History museum acquires Confederate battle flag
The state History Museum has acquired a Confederate battle flag carried by the North Carolina regiment responsible for accidentally shooting Lt. Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson.
Posted — UpdatedThe 18th North Carolina Regiment troops were responsible for Jackson's shooting May 2, 1863, at Chancellorsville, Va. Jackson died of pneumonia a week later.
Museum officials say they didn't know the flag existed until they got a letter from its owner in 1992. In 1993, Dr. Tom Walsh of New Jersey loaned the flag to the museum. He recently offered to donate a partial value of the flag to the museum, which purchased the remaining value in May.
It's now on view in an exhibit titled "A Call to Arms: North Carolina Military History Gallery."
The museum's curator of military history, Tom Belton, says the acquisition of the flag is one of the greatest highlights of his 30 years with the museum.
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