Part 449: R. M. Shurtleff and the Civil War
In 1903, Thomas G. Moses studied fine art with Roswell Morse Shurtleff (1838-1915). A few years earlier, the newspapers published an article about Shurtleff’s art during the Civil War. The story first appeared in the “New York Sun,” and later republished in newspapers all over the country. Here is “Designed Confederate Button” from the Lindsbourg Record in Kansas (Lindsbourg, Kansas, 13 July 1900, page 4).
“Of the many former confederate veterans who wear the button of the confederate veteran’s association very few know that the design of the button was first drawn by a union officer. The designer was Lieut. R. M. Shurtleff and he drew the original design without any idea that it would ever be officially adopted by the confederate army. This is how the matter came about, as Lieut. Shurtleff tells the story:
A few days before the first battle of Bull Run he was sent out on a small scouting expedition with a small party of men of the naval brigade Ninety-ninth New York volunteers, union coast guard, in which organizations he was the first lieutenant. He was to make a report on the condition of the country in front of the union forces. While reconnoitering with his party he was surprised and attacked by a much larger force of confederates, and after being shot through the body and arm, was captured with all his men. The small union flag which the artillery carried was used to bind up the leader’s wounds, and today Lieut. Shurtleff has in his possession, the officer who captured him having sent it to him with his compliments many years after the close of the war. For a time his condition was very serious, but his captors gave him the best care they could and as soon as possible he was sent to Richmond where he had hospital care. At that time the confederates were not well furnished with prison quarters for captives. Libby prison not having been opened, and the lieutenant eventually brought up in the Richmond poorhouse, where he had little to eat, but was treated very kindly.
Still weak from the effects of his wounds, he was unable to walk about and spend much of his time while lying on his cot in making drawings for his own amusement and for he edification of the soldiers. The officers got paints and brushes for him and he made water color sketches which he presented to them. One day one of the officers who had been very kind to him came to his cot and said, “I wonder if you could design a sort of patriotic emblem for me. ‘I might,’ replied the prisoner smiling, ‘but I suspect that your idea and mine of what a patriotic emblem is wouldn’t quite be identical.” “Very likely not,” agreed the other, “but this isn’t anything that you need to trouble your conscience about. Gen. Beauregard’s little daughter is a great chum of mine, and I promised her I’d get up some sort of a painting of a confederate flag for her to hang on her wall. I’ve been trying to think up something, but as a designer I’m no use. So it occurred to me that you might help me out.” “Why, of course, I’ll be glad to do whatever I can,” said Lieut. Shurtleff. Give me a few days’ time, and I’ll get something done in water colors.”
Getting out his paints, he set to work to sketch, and presently, with the instinct of an artist, became deeply absorbed in the manner of the design, working all that day and getting up early the next morning to continue the task, discarding one idea after another until he finally hit upon a design that suited him. This was the St. Andrew’s cross in blue on a red ground with minor ornamentation of stars. He finished it up handsomely in watercolors and turned it over to his confederate friend, who was much pleased with it and brought back word that little Miss Beauregard was highly delighted, and was going to importune her father to let the Yankee gentleman who made it go back north. Shortly afterward Lieut. Shurtleff was transferred to Libby prison, and in 1862 was exchanged.
He forgot about the design for the time. A year or so later it was called to his attention in rather a startling way as he saw a captured confederate flag consisting of his design almost exactly as he had painted it. Still later he saw an official flag of the confederate states of America, and there was another repetition of the design, for it formed the entire corner of the ensign. Naturally, the artist was not pleased with his friend, the confederate officer, who had put him in the position of furnishing flag designs for enemies of his country. From what he has since learned, however, Lieut. Shurtleff is inclined to believe that the officer was not in fault.
It seems that Gen. Beauregard saw the painting which had been given to his daughter, and on asking her about it was told that it was a flag of her country and belonged to her personally. He suggested that she present it to her country, and after some consideration she agreed, stipulating that the original be returned to her after copies had been made. The flag was then produced in cloth and Gen. Beauregard had it adopted as the battle flag of the confederacy. Just how it came to be incorporated into the official flag Lieut. Shurtleff doesn’t know. At the close of the war the southern association of veterans adopted the original battle flag design for their button, and all the confederate veterans’ associations now wear that design with some slight modifications or additions. Meantime Lieut. Shurtleff would be interested in finding out the exact steps by which the adoption of his watercolor as the basis of the national flag of the confederacy was brought about. There is probably some one still living who could enlighten him, but he doesn’t know how to come at the information.”
To be continued…
