The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1909-11-03
CON FEDERATE
FLAG--|TS ORIGIN
How Stars and Bars Were
Designed.
GENERAL BEAUREGARD'S IDEA
Was Adopted After Several
Designs Had Been Duly
Discussed.

Gen. w. l.. Cabell, of Dallas, Tex
as, Commander of the trans-Missis-
sippi Department of the United Con-
federate Veterans, wrote recently the
following history of the Confederate
flag:
when the Confederate army. COM
manded by General Beauregard, and
the Federal army confronted each
other at Manassas it was seen that til
Confederate flag and the Stras and
Stripes looked at a distance SO much
alike tina. it was hard to distinguish
one from the other. Gen. Beaure-
gasd, after the battle of July is at
Blackburn Ford, ordered that a small
red badge should be worn on the left
shoulder of our troops, and as ] was
Chief Quartermaster, ordered me to
purchase large quantity of red flan
mel and distribute it to each regiment.
During the battle of Bull Run it
was plain to be seen that a large NUM-
Der of Federal soldiers wore a similar
red badge. General Johnson and Gen
eral Beauregard met at Fairfax court
house in the latter part of August or
early September and determined to
have a battle flag for every regiment
or detached command.
General Johnson's flag was in the
shape Of an ellipse-red flag with
blue st. Andrews cross and stars on
the cross (white) to represent the
different Southern States. mo white
border of any kind was attached 10
the cross). General Beauregard's was
a rectangle red, with st. Andrews
cross and white stars, similar to Gen
eral Johnson's.
After We had discussed fully the
two styles. taking into consideration
the cost of material and the care OF
making the same ii was decided the
elliptical flag would be harder to
make; that it would take more cloth
and it could not be seen so plainly at
a distance; that the rectangular flag,
drawn by and suggested by General
Beauregard, should be adopted, Gen
eral johnson yielded at once.
"No one else was present save we
three. No one knew about this flag
but we three until an order was issue
adopting the Beauregard flag, as il
was called. and directing me, as Chief
Quartermaster, to have the flag made
as soon as it could be done | i'm
mediately 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 Colin McRae
Selph, Quarterluaster at Richmond, Va
Captain Selph is now living in New
Orleans where lie WAS assisted by tw
elegant young ladies, the Misses Ca
rey, from Baltimore, and Mrs. Henning-
sen. of Savannah, and Mrs. Hopkins,
of Alabama.
Tile Misses Carey made battle flags
for General Beauregard and General
Van Dorm, and, | think, for General J.
L. Johnson. They made General Beau
regarG's out If their own silk dresses.
This flag is now in Memorial Hall.
New Orleans, with a statement of that
fact from General Beauregard. GEN
eral Van Dolr's flag was made Of
heavier material, but very pretty.
THE statement going around that
this flag was first designed by Fed
eral prisoners is false.
General Beauregard's battle flag is
in Memorial Hall at New Orleans.
the Washington Artillery battle flag
can be seen at the Washington Artil-
lery Hall. II Baltimore Sun.