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Crawford County, Georgia
Biography of Joanna E. Troutman
[Source: "The story of Georgia"
Cooper, Walter G., American Historical Society, 1938
Transcribed by K. Torp]
"A Georgia Girl Made the Texas Flag"
A beautiful incident of that war for the freedom of Texas was the presentation of
a Lone Star silk flag to the State of Texas through Colonel William Ward by Miss Joanna E. Troutman, of Crawford
County, Georgia, as the five companies of Georgians recruited at Macon and Columbus started for Texas under the
leadership of Colonel Ward.
A telegram from Dallas, Texas, to the Atlanta Constitution. March 7, 1936, said: "Due homage is to be paid
at the Texas Centennial to be held here this year to a Georgia girl Miss Joanna E. Troutman, who made a lone star
flag in 1835, which emblem was afterward adopted as the official flag of the state of Texas.
"The State of Georgia was one of the first to respond when Stephen F. Austin, commander-in-chief of the armies
of Texas, went in 1835 as envoy to the United States to appeal for aid in the approaching break with Mexico. Under
Colonel William Ward, five companies made up a band of Georgia volunteers recruited at Macon and Columbus. An inspired
young speaker was Lieutenant McLeod, just home from West Point. "It was to the young lieutenant that Joanna
E. Troutman sent the flag, the lone blue star on one face of the white field underscored with the three words,
"Liberty or Death," on the reverse side the Latin motto, "Ubi Libertas Habitat, ibi nostra patria
est" (Where liberty dwells, there is our country).
"Colonel Ward's Georgians marched under that flag and raised it on Texas soil at Velasco on January 8, 1836,
flying it from the American hotel. The men of Colonel Ward were joined to the forces of Colonel James Walker Fannin,
of Georgia. "Later, Colonel Fannin and a number of the Georgians were captured and massacred at Goliad on
Sunday, March 27, 1836. With this massacre the recorded history of the Troutman flag ends.
"Miss Troutman died in 1880 at the age of 71 in her Crawford County home. Governor O. B. Colquitt, also a
native Georgian, was instrumental in having her body removed to Texas in 1913, during his administration. A handsome
monument has been placed over her grave. "She has been further honored by having her picture placed in the
senate chamber in the state capitol at Austin.
"The memory of Miss Troutman will be honored here at the centennial and hundreds of Georgians attending the
celebration will also likely visit her grave in Austin."
A Texas writer adds: "With the capture of Santa Anna, at the battle of San Jacinto, the silver service of
the wily commander was also captured, and some of the trophies of victory, including his massive forks and spoons,
were forwarded by General Rusk to Miss Troutman in token of the regard which this Georgia lady had inspired in
the stern, scarred patriots of the revolution. On the meeting of the First Texas Congress the Flag of the Lone
Star was adopted as the flag of the Republic and the seals of office ordered engraved with the star upon them.
The public recognition of the maternity of the first flag of the Lone Star as belonging to Georgia was made by
General Memmican Hunt, the first minister from the Republic of Texas to the United States."
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