Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 38.djvu/261

 was made known, President Morton arose, with great solemnity of manner, and said: "In virtue of the vote just announced, I now declare the convention, the State of Louisiana and the Federal Union dissolved, and that she is a free sovereign and independent power."

Then Governor Moore entered the hall with a military officer, bearing a pelican flag. This was placed in the hands of President Morton, while the spectators and delegates, swayed with excitement, cheered vehemently. When all became quiet, a solemn prayer was offered, and the flag was blessed, according to the rites of the Roman Catholic Church, by Father Hubert.

A committee of the convention having in charge the subject of a State flag did not approve of the pelican as a bird, "in form unsightly, in habits filthy, in nature cowardly"; and also that they learned, to their amazement, from Audubon "that the story of the pelican feeding its young with its own blood is gammon." They therefore did not recommend this waterfowl as a fit subject for this flag, but rather one of loathing and contempt.

Subsequently the convention adopted as the flag of Louisiana a flag of thirteen stripes—four blue, six white and three red, commencing at the top with the colors as written.

The union was red, with its sides equal to the width of seven stripes; in its centre was a single, pale yellow, five-pointed star.

This was the flag which was hoisted on the city hall at New Orleans when Farragut appeared before that city, April 25, 1862.

Two days after the pelican flag was raised at New Orleans, on the 22d of December, 1860, a secession flag-pole, one hundred feet high, was raised at Petersburg, Va., amid the cheers of the people, and a palmetto flag hoisted on it. An unknown Union patriot, however, during the night sawed down the pole and carried off the flag. A week later, December 28th, the palmetto flag was raised over the custom house and postoffice at Charleston, S. C, and upon Forts Moultrie and Pinckney; and on the 1st of January, 1861, the Palmetto Guard held possession of the United States Arsenal, under the palmetto flag.

Captain McGowan, reporting the firing upon his vessel, the Star of the West, on the 9th of January, by a masked battery on Morris' Island, believed to be the first instance in the history of