The Confederate Military Forces, which is comprised of the 1st, 7th, and 14th Tennessee, 2nd Maryland, 3rd Arkansas, 10th Alabama, 3rd and 13th Virginia, and CMF Medical Staff, have a continuing flag preservation effort. The CMF flag fund was started about 6 years ago, as a means of preserving the battle flags of the units the CMF represents. This endeavor was begun by the late Daniel G. Snyder, who was the Colonel of the CMF. Following his untimely death, the flag fund was renamed in his honor. The 13th Virginia already had a similar program working with the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, Virginia, so Colonel Snyder decided on a fund to represent the rest of the organizations in the CMF. The first flags the CMF looked into were any colors that belonged to the Tennessee units of Archer’s Brigade. The Tennessee State Museum was contacted, and the CMF found out that they had in their possession, colors of the 1st, 7th, and 14th Tennessee’s’. The colors of the 14th had already been conserved, but the battle flag of Turney’s 1st Tennessee, which was captured at Gettysburg, and a company flag of the 7th Tennessee Lebanon Greys were identified as “needing immediate attention.”  The 1st Tennessee colors were in an extremely bad condition and needed prompt attention. The initial cost determined for the 1st Tennessee colors was set between $12,000 - $15,000, and the cost of the 7th Tennessee colors was between $5,000 - $8,000. For the next three years members of the CMF worked to accumulate the funds needed for the 1st Tennessee flag, which needed the most attention. The monies needed were raised by selling raffle tickets for various items such as Civil War prints, books and other donated Civil War related items, units that participated in parades donated prize money they won, participating as extras in movies, as well as holding preservation marches, and through private donations. After three years of hard work, the CMF had accumulated $14,089. Fortunately, through matching funds from the Tennessee Division of the SCV, the CMF was able to fund not only the restoration of the 1st Tennessee colors, but the 7th Tennessee Company flag as well. The purpose behind this project is to start the desire to conserve all Confederate banners that need attention, to assure their survival for future generations. Currently, the CMF is now working on its next group of colors, those belonging to the 2nd Maryland. We are once again employing our fund raising tactics, and are furthering our prospects by reaching out for donations to help with the preservation of these important artifacts of our history. The Tennessee flags were only the first step of the long journey the CMF has undertaken to conserve all the flags associated with the regiments that comprise her ranks. Many of the nearly 200 members of the CMF are members of the SCV.

     For more information, or to learn more on how to contribute to the flag fund, please contact the following;

Official CMF web site: www.confederatemilitaryforces.bravehost.com/
Paul Huhn, flag fund chairman @ paul7tenn@yahoo.com,
or by mail @1228 Hillcreek Road, Pasadena, MD. 21122
Contributions and donations may be sent to the above, or to CMF, PO Box 2 , Highland, MD. 20777
Please make all checks payable to Confederate Military Forces Society, Inc.