Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1903-12-25
FLAG OF LOST CAUSE
Confederate Veteran Tell How 1t Was
First Designed.

Confederate Veteran Tell How 1t Wa
First Designed.
General w. L. Cabell. formerly
Lieutenant-G eneral in the C0nfeder
ate Army, has recently contributed ar
article to the official organ of his ole
comrades, giving history of the bat
tie flag of the Confederacy, about whic'
there has been more or less controvers,
of late. The General says:
when the Confederate Army, com
manded by General Beauregard, ano
the Federal Army confronted each
other at Manassas it was seen that the
Confederate flag and the Stars and
IStrIpes looked at a distance so much
one from the other. General Beaure-
gard thinking that serious mistakes
might be made in recognizing our
troops, after the battle of July 1S. at
Blackburn Ford, ordered that a small
red badge should be worn on the left
shoulder of the men. During the bat
tie Of Bull Run it was plainly to be
seen that great number of Federal
soldiers wore a similar red badge. I
saw these badges on a number of pri-
soners We captured that day.
Generals Beauregard and Johnston
met at Fairfax Court House in the lat
ter part of August or early in Septem
Der and determined to have q battle
flag for every regiment or detached
command that could easily be recogn
lied and easily carried. was tele
graphed to como at once to Fairfax
Court House. found Generals Beau
regard and Johnston in General Beau
regards Office discussing the kind OF
flag that should be adopted. General
JOhnston's g flag was in the shape of an
elipse, q red flag, with blue st. An
drew s cross and stars on the cross
(white) to represent the different South
ern States (No white border of any
kind was attached to this cross.) Cen
eral Beauregard's was rectangle. red,
with blue St. Andrew g cross and white
stars similar to General Johnston's.
''After we had fully discussed the
two styles, taking into consideration
the cost of the material aud the care
of making the same, it was decided that
the eliptical flag would be harder to
make; that it would take more cloth,
and that it could not be seen so plain
ly at u distance; that the rectangular
flag, drawn and suggested by General
Beauregard, should be adopted.
General Johnston yielded at once
when the reasons given by General
Beauregard and myself were SO good
and substantial. No one else was pres
ent but we three until an order was
issued adopting the Beauregard flag,
as it was called, and directing me, as
Chief Quartermaster, to have the flags
made as soon as it could be done.
II Immediately issued an address to
the GOOD ladies of the South to give
me their red and blue silk dresses and
to send them to Captain Collin McR@
Selph. Quartermaster, at Richmond,
Va, Captain Selph is now living in
New .Orleans), where he was assisted
by two elegant young ladies, the Miss
es Carey, from Baltimore, and Mrs.
General Henningsen, of Savannah.
and Mrs. Judge Hopkins, of Alabama.
The Misses Carey made battle flags
for Generals Beauregard and Van
Dorm, and 1 think for General }. E.
Johnston, and they made Gen. Beaure-
CARDS out of their own silk dresses.
''This flag is now in Memorial Hall,
New Orleans, La. with statement Of
that fact from General Beauregard.
General Van Dorn's flag was made of a
heavier material, but very pretty.
captain Selph had number of
these flags made and sent them to me
at Manassas. They were distributed
by order Of General Beauregard. One
flag I had made and gave it to the
Washington Artillery. They have it
yet. My wife, who was in Richmond.
made beautiful flag out OF her own
dresses (silk) and sent it to cousin of
hers who commanded an Arkansas
regiment. This flag was lost at Elk
Horn, but was recaptuoed by Mis-
souri, division under General Henry
Little. It being impossible to get silk
enough to make the great number of
flags needed, had a number made
out of blue and red cotton cloth. /
then issued a circular letter to the
quartermasters of eyerv regiment and
brigade in the army'to make flags and
to use any red cloth suitable that they
could get. Generals Beauregard and
Johnston, being both good draughts-
men. drew their own designs.
1.-The statement going the rounds
that this battle flag was first designed
by Federal prisoner is false ; not one
word of truth in it. No living soul
except Generals Beauregard and John.
ston and myself knew anything about
this flag until the order was issued
direct to me to have them made as soon
as it could be done. Chicago Chron.
Gle.
I ahnir 0uoof;nn