Atlanta Garden #11: Stars & Stripe

 

Atlanta Garden #11: Stars and Stripe by Denniele Bohannon

Marietta Street, fall, 1864

Atlanta's city flagpole was bare when George Barnhard recorded the Union occupation in the photo above but several months later a Union flag, the stars and stripes, would be unfurled over the city.

At the end of the Civil War in April and May, 1865 the official

Union flag had 35 stars.

Local legend tells us the first post-war Union flag was raised on the public square by Unionist James L. Dunning who had owned the Atlanta Machine Company and spent time in prison during the war for refusing to supply Confederate machinery.

In 1868 Dunning was making political speeches for General Grant,

reminding Atlantans he was "a Union man and always had been," a memory

the editorial staff at the Atlanta Constitution did not care for.

Stars and Stripe by Becly Collis

Dunning may have raised a flag but the city history tells a different story of the official return to the Union with a flag on May 16th, 1865, stitched by the women of Atlanta, hung at half-staff to mourn Abraham Lincoln's assassination in a public ceremony.

Carrie Berry resumed her diary in May when "all hostility has seaced for a while and we hope we will have peace." She was back in school (her spelling no better) and enjoying time with her friends.

"The people say that piece is made and we are back in the union."

Stars & Stripe can celebrate Carrie's "Piece"

1878

Stars and Stripe by Becky Brown

The Block

Once again block seams have been modified to make

it easier to piece and consistent with others in the series.

The inspiration block Star & Stripe (BlockBase #1982) is

 another Nancy Cabot design

from the Chicago Tribune's quilt column of the 1930s.

BlockBase shows several variations of the nine patch with a star in

the center.

Above the cutting instructions for 10" and 15" blocks.

Jeanne Arnieri is doing two versions of Atlanta Garden

Becky Collis's, quilted and bound.

One more block to go.