Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-05-19
THE STARS AND BARS.
A scRAP-eooK OF DESIGNS FOR A
CONFEDERATE FLAG.
A General Disposition Manifested to Cling
to a Modification Of the Old Starr
ard Stripes-Ees;gn Of the
BAttlc-F1aS.


had no national flag. The day President
Lincoln was inaugurated at Washing
ton the southern congress adopted
the stars and bars, and on that
day it was first flung to the breez, from the
state house at Montgomery. Prior to this
the state flags had been used by the several
seeding states. The first flag raised in the
Confederacy is in the flag collection Of the
war department at Washington. 1t Is a
palmetto flag, and it is said to have waved
over Charleston in iSdl. A pal
metto tree Of eight branches is sewed upon
its center, and it has eleven red stars sur
rounding it, with rising rcd moon at the
top.
On Feb 4, 1851, the secession convention
of South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama,
Louisiana, Georgia, and Florida met in the
old state house at Montgomery, Ala, and
proceeded to organize the Southern Confed-
eracy jefferson Davis was elected presi-
dent and Alexander Stephens vice president,
and the convention adopted a constitution
and chose the Confederate flag When max
ing their selection they received designs and
letters from all parts Of the south, and these
are now hidden away in an Did scrap-book
among the Confederate archives in the war
department at Washington.
1t is ragged volume, eighteen inches
long. twelve inches wide, and four inches
thick. Its paper, originally white. Is now
faded pink. Its covers are worn, and its
corners are dog-eared In it are pasted lo9
designs for Confederate flag, which were
presented to the Mont yomery convention,
and by their side', or on the opposite pages,
are the numerous letters which accompa-
MED them. Some of these letters are ad-
dressed To jefferson Davis, some to Alex
ander II. Stephens, some to Robert Toombs,
and a great number u Robert Porcher
Miles, who was the chairman of the com,
mittee on flag.
The designs are of ali sixss, shapes, and
colors, Some Of them, especially those sent
by ladies, are of silk, the different colors
neatly sewed; some are of bunting, rudely
painted and large number are made up
of pieces of different colored pasteboard or
paper together into the design desired.
There is little originality shown in these de-
vices. Most Of them are combinations of
the coiors and form Of the stars and stripes,
while not a few are modelled after the flags
Of other nations now in use. In de-
sign No Al, for instance, sent to jefferson
Davis from Coffee vile, Ala, the very co.ors
swear at each other" The device is two
fee by three in siZs, with one-hllf OF the
ground blue and the other half a dirty
yellow On this broad blue half which is
nearest the pole, a big black eye is painted,
looking toward the yellow, and around this
in the shape of a crescent which faces the
fir mt of the flag, are seven white stars.
From the eye eight bright stripes radiate.
running out Of tie blue and losing them
selves in the yellow.
Four de,isns directed to Hon. Robert
Toombs represent a phoenix as rising from
the ashes, painted upon a white field, with
borders Of red and blue One Of the largest
designs has fifteen large stripes of alternate
white and rel. 1t has a blue union, from the
upper corner of which, almost resting against
the staff, looks out a great eye, below which
is painted red hand graspins wreath OF
green. The most beautiful designs are those
sent 10y women. One device sent by the la
dies Of Charleston was made of red, white,
and blue put together with many deli
cate stitches. |; is eigh cen inches
long, AMI consists Of two series Of
three stripes Of red, white and red above
and below broad stripe of blue, upon
which are sewed seven white stars. Six Of
the stars represented the states thsn in con-
vention, the seventh, Texas, which WAS
letters it eau be seen how general was the
desirs throughout the south to retain all
that was possible of the old flag.
q. the long report OF the committee on
fldg March j, 1861, fully one-half is given
up 10 an explanation way more of the star:
and stripes could MT be embodied in tins
fag presented. Tie report then states that
the committee humbly think the following
design combines The above requisites, and
they submit it as the flag of the Confed
crate State of America 1t shall consist
of rel field, with white space exteniins
horiz JntalIy through the center and equal
in width % oae-:hiri the width of the flag.
the red spaces above aud below to be tns
same width as the whit The union tlue,
extending down through tine white space
stopping ut the lower rel space In the cen
ter OF the union n circl, OF white stars Cur
re sponiing in number with the states of tie
c0nfeleracy. This report was adopted, and
the above design became known as the stars
and bars
The stars and bars Were, however, fail.
ure as battle fiaI. Its similarity t. the
stars and stripes ma .e II useless; AMI tlis
was painfully apparent - the battle OF Bull
Run, where the co.Drs OF the two armie;
could not he dist ngul ,hel from each other.
After the BATTLE writes Gen. Beauregari,
1t was uni that many persons IN both
armiei firmly believed That each side had
used aS stratesem ths fla = OF his opponent,
and Gen. Joseph Johnston and myself de-
cided to adopt a battle flag for our forces"
Designs were asked for. AMI one
presented by Col James b. Walton, Of Lou
iSiana. was chosen. This design was origin
ally Oblong, but Gen. Johnston modified it
by making it square, and, So modified, IL be-
came tha battle-fiag Of the Confederacy. 1t
was in September, 1851. adopted by the
rebel army Of the Potomac, and shortly
afterwarl, with light modification, by the
other armies In 1865 the Confederate
states adopted it a the union Of its new ma
tional ensign
This battle-ti flag had a red field, with two
wide blue bars running diagonally from one
corner to the other, thus forming the Greek
eros On these bars were white
or gold stars equal in number to the
states of the Confederacy. The design was
substantially the same n the one presented
t. the Montgomery convention by William
Plrcher Miles when the stars and bars were
chosen. 1t l. known a The Southern
Cross" and was the only flag in general
use by the southern troops during the war.
The Confederate congress, in adopting il as
the national flag in Nav, 1868, added the
white field. that 1t might be of Use upon tho
sea. But. square As it was, this design was
such that it could not be reversed Is sig
nal of distress The whit field. on trial,
was also found open 10 objections. II made
the flag liable TO be mistaken for nag OF
truce. AMI az distance Ii looked much like
the English white ensign To remedy thee
faults br I'D red stripe was added 10 the
end OF the fiay. and this, the last national
flag Of the Coufederacy. was adopted by the
20. ~ Ias.T,ft f.-,t i'll at,,Ita