The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1920-11-04
GIVES HISTORY OF
CONFEDERATE FLAG
Tells OF CHANGES MADE IN
EMBLEM.
AT FIRST UNSUITABLE.
Bore Close Resemblance to Stars and
Stripes.-Bonnie Blue Flag
First Used in Mississippi.

So many inquiries as to the Con-
federate flag have been received at
the public library that the following
information is supplied by the library
for the benefit of all interested.
There was during the first year a
very wide variety of flags and stand
ards used by the south, the first Sc
ing the Palmetto flag which consist
ed of a white field bearing a green
palmetto in the center and under
meath it the motto of the South Caro-
line state, "Animis Opibusque Para
IT,
March 4, 1852, the day that Lin
coin was inaugurated president Of
the United States, the Confederate
convention at Montgomery adopted
as the official flag of the Confedera-
cy the ''stars and bars" which was
the first of the three official flags US
ed. This flag consisted of a red field
with a white space extending hori-
zontally through the center, and equal
in width of the flag; the red space
above and below to the same width
as the white The union to be blue,
extending at the lower red space, in
the center of the union circle of
white stars corresponding in number
{then seven) with the states of the
Confederacy.
Events showed that the resemb-
lance of this flag to the stars and
stripes was too pronounced and oc-
casioned confusion and mistakes. In
the first battle of Bull Run the stars
and bars was several times mistaken
for the stars and stripes and vice
versa. After this battle Gen. Joseph
E. Johnston adopted the <@battle flag"
which was designed by General Beau
regard and this was afterward adopt
ed as the battle flag of the Confeder-
acy by the Confederate congress. TIE
flag was "a red crimson field across
from one corner to the other the stars
white or gold, the blue being separat-
ed from the red by white field"
Similar to British.
AS the need of change from the
official flag became apparent, after
much discussion, the second flag OF
the .Confederacy was established by
congress May /, 1868. This was to
be "a white field, with the union,
now used as the battle flag to be
a square two-thirds the width Of the
flag having the ground red; therein
a broad satire (St. Andrews cross)
of the blue bordered with the white
and emblazoned> with the white null
lets Or five pointed stars, correspond
ing in number with that the of Con-
federate states
The objections to this flag were
that at a distance it bore close re-
semblance to the British white en-
sign and also that when it fell limp
around the flag pole, it had the ap-
pearance of a flag of truce. These
objections were so valid that con-
gress decided to add a broad trans
verse stripe of red to the end Of the
fly of the flag, this change being Of
ficially adopted February 4, 1865.
Thirteen states Represented.
The thirteen states on the flag rep
resented the thirteen states of the
Confederate union which in order of
their secession were South Carolina,
Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Geor-
gia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Ar
kansas, North Carolina, Tennessee,
Missouri and Kentucky.
The Bonnie Blue Flag" which in
spired the rousing battle song of that
name, was, according to Harrison's
authoritative work, The stars and
stripes and other American flags,
first used in Jackson, Miss. 1t was
made of silk by the ladies of that
city and presented to the president
of the convention, W. S. Barry. This
convention adopted the ordinance of
secession January 9, 1851, and the
presentation of the flag occurred after
the announcement of the passage of
the ordinance. 1t was waved aloft
by President Barry amid scenes of
wild enthusiasm. The flag is de-
scribed as being flag of white
ground, a magnolia tree in the CEN
ter, blue field in the upper left
hand corner with a white star in the
center, finished with red border ana
red fringe at the extremity of the
flag The song, the ''Bonnie Blue
Flag is disputed of authorship but