunteers, thanked the women of Opelousas for sewing the flag and then presented the flag to George W. Hudspeth of the Guards.
The flag given to the Opelousas Guards measured 64 inches on the staff and was 72 inches wide. It was a silk, navy blue flag trimmed in 3 inch long gold fringe. Across the top, in 2 — gold letters was the phrase "GOD AND OUR RIGHTS." Centered in the flag was a wreath that spanned almost 3 feet. Along the bottom third of the flag was the company's name in 2 1/8-inch gold letters.
The Guards' flag went through the entire war without being damaged and was brought to the area following the war. It survives today in a private collection.
All companies from St. Landry were given flags but the documentation of when and how remains unknown for most. The Confederate States Rangers (future Co. K of the 10th Louisiana) actually received its flag while it was at Camp Moore. E.A. Seaton wrote home that on July 19, 1861, that several women from Opelousas arrived in camp and presented with a flag.
Stuart Salling is the author of "Louisianians in the Western Confederacy: The Adams-Gibson Brigade in the Civil War."