The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-06-02

Probably few know that one OF
thc first Confederate battle flags
was made from the dresses Of two
famous Baltimore bellies. Such was
the ease. and the flag presented TO
Gen. Bcaurcgard after he Gen. John.
ston and Gen. Cabcll met at Fairfax
courthouse to determine on a design
that would be- more distingushablc
than the original was IN battle OF
the three men who originated that
battle flag but one is alive today
That one is Gen. W. l.. Cabcll,
now commanderin-chicf of the Con
fcderatc veterans in the transmits sis
sissippi department Gen .Cabell is
coming 10 the reunion next week
he Is an old man now. but In the
following letter he endeavored to
tell OF the birth of the first real
battle Nag Of the Confedcracy:
when the Confederate army.
commanded by Gen Beaurcgard. and
the Federal army confronted one an.
other AT Manassas" writes Gen. Ca
bell. "it was seen that the Con
fcdcratc flag and the stars and
Stripes looked AT a distance SO
much alike that q was hard To dis.
tinguish one from the other. After
the battle az Blackburn Ford, July
Is. Gen Bcaurcgard ordered that a
small red badge should be- worn
ON the left shoulder by our troops.
and. as was chief quartermastcr.
| ordered me To purchase a large
quantity of red flanncd and distrib-
ute II To each department.
During the battle of Bull Run It
was plain to be seen that a num-
her of Federal soldiers wore a sim.
liar red badge Gen. Johnston and
Bcaurcgard met at Fairfax court.
house, i'm the latter part OF August
or the carly par, of September
have forgotten the exact date
and determined 10 have battle
flag for every regiment or de-
tachcd command
Gen lohnsrou's flag was i'm the
shad cr an oiipsc-a red flag with
blue ST Andrew cross and stars ON
the cross CwhityD. to represent the
different southern states. 40 white
border of any Kind was attached
to tine cross. oGu Bcaurcgard s
flag was az cytanglc, red, with
blue ST Andrew cross and white
stars. similar TO Gen. Johnston's.
after We had discussed fully the
two styles, taking into consideration
the cos, of material and care of
making same 30 was decided the
eliptical flag would be harder to
make, that it would take more cloth.
and 10 would not be seen SO plain.
ly at a distance, the rectangular
flag, drawn and suggested by Gen.
Bcaurcgard should be- adopted. Gen.
Johnston yielded 20 once.
NO one else wa present but
Ne three No one knew about this
flag but We three. until au order
was issued adoptiug the Rcaurcgard
flag, as Il was called and directing
me-. as chief War,ormastor. 'o have
the flag made as soon as it could
Dee done Immediately issued an
address lo the good ladies of the
south 90 give mc their red and
blue silk dresses. and 10 send them
90 Capt Colin MyRao Sclph. quar-
tcrmastcr at Richmond. Va The
first response came from the young
women Those most prominent i'm
the move were the Misses Carey
from Baltimore Mrs Ucnnngs of
savannah and Mrs. Hopkins of Ala.
bama.
The Misses Carey made battle
flags for Gen BcaureEard and Gen.
Van Dorm, and, think, they made
the one for Gen. j. r. Johnston.
The flag for Gen. Boauregard was
made from their own dresses and
this flag is now in the Memorial
Han AT New Orleans. Gen. Van
/ Dorns flag was made from heavier
material, but IL was very pretty. |
want to say positively that the state.
ment going the rounds that either
of those flags were designed by Fed.
eral prisoners is false and without
/ foundation. ! have statements from
Gen, Beauregard regarding the flag
NIiss raroV rnodn 1,r hin, -