The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-05-16
ORIGIN OF STARS AND BARS
SUCCEEDED THE RED BADGE
Johnston and Beauregard Ordered /;
New Battle Standard and Women
Contributed Silk Skirts.

| ARDMORE, Okla, May Is. The
preparations now being mace through
out the south for the annual reunion
of Confederate veterans at Memphis
during June makes of unusual inter-
| est at the present time a statement
made number of years ago by Gen
eral w. L. Cabell of Dallas. Tex. in
regard to how and where the "stars
and bars" of the Confederacy were de-
| signed. General Cabell is commander
of the trans Mississippi department Of
the United Confederate Veterans He
declares the following to be a true his
tory of the uag:
when the Confederate army, COM
manded by General Beauregar6, and
the Federal army confronted each
other at Manassas it was seen that
| the Confederate flag and the stars
| and stripes looked at a distance so
| much alike that it was hard to dis
| tinguish one from another Genera
Beauregard, after the battle of the
18th of July. at Blackburn Ford or
dered that a small red badge should be
worn on the left shoulder by our
troops, and, as I was chief quarter
master. ordered me to purchase a
large quantity Of red flannel and to
distribute it to each regiment.
Federals Wore Similar BADGE.
During the battle of Bull Run it
was plain to be seen that a large
number Of Federal soldiers wore a
similar red badge. General Johnston
and General Beauregard met at Fair
fax Court House in the latter part of
AI1o NIL,
mined to have a battlef1ag for every
regiment or detached command.
General Johnston's flag was in the
shape of an ellipse-a red flag with
blue st. Andrews cross and stars on
the cross (white) to represent the diff
ferent southern states. lHSo white
border of any kind was attached to
the cross) General Beauregard's was
Ia rectangle red with blue ST. An
drew's cross and white stars, similar
to General Johnstons.
after we had discussed fully the
two styles, taking into consideration
the cost of material and the care of
making thesame it was decided the
elliptical flag would be harder to
make; that it would take more cloth
and 1t could not be seen so plainly at
a distance; that the rectangular flag
drawn by and suggested by General
Beauregard, should be adopted. Cen
eral Johnston yielded at once.
Women Contributed Silk Skirts.
NO one else was present but we
three. No one knew about this flag
but we three until an order was issued
adopting the Beauregard flag, as it
quartermaster. to have the flag made
as soon as it could be done. 1 imme-
diately Issued an address to the good
ladies' of the south to give me their
red and blue silk dresses an to send
them to Captain Colin McRae Selph. |
quartermaster at Richmond, Va. |
Captain Selph is now, living in New
Orleans). where he was assisted nv |
two elegant young ladies, the Misses |
Carey from Baltimore and Mrs. Hem |
ningsen of Savannah and Mrs. Hon. |
kins of Alabama.
''TFe Misses Carey made battlefag s
for General Beauregard and General
Van Dorm and, / think for General ]. |
E. Johnston. They made General
Beauregards out of their own silk |
dresses. This flag is now in Memorial
hall, New Orleans. La, with a state |
ment of that fact from eneral Beaure-
gard. General Van Dorn's flag was
made of heavier material, but very
pretty.
The statement going around that
this flag was first designed by Federal
prisoners is false
General Beauregard's battlef1ag is
IN Memorial hall at New Orleans, La. |
TIE Washington artillery battlefiag
can be seen at the Washington Artil- |