The Washington herald., 1907-09-29
KEEPING HISTORY STRAIGHT
United Confederate Veterans Issue
Pamphlet in C0lors Giving De-
About the Southern Flags and
Badges Used In the Civil War.

Confederate Veterans some years ago
deemed It necessary to appoint a com
mittee empowered 60 make diligent in
vest!gatiun and report their finding 10
that body. In June. 1894, this committee
made a report of its labors and the
United Confederate Veterans. that were
then assembled at Nashville, passed a
resolution as follows:
That IN order 20 give the impress of authority foT
the guidance of all persons u hereby declared 20
Be the conclusive Judgment Of this organization that
the flags of the Confederate states of America were
established b. legislation Of the Congresses OF the
Confederate States and otherwise IN the manner
fully set forth in the accompanying report OF the
committee OF flags Of this organization. and that
said report Is hereby adopted.
A pamphlet very attrsctively prepared
and with the pictures OF the flags in
colors has recently been issued. The title
page contains the battle flag and bears
these words: The flags of the COnfed-
crate States OF America-by authority Of
the United Confederate Veterans"
The flag committee was composed Of
Samuel Z. Lewis. N. D.. OF Washington,
D. c.. chairman; Fred l. Roberts8n. Of
r =
nOoga, Tenn; J. Taylor ElIyson. Rich
mond, Va, and A c. Trippe. Of Balti-
more, Md The committees full report
as approved in 1904 Stephen D. Lee, gen
eral commanding. and William f. Micke
adjutsnt general and chief Of stan, is
given in abridged form in the pamphlet.
and describes the various flags as follows:
OmciaI Description of Flags.
Tbs stars and Bas-The has recommended oy
the committee on a proper flag for the Confed-
crate states Of America. appointed by the ProTi-
siCnal Congress- IN is report Of March 4 1851 is
follows. That the fag If the Confederate States
Of America shall consist q a red feld with white
space extending horizontally through the center and
equal IN width % one-third the width q the iaS;
TIE red spaces above and below 10 he of the sane
width a. the white: the union blue extending down
through the white space and stopping a; ths lower
red space. In the center of the union a circle Of
white stars corresponding in number with the states
IN the Confederacy. The union Is square the stars
FIVE pointed the length o. the hss one and a hall
times the Width
The Battle Fiag-The battle iag is square. haT-
ing a Greek Cross tSlluer} Of blue edged with white
With thirteen equal white fvepoiEted stars. upon
red Geld the whole borisred with white. There ara
three sizes Infantry q inches square artillery, IS
inches SQUARE; cavalry % inches square. The UTo-
portions for an infantry flag are. IS inches by Is
inches Exclusive Of tie border: the blue arms Of
the cross, ~ inches vide the white edging % the
cross y inch wide; the white border around the hag
proper II inches vide Total outside measurement.
81 inches The stars are hTepointed inscribed with
IN a circle ~ inches diameter and are Of uniform
sire There should he Eve eyelet holes in the hoist
next the pole. The artillery and cavalry flags are
conespondingly reduced in all proportions
The National Flag established May / ls55 is as
follows: The Congress Of the Confederate states Of
America do enact That the flag Of the Confederate
States shall b. as follows: The field to be white
the length double the width Of the fas. with the
union tuow used as the battle fsgl II be a square
Of two-thirds the width Of the flag having the
with white, and emblaz0ned with white mullets OF
hve-pointed stars. corresponding in number 10 that
Of the Confederate states
The National Flag Established March l. 1855. is
follows: The Congress Of the Confederate States
of America do enact That the flag % the Confed-
crate States shall be follows: The width. two
thirds Of its length. with the union ln0w used as
the battle flag TO Be in width three-ffths Of the
width Of the flag and proportioned 20 leave
the length o. the field on the side Of the union
twice the width Of the field below il: to have the
ground red and broad. blue ssltier thereon. bor-
dered with white and embazoned with mullets or
fve-pointed stars. corresponding IN number to that
Of the Confederate States; the field 10 be white.
except the outer half from the union to be q red
bar, extending the width Of the flag.
Flown by Confederate Navy.
The Stars and Bars lpreEiously describedl-The
new ensign. pennant and jack By order Of the Sec
Ietary Of the Navy May o. 1853 Is as follows. zhe
nsv ensign viii be made according to the following
directions, viz: The field to be white. the length
and half times the width Of the flag. with the
union inow used as the battle hagl to be square Of
tvo-thirds Of the width Of the hag having the
ground red. thereon broad saltier of blue to the
union as "a rs. bordered with white 10 the union
IL. and embia5oned With white muIlets or five
pointed stars. diameter OF stars 70 union as Is rs
corresponding IN number TO that Of the Confederate
States
"Ths Pennant-A white ground. its size to he as
III its length seyentytwo times its width at the
head and tspering to a point. The union Of the
pennant 20 be as follows All red from the head for
three times its width with white border equal 10
half Its width. then al blue in length. equal to
twelve times its width. 20 be embaz0ned with stars
in number equal 20 those In the ensign with a
white border equal to half the width aud then red
three times the width. with the fy all white
The Jsck-To be the same as The union for the
ensign except that its length shall be one and a
half tiues its width.
BeauregRrd's Startling Suggestion.
The official report of the United Con-
federate Veterans had this 10 say on the
subject Of the flags:
In 1872 Gen. G. T. Beauregard wrote to
Rear Admiral George Henry PrebIe
L. 8. N. regarding ths battle flag Of the
Confederate States army:
1t became in our armies the emblem Of south.
ern yal0r and patriotism and should VIC ever be
compelled 20 have foreign war / trust that this
standard viii be adopted as our national battle nag
to which Southern soldiers viii always gladly rally
in just cause
This startling and interesting sugges-
ton from one who had rendered dlstin-
guished services in both armies arrests
attention and is worthy of consideration,
though without reflection 1t is not un-
likely to be regarded by the Northern
people with great disfavor. He. with
Gems. Joseph 2. Johnson and G. w.
Smith, had been present at its birth.
after the battle at Bull Run in 1851. when
confusion and disaster with intermingl!ng
Of friends and foes occurred on both
sides, owing 10 the similarity OF the
Stars and Stripes to the Stars and Bars,
neither of which was strictly suitable for
battle purposes. however appropriate as
q national ensign. II was the result of
the best consideration on the part of
the officers OF the Army Of the Potomac
(Conf sderate). at that time so designated:
and It's appropriateness was afterward
proven and justified on manY occasions