The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1915-06-29

Gen. w. l.. Cabel, lieutenant-gen-
eral commanding the Trans-Missis-
sippi department, U. C. ", responded
to a request of the Veteran for infOr-
nation about the Confederate battle
flag few years ago, and here is his
letter in full:
when the Confederate army, com
manded by Gen. Beauregard, and the
federal army confronted each other
at Manassas it was seen that the Con-
federte flag and the Stars and Stripes
looked at a distance so much alike
that it was hard to distinguish one
! from the other. Gen. Beauregard,
thinking that serious mistakes might
| be made in recognizing our troops
began to plan for a flag that would
prevent such serious blunders, but
not to be substituted for the Stars
and Bars of the Confederacy.
Gems. Johnston and Beauregard
met at Fairfax Court House, in the
latter part of August or early in Sep
TENDER, and determined to have a
| battle flag for every regiment or de-
| tached command that could be easily
recognized and easily carried. I was
telegraphed to come at once to Fair
| fax Court House. I found both Genls,
| Beauregard and Johnston in Gen.
! Beauregard's office discussing the
kind of flag that should be adopted.
Gen. 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 different
Southern states. (No white border
was attached to this CROSSE Beau
regards was a rectangle, red with
! blue st. Andrews cross and white
stars similar to Gen. Johnston S. Both
were discussed and thoroughly exam
! ined by all of us After being fully
discussed it was decided that the rec
/ tangular flag, drawn by and suggest
| ed by Gen. Beauregard, be adopted.
No one else was present but we three.
No one else knew about this flag but
we three until an order was issued
adopting the Beauregard flag, as it
was called, and directing me, as chief
quartermaster, to have the flags made
as soon as it could be done. l 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 Capt. Collin McRae
| Selph, quartermaster, at Richmond,
Va. Capt. Selph was assisted by the
Misses Careys from Baltimore, Mrs.
Gen. Henningen of Savannah and
Mrs. Judge Hopkins of Alabama. Mrs.
Hettie Carey afterwards Mrs. John
Pegram) gave hers to Gen. Jos. E.
Johnston; Miss Jennie Carey gave
hers to Gen. G. T. Beauregard; Miss
Constance Carey (now Mrs. Burton
Harrison) gave hers to Gen. Earl Van
Dorm. 1t was returned to her bat
tered and blood-stained after his
death and is now in her cabinet. Gen.
Beauregard's battle flag is in the Me-
mortal Hall, New Orleans, in charge
| of Gen. Chaleron.
Capt Selph had a number of these
flags made and sent them to me at
I Manassas, which were distributed by
order of Gen. Beauregard. 1t being
impossible to get silk enough to make
the great number of flags needed I
then issued a circular letter to the
quartermasters of every regiment
and brigade in the army to make flags
and to use any blue and red cloth
suitable that they could get.
1t is apparent from the foregoing
that Gen. Cabel is the best authority
in the world on the Confederate bat
tie flag. He does not attach import
ance to the additions to the flag made
by the Confederate congress-just
the white extension and then the add
ed strip of red across the end.
The battle flag was known as the
Starry Cross" and sometimes called
the Southern Cross" Throughout
the war this emblem was the stand
ard of the troops on the field, and
many battle-scarred remnants of this
design now hang in Confederate mu-
seums in various parts of the South.
While the battle flag had been
adopted a national flag was not taken
up until May l, 1863, at Richmond,