File:4. “The Confederate High Command International” Brochure entitled “A Program to Erect the Tennessee Monument at the GNMP (0a3b6c52-18a7-47c5-9b30-2d9b732d9ca5).jpg

White paper with typed black text

During the Centennial of the War Between the States, many re-enactments were staged over the Nation and designed to give a feeling of reality of those battles fought over a century ago to persons interested in our Nations history. THE CONFEDERATE HIGH COMMAND-INTERNATIONAL, founded March 3, 1958, in St. Petersburg, Florida and dedicated to keeping aglow the memory of the Men In Gray enjoined with its own troops reactivated units in recreating the famous epoch at Gettysburg known as Picketts Charge. In truth historically that event should be designated as “The Pickett-Pettigrew-Trimble Charge”. This historic pageant featured the fifty regimental flags that flew in the original charge July 3, 1863. These symbolic flags were all sewn by present day women of the South which was in keeping with the trend a century ago. Over five hundred “Confederate Troops” made the charge over the same ground the Army of Virginia trod over one hundred years ago and met with as many “Union Troops” at the famous Stone Wall. There, appropriate ceremonies were held with the overall theme being unity. The charge was spectacular, the “Confederates” making a slow advance with flags waving in the July breeze… a smoke screen adding to the realism. The original Army of Northern Virginia was well represented that memorable day, each of the re-activated regiments carrying their representative colors. In the forward position were the six color bearers carrying the state flags of those states that furnished troops in the original charge. These six states were Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and the Volunteer State of Tennessee. All of the flags were later presented to the National Park Service at Gettysburg including the regimental colors. The original Tennessee regiments were comprised within the third brigade under command of Brigadier General James A. Archer and included the First, Seventh and Fourteenth regiments, Provisional Army of the Confederate States. This brigade included the Fifth Alabama Battalion and the Thirteenth Alabama regiments. History tells that the Tennessee regiments carried their Banners to and over the Stone Wall into the Union works. During the three day Centennial observances at Gettysburg sponsored by the Gettysburg Centennial Commission and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, many reactivated units held commemorative services at their respective state monuments. The CONFEDERATE HIGH COMMAND being in charge of all military movements had been kept busy with the many situations normally present with an event comprising over a thousand troops… and that charge was witnessed by over forty five thousand spectators. Several officers from another unit approached our busy headquarters expressing their interest in taking part in our Tennessee monument service and re-dedication.

• Keywords: Gettysburg; Gettysburg National Military Park; Photography; monuments; memorials; virtual experience; battlefield