The citizen., 1899-03-10
u. D. G. MATTERS.
Meeting of the Chapter-The
Basket Sale a Success Beau
tiful Description Of the Con-
federate Battle Flags.

Fitzhugh Lee Chapter, Daugh-
terS of the COnfederacy, met at
the home of Mrs. j. A. William.
son, on March LIST. The meeting
was called to order by he Vice
President, Mrs. L. c. McSherry.
in the absence of the President,
Mrs. l.. V. Baughman. After the
transaction of routine business,
there were several applications
for membership accepted and re-
ferred to the Committee on Gre
dentialS; after which the Chapter
adjourned.
The sale for the benefit of the
Chapter which took place on Fri
day afternoon last, at the resi-
dence of Mrs. +. G. McShcrrv.
was most successful in every way.
Quite a large number of people
were attracted by the beautiful
articles on exhibition; the amount
realized was very handsome, and
shows the interest taken in the
matter by the ladies in charge
and the Chapter generally.
At this meeting Mrs. +. F..
Smith read an interesting article,
which is herewith appended. en-.
titled, "The Flag That Was. -
1t was written by the Rev. Jno.
KearneS White, formerly of this
city. now engaged i'll literary
work on prominent southern
magazine and an ardent Sympa-
thiZer with the Confederate cause.
Many persons know so little of
how the flags of the Confederacy
were originated and of several
subsequent changes in the "StarS
and Bars as the emhlcmS are
Offen inappl o riately called. that
this brief. but clever sketch will
serve to clear up the uncertainty
and haze surrounding the battle
and national flag of Il cause and
people which made one of the
most desperate struggles for their
lights i'll history.
''THE FLAG THAT WAS"
Flags like nations are born.
They are not made in Il day. The
Confederate government with the
greatest war of modern times upon
I its hands had too much to do tc
give a considerable amount OF
time to the creation of a flag.
Therefore the flag was the pro.
duet of evolution, as most other
good things are.
The first form was that of the
"StarS aud Bars" a simple mOdi
tication of the United States flag
AT the first battle of Manassas
this banner was frequently mis-
taken for the "StarS and Stripes, ,
thus begetting not a little confu
sion. Gen. BeauIegartl undertook
to remedythctrOu He arranged
the "Southern Cross" or battle
flag. The ground of this design
was red, the device a blue eros,
studded with white stars, thirtecl
in number. TO the very end o
the war this flag futtered over the
gray lines on the march and il
the clash Of battle.
But many persons considered
it inartiStic and without sufficient
dignity for national banner. Ii
response to this sentiment ap
peared the third confederate flag
The cross was reduced in size and
placed in the union corner of a
/ pure white field. When only light
winds prevailed. the third enSigl
was often mistaken for a flag O
truce. To prevent this about one
fourth of the white field was made
red. the red bar being placed al
the extreme end. After proper
trial it was decided that thi,
would do, and Congress adopted
it as the national flag. This wa,
done so near the close of the war
however, that little use was mad,
of the latest device.
We hear great deal of the
"Stars and Bars" but the ban
ner, the sight of which, StirS most
deeply the emotions of the Con
federate veteran, is the "SoutherI
Cross" the proud battle flag
which tloated over so many fields
of maddening victory and, alas
over the desOlate field of a tina
defeat
Furl that banner! true tits CORY
Yet tits wreahed around with glory,
And twill live in song and story,
Though its folds are in the dust;
For its fame on brightest pages,
Penncd by poets and by sages,
| shall go sounding down the ages,
a H. n.