The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1872-03-06


Both were oblong, the field was red
the bars blue, and the stars white. but
Colonel Walton's had the Latin Cross.
ana Colonel Niles tho st. Andrews,
which removed the objection that many
ofonr soldiers might have to fight I'M
der the former symbol. General John
ston preferred q square flag, to render
1t more convenient to carry, and we
finally adopted, in September, 1861,
the well-known "Battle Flag of the
Army of the Potomac" as it was first
called, to which our soldiers became
devoted. Its field was red or crimson.
its bars were blue, running diagonally
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 Confederacy ;
the blue bars were separated from the
red field by q small white fllet. The
size of the flag for infantry was fixed
at AKA feet, for artillery at sx3, for
cavalry at 2Ix2A feet. 1t had the me-
rit OF being small and light, and of be-
ing very distinct at great distances
But it was not accepted by the Confed-
crate Government until it had been
consecrated by many hard fought
battle, when it became the "unionD of
our second and third Confederate ma
tional flags.
When I assumed command of the
troops in Western Tennessee, Fcbru-
airy 1862, l found that General Polk
had adopted for his forces flag nearly
similar to the one had designed for
the Army of the Potomac; i. e., a
blue field, with white st. Andrews
cross, and blue or gold stars; General
Hardee had for his division blue field,
with full white circle in it's center.
gave orders to have them replaced as
soon as practicable by the battle. flag
of the Army of the Potomac. In Sep
tember, 1862, when returned to
Charleston, l substituted the same
banner for the State flags, then princi-
pally used in the department of South
Carolina, Georgia and Florida. 1t be-
came Thus in our armies the emblem
OF Southern valor and patriotism.-
Should we ever be compelled to have
foreign war. trust that this stand
ard will be adopted as our national
battle flag, to which Southern soldiers
will always gladly rally in just cause.
The State flag referred to by you
was adopted by the Secession conven-
ton, and contained thirteen 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 center was single pale
yellow star with five points.
remain yours, very truly,
[Signed] G. T. BEAUREGARD.
Captain George Henry Preble, u. S.
Navy, Naval Rendezvous, BIO S ton
Navy Yard, Massach usetts.
ENCLOSURE NO. 2.
RICHMOND, VA, }
August 81, 1861. :
General G. z. Beauregard, Eai4tau
Courthouse "a,
Dear Genera1-I received your let
ter concerning the flag yesterday, and
cordially concur in all that you say.
Although was chairman of tho "Flag
Committee" who reported the present
flag, it was not my individual choice.
l urged upon the committee q flag of
this sort:
design sketched.]
This is very rough-the proportions
are bad.
[Design of Confederate battle-flag as
it isl
The above is better. The ground
red, the cross blue, lodged with Whitley,
stars white.
. This was my favOrite. The three
colors of red, white and blue were
preserved in it. 1t avoided the religi-
GUS objection about the cross from the
Jews and many Protestant sects,) be-
cause it did not stand out 80 conspicu-
ously as if the cross had been placed
upright thus: design sketched, I
Besides in the form l proposed the
cross was more Heraldric than Ec-
clesiastical, it being the "saltere" of
Heraldry and significant of strength
and progress (from the Latin sGlto, to
leap.) The stars ought always to be
white, or argent, because they are
then blazoned "propel" Tor natural
color.) Stars, too, show better on an
azure field than any other. Blue stars
on a white field would not be hand
some or appropriate. The "white
edge" Gas term it) to the blue is partly
q necessity to prevent what is called
"false blazoning," or solecism in
Heraldry, viz: blazoning color on color
or metal on metal. 1t would not do
to put blue cross therefore on reb
field. Hence the white, being metal
argent, is put on the red, and the blue
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