Leaders of an organization devoted to the Confederate heritage say they are delighted by the recent trend toward practicing inclusiveness by flying the Somali flag with or instead of the American flag. “The Somali flag is essentially identical to the Bonnie Blue flag, which was the original flag of the Confederacy,” said Dooley Stringfellow, president of the Apostles of the Sacred Soil (ASS). “It…

The Sons of Confederate Veterans, in furtherance of the Charge of Lieutenant General Stephen D. Lee, shall be strictly patriotic, historical, educational, fraternal, benevolent, non-political, non-racial and non-sectarian. The Sons of Confederate Veterans neither embraces, nor espouses acts or ideologies of racial and religious bigotry, and further, condemns the misuse of its sacred symbols and flags in the conduct of same. Each member is expected to perform his full duty as a citizen according to his own conscience and understanding.

uh huh.

“To you, Sons of Confederate Veterans, we will commit the vindication of the cause for which we fought. To your strength will be given the defense of the Confederate soldier’s good name, the guardianship of his history, the emulation of his virtues, the perpetuation of those principles which he loved and which you love also, and those ideals which made him glorious and which you also cherish.” — Lt. General Stephen Dill Lee, Commander General, United Confederate Veterans, New Orleans, Louisiana, April 25, 1906

On July 1, 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg began in Pennsylvania, marking one of the most important and bloodiest conflicts of the American Civil War. Union and Confederate forces clashed after Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia moved into the North during the Gettysburg Campaign, seeking supplies and a major victory on Union territory.

The first day of fighting saw fierce engagements around the town of Gettysburg as Confederate troops pushed back elements of the Union Army. Although the Confederates gained early ground, Union forces established defensive positions on the surrounding hills, setting the stage for the larger battles that followed over the next two days.