The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1872-08-01
THE CONFEDERATE BATTLE.FLAG
Interesting Aeeeass sf It's Origin asA His

The New Orleans Pcayxse publishes the follow
ing letter from General Beauregard to Captain
Preble, United States Navy, concerning the origin
Of the Confederate battle-hag:
DEAR SIR.-In answer to the inquiries con-
tanned in your letter Of the Sd inst, relative to
the origin of the Confederate "battle flag" and
the devices Of the Louisiana State flag the
City Hall of New Orlcass when Commodore Far
ragut appeared before this city in April, 1862, l
give you with pleasure the following informa-
ton:
At the battle Of Manassas, on the 2lst of July,
1861 / found it difficult to distinguish our then
Confederate flag from the United States flag, (the
two being SO much alike,) ESPECIALLY when Gen.
Jubal A. Early made the flank movement which
decided the fate Of the day, and l resolved then
to have ours changed if possible, or to adopt for
my command battle-fiag which would be entire
~ different from any State or the Federal flag.
After the battle it was found that many persons
in both armies firmly believed that each side had
used, as stratageIn, the flag of his opponent.
General Jos. L. Johnston, commanding the Con-
federate forces determined to have the troops
furnished with their State flags, and I entered in
correspondence with Col. VIM. POrcher Miles,
Chairman Of the House Military Committee, to
have our national flag changed. Bnt that was
found to he impractcable at that time, and none
of the States except Virginia having furnished
flags to their troops, General Johnston, OH con-
sulation at Fairfax urt-HOuse, Virginia, with
General G. W. Smith, commanding the Army Of
the Shenandoah, Second Corps), and myself,
commanding the Army of the Potomac, First
CORPSE. decided to adopt "battle-f flag" for our
forces. Many designs were presented, and We
gave the preference to of those offered by Col
J. b. Walton, commanding the Louisiana Wash
ingtOn Artillery, which correspondent closely to
the one recommended by Col. Miles to Congress
as our first national flag: Both were oblong, the
field was red, the bars blue, and the stars white;
but Col. Walton's had the Latin cross, and
Col. Miles the st. Andrews, which removed
the objections that many of our soldiers might
have to fight under tie former symbol. Gen.
Johnston preferred square flag. to render it
more convenient to carry, and We finally adcpted,
in September, 1861, the well-known " battle-fag
of the Army Of the Potomac, as it first called
to which our soldiers became devoted. Its
field was red or crimson, its bars blue, run
ming diagnnally across. from one corner to the
other, and the stars on them were white or gold,
their number being equal to the number of States
in the Confederaey; the blue stars were separated
from the red field by small white fillef. The
size of the flag for infantry fixed at four by
four feet for artillery at three by three feet and
for cavalry at two and Ons-half by two and one
half feet. 1t had the merit Of being small sand
light, of being very distinct at great distances.
But it was not accepted by the Confederate
Government until it hal been cOnsecrated by
many hard-fought battle. when it became the
"union" of our second AND shird Confederate
national flags.
When / assumed command of the troops in
Western Tennessee, February, 1862, 1 found that
Gen. Polk had adopted for his forces flag nearly
similar to the one hats designed for the Army
Of the Potomac, /. C., blue field, with white st.
Andrews cross, and blue or gold stars. Gen. Har-
dee had for his division blue field, with a full
white circle in the centre. gave orders to have
them replaced as soon a. practicable by the bat
tle-iag Of the Army of the Potomac. InSeptem=
Der, 1862, when I returned to Charleston, snb-
stitufed the same banner foe the State flags then
principally used in the Department of South
Carolina, Georgia and Florida; it became thus in
our armies the emblem of Southern valor and
patriotism. Should We ever be compelled to have
a foreign war, trust that this standard will be
adopted As onr national battle flag, to which
southerners will always gladly rally in . just
cause.
The State flag referred to by you was adopted
by the Secession Convention, and contained thir-
teen stripes; four blue, six white and three red,
commencing at top with the colors as written.
The "union" was red, with its sides equal to the
width of seven stripes; in its centre was single
pale yellow star, with five points.
remain yours very truly,
G. T. BEAUREGARD.
CAPT. GEO. HY. PREBLE, U. s. Navy, Naval
Rendezvous, Boston Navy Yard, Mass.