National Republican., 1883-10-02
THE STARS AND BARS.
The Series Of Designs from Which the Con-
federate Flag Was Chosen.
An Interesting Old Scrap Book In the
Archives of the Confederacy.

Among the tons of musty and time-yel-
lowed confederate documents and muster
rolls Of the late confederate army on file in
the war department there is a quaint looking
scrap book. 1t contains large number Of
proposed designs for confederate flag which
were submitted to the congressional commit
tee appointed to determine upon design in
1861 by different parties all over the SOUTH
During and after the firing upon Sumpter the
palmetto flag of South Carolina was used, but
after the smoke of that memorable contest
had cleared away the necessity for national
emblem become obvious and tho committee
was appointed.
The first page of the confederate scrap book
is graced by large design from an enthusi.
astic Georgian, of q flag with ak white and
seven red stripes, with blue field in tho
upper left hand corner containing wreath OF
laurel inclosing seven stars, representing tho
number of seeding states, and with the All
Seeing Eye in the upper corner. Another
from the same state contained blue and white
stripes with seven stars and crescent in n
field of red. Robert Newman, Of Richmond,
Va, furnished q design with no field, and
three broad stripes of red, blue, and white,
respectively, the middle or bluo stripe con-
tanning seven stars in single line.
A militiaman from Louisville, KY, sub
mitted a design of thirteen blue and white
corner containing fifteen white stars A let
ter accompanied this miniature flag which
stated that "the blue stripes were for the
seven seeding states, taking the lead, with
seven white stars on the red field, and a star
to be added for every incoming state" Nj. p.
oConnor,, of Charleston, S. G., for
warded his idea of what the con-
federate flag should be, accompanied
by letter dated Feb. ~, 1861, The commu-
nication read "I beg leave to suggest de-
sign which think would be appropriate, viz
to reverse the colors of the old United States
flag, and adopt blue and white stripes with
red union and white stars. think it would
be almost if not equally as handsome as the
stars and stripes of the late United States"
A party named A. Bonaud, of Savannah, Ga,
accompanied his design with letter, which
stated that the old flag should be preserved
as far as possible" and if not, he would sug.
gest an entire change, as shown by his
design, which consisted of four triangles
OF red, green, black, and white forming q
square, with a large yellow star in the confer
Theophulus A. Jones, Savannah lawyer
wrote to the committee accompanying his
letter with miniature flag of very elaborate
design. The description said "Allegorica
sky blue ground I; embankment of clouds al
the bottom representing the old union. Ris
ing from their midst is an eagle, our bird o.
liberty, winging its fight from the clouds
upward toward the starry armament above
in which is our southern constella
tion. The eagle has taken the cap o.
liberty with him and has it in hit
talons. The scroll floating from his mouth
bears the Inscription States Sovereignty,
and q scroll above contains the legend il
letters of gold, Confederate States o.
America" William T. Riddle, of Eutaw
Ga, evidently scared to the sublime, and
forwarded to the committee diagram con
tanning bright yellow and red stripes with 8
horizontal broad white stripe in the middle
emblazoned with black shield with seven
red stars, and cotton plant in it. Mrs
Amelia A. Longmire of Pike county, Missis
Bipp, sent direct to President Davis her view
of what the confederate banner should be
Conferred on snowy white ground was blu,
circle enclosing red ball which contained
seven white stars, encircling a cross, with
half moon above. The letter accompanying
read:
Hon. JEFFERSON DAVIS, PRESIDENT OF OUR BE
LOVED SOUTHERN CoNGREss-Being a daughter o
the south take the liberty of sending a banner
The white ground is emblematic of innocence
the blue ring of lasting love- the cross that we ar
a Christian nation the crescent above the cross
our southern coptederacy and the seven stars ar
che seven southern states. The name / hav
chosen for II Is the united southern banner. ES
iinse % my Liberty In writing you but you % are now "
TIL as the iather ofthe SOUTH
j. l.. Honour, of Charleston sent small
silk flag with seven stars and seven alternat
in red and white, representing the seven Sc
ceding states accompanied by communica
tion which contained the statement that "a
the southern states claim to befhe strict con
stitutionalists of the original constitution,
hold that We have the best right to the star
and stripes"
r. @. Gilchrist, of Charleston, submitted
flag that he thought would float on every se
and protect the citizens of the proudes
country in the world. 1t contained red ant
white stripes and no field, with large blu
cross the entte width and depth of the flag
containing fifteen white stars.
Lewis May, of Alabama forwarded silk
flag, half blue and half red. On the left hand
or blue section, is the rising sun, its rays ex
tending across the red field. The sun i
encircled by halo of stars. A red-white
and-red flag from Mississippi is emblazonet
with the words "Let Us Alone" in COLDER
shield. Another background flag contain
the figure of soldier in its center, and tn
inscription, "Strong in Our Rights, Gu
Enemies Being the Judges" 20
The scrap book" contained many othe
designs, some approaching the English flag
but the majority retaining the main feature
of the old flag, which was baptised in fire ant
blood during the revolutionary war, and i,
many cases while floating proudly over gal
liant sons of the sunny south who were bat
tling with foreign foe. A number of tn
samples contained vertical stripes, some th
typical cotton plant, others coiled snakes
The crescent and cross appeared on many
but in all cases the number seven was eithe
typifed by the number of stars or stripes
The inscriptions were varied and patriotic il
many instances. The book did not contain
the designs afterward adopted, the 'stars an
bars" and ''red, white and red," the evi
IDENTIFY having been taken out to be used a