The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1915-06-15

A request has come to me for
history of the flags of the Confeder-
acv and asking that the children De
taught their meaning and told why
there are so many different designs
but all going under the same name
This will be a means OF education
not only for the children but for the
grown-ups as we'll. l have awaited
the decision of the last Confederate
reunion in RichmOn, Va, with no lit
tie anxiety.
cat the jacksonville reunion in
May, 1914, it was decided that COM
mittee of three should be appointed
to investigate and report at the next
reunion in Richmond, Va, as to
whom is due the credit Of designing
the first Confederate flag known as
the STARS and Bars" This investi-
CATION has nothing to do with who
first made or raised this flag, but who
designed it."
Gen. Bennett H. Young, the com
mander in chief, appointed the fol-
lowing committee: Gen. G. Irvine
Walker, SummervilIe, S. c., chair
man; Gen. John P. Hickman, Nash
Vile. Tenn, Gen. Thos. Green, ST.,
Pine Bluff, Ark.
The subject has been one of con-
troversy for many years and the in
yestigation and conclusion of the
committee, which was assisted III
gathering evidence by committees OF
the Daughters of the Confederacy,
Sons of Confederate Veterans and the
Confederate Southern Memorial AS
ISOLATION are considered OF mucn MS
toric interest. The veterans report
states that a most exhaustive eXaml-
nation of the whole matter was made.
William Porcher Miles, for the COM
mittee on flag and seal Of the Con-
federacy made a report to the ProVls-
ional Congress of the Confederate
States at Montgomery, Ala, March 4,
1861, and with this report was sub
mitted the selected design for the
flag. Mr. Miles reported that some
thing was conceded by the committee
to what seemed a strong desire to re-
tain at least a suggestion of the old
Stars and Stripes. The design submit
ted by the committee and subsequent
ly approved by the congress was prac-
tically the same as the Stars and
Stripes, except that the bars red,
white and red were substituted for
the thirteen stripes.
The Miles report brought out that
the Southern people earnestly loved
the old union; that they seeded
HrrnrA For
ed to do so to maintain their rights
as a free people and that this attach
ment was so strong that the congress
sional committee was obliged to rec
ommend a flag closely resembling
''Old Glory"
Report of Committee June 2, 1915.
"Your committee would therefore
report after a most careful cOnSidera-
tion and thorough investigation that
the honor of having designed the first
flag of the Confederate States, known
as the STARS and Bars" is due and
should be awarded by the United
Confederate Veterans to the late Maj
Orren Randolph Smith of Louisville,
n. G. The committee transmits with
the report a transcript of all the evil
dence and affidavitS submitted in the
investigation. Committee.
To be continued.
About the Design of the First Flag.
BY Jessica Randolp Smith, Hender-
son, N. c., in Confederate Veteran.
South Carolina, Mississippi, FIori-
da, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and
Texas were the seven states that had
seeded February l, 1861, and for
these states, with their capital at
Montgomery, Ala, the seven stars
were used on the first flag. When the
senators and representatives met at
Montgomery the first business before
congress, after organizing, was to de-
eide whether the Confederacy should
fight under the Stars and Stripes and