This is the actual Stars & Bars, first official flag of the Confederate States of America, specifically the 13-star version which flew from 1861 to 1863: Confederate Stars & Bars ( public domain) How did this mountain lion reach an uninhabited island? [12], Due to the timing, very few of these third national flags were actually manufactured and put into use in the field, with many Confederates never seeing the flag. First National Flag - Florida Department of State First National Confederate States of America Flag - Cotton. "Stonewall" Jackson as it lay in state in the Virginia capitol, May 12, 1863. THE CONFEDERATE 1ST NATIONAL FLAG (THE STARS & BARS) AS A MILITARY FLAG. [50][51][52] It is also known as the rebel flag, Dixie flag, and Southern cross. Confederate monuments soondotted the South, and the battle flag was added to the state flag of Mississippi. [43], The Army of Northern Virginia battle flag assumed a prominent place post-war when it was adopted as the copyrighted emblem of the United Confederate Veterans. Solar max fabric also has a special UV resistance built right into the weave of the fabric to minimize sun fade and chemical deterioration. June 14, 2020. One of Earth's loneliest volcanoes holds an extraordinary secret. Congress did not adopted a formal Act codifying this flag, but it is described in the Report of the Committee on Flag and Seal, in the following language: The flag of the Confederate States of America shall consist of a red field with a white space extending horizontally through the center, and equal in width to one-third the width of the flag. It existed in a variety of dimensions and sizes, despite the CSN's detailed naval regulations. The red Saint Georges cross is symbolic of the Episcopal church of which Gen. Polk was Bishop of Louisiana. The result was the square flag sometimes known as the . This Stars & Bars flag, also known as the First Confederate, is fully printed and has 2 brass grommets on the left used for hanging. The flag was adopted by the permanent congress on May 1, 1863. The Flag Act of 1865, passed by the Confederate congress near the very end of the War, describes the flag in the following language: The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That the flag of the Confederate States shall be as follows: The width two-thirds of its length, with the union (now used as the battle flag) to be in width three-fifths of the width of the flag, and so proportioned as to leave the length of the field on the side of the union twice the width of the field below it; to have the ground red and a broad blue saltire thereon, bordered with white and emblazoned with mullets or five pointed stars, corresponding in number to that of the Confederate States; the field to be white, except the outer half from the union to be a red bar extending the width of the flag. This pattern was embellished with the same 13 white stars that the original flag had. General Johnston suggested making it square to conserve material. Hundreds of designs were submitted and on May 4, 1861, the First National Flag was adopted (there would eventually be two others). No seven star Confederate flags survive from these states. The Truth About Confederate History: Part 1 | Snopes.com Men fly a massive Confederate flag during a Black Lives Matter protest in Charleston, South Carolina, in August, 2020. One seven-star jack still exists today (found aboard the captured ironclad CSS Atlanta) that is actually "dark blue" in color (see illustration below, left). The first national flag of the Confederacy with thirteen stars was used until May 1, 1863. Those inspired by the Stars and Stripes were discounted almost immediately by the Committee due to mirroring the Union's flag too closely. "STARS AND BARS" The First Confederate National Flag According to one account, these flags were later turned in so that their bunting could be recycled into other flags. The 12th star represented Missouri. The only change was a substitution of a red bar for one-half of the white field of the former flag, composing the flag's outer end. The very first national flag of the Confederacy was designed by Prussian artist Nicola Marschall in Marion, Alabama. STARS AND BARS Images of 13 Star versions of the first Confederate national flag. Quick View. Across the South, Citizens Councils and the Ku Klux Klanflew the battle flag as they intimidated Black citizens. Lightboxes. In 1956, prompted by the Supreme Courts Brown v. Board of Educationruling that declared segregation unconstitutional, Georgiaadopted a state flag that prominently incorporated the symbol. Were most of the flags made in the Confederacy sewn by hand or by sewing machine? The pattern and colors of this flag did not distinguish it sharply fom the Stars and Stripes of the Union. Share. He described these changes and his reasons for making them in early 1861. This particular battle ensign was the only example taken around the world, finally becoming the last Confederate flag lowered in the Civil War; this happened aboard the commerce raider CSS Shenandoah in Liverpool, England, on November 7, 1865. It is historically also known as Memorial Hall. Confederate Battle Flag - Encyclopedia Virginia One such 12-star flag resides in the collection of Richmond's Museum of the Confederacy and the other is in the Confederate Memorial Hall Museum in New Orleans. Variant of the first national flag with 13 stars, The second national flag of the Confederate States of America. At a distance, the two national flags were hard to tell apart. Save up to 30% when you upgrade to an image pack. Can we bring a species back from the brink?, Video Story, Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, Copyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. The museum is also known as Louisianas Civil War Museum at Confederate Memorial Hall. (2016). On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Though as compared to the Confederate Battle Flags, stars and bars were less known, this first flag was used as the official flag of the Confederacy from March 5, 1861, to May 26, 1863. Stars & Bars flag, First Confederate flag from Flags Unlimited | US Flags As historian Caroline E. Janneynotes, the Lost Cause myth came about immediately after the war as Confederates struggled to come to terms with their defeat in a postwar climate of economic, racial, and social uncertainty.. Flags of the Confederacy - Chamber of Commerce.org Introduction: National Flags of the Confederacy . ", The square "battle flag" is also properly known as "the flag of the Army of Northern Virginia". In the wake of the 2017 Charlottesville white supremacist rally, demand for the banner surged across the country. The Audience went wild, and the song was an instant success. (Physical symbols of white supremacy are coming down. After the war, this design was adopted as the official flag of the United Confederate Veterans and today most people refer to as The Confederate Flag. The first Confederate national flag bore 7 stars representing the first seven states to secede from the U.S. and band together as the Confederate States of America: South Carolina, Mississippi . Contributions can be made to the Memorial Hall Foundation by sending a check, using a credit card or by contributing through the website. CONFEDERATE 1ST NATIONAL UNIT FLAGS IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA. Early flags contain seven stars for the original seven states of the Confederacy. "[11], The flag is also known as the Stainless Banner, and the matter of the person behind its design remains a point of contention. The union blue extending down through the white space and stopping at the lower red space. The ensign of the Confederate States Revenue Service, designed by Dr. H. P. Capers of South Carolina on April 10, 1861. [13] The Columbia-based Daily South Carolinian observed that it was essentially a battle flag upon a flag of truce and might send a mixed message. As a result, Confederate military presentation flags made throughout the South in 1861 and 1862 demonstrate no common proportions or sizes. It is the most distinctive and popular emblem associated with the Confederacy. Perry was a former colonel in the Confederate army during the war, and he presumably based the design on the First National Flag of the Confederacy, commonly known as the Stars and Bars. Stars and bars may refer to: Stars and Bars (flag), the first (1861-1863) flag of the Confederate States of America Stars and Bars (1988 film), 1988 comedy starring Daniel Day-Lewis Stars and Bars (1917 film), 1917 silent film comedy directed by Victor Heerman When the Confederate States of America was founded during the Montgomery Convention that took place on February 4, 1861, a national flag was not selected by the Convention due to not having any proposals. A white rectangle, one-and-a-half times as wide as it is tall, a red vertical stripe on the far right of the rectangle, a red quadrilateral in the canton, inside the canton is a blue saltire with white outlining, with thirteen white five-pointed stars of equal size inside the saltire. / Forwarded to Montgomery, Ala. Feb 12, 1861, / Adopted by the Provisional Congress March 4, 1861". The blue color of the diagonal saltire's "Southern Cross" was much lighter than the battle flag's dark blue. E arly in the war, most regiments carried the Confederate First National flag (the "Stars and Bars") or their state's flag since the Confederacy did not have an official battle flag. "[1][5] Confederate Congressman Peter W. Gray proposed the amendment that gave the flag its white field. In the early months of the War, the Confederate War Department relied exclusively on the patriotic effusion of the ladies of the South for the unit colors of the units that assembled in Richmond during the Spring and Summer of 1861. The red space above and below to be the same width as the white. The "Stars and Bars" The First Confederate National Flag (1861 - 1863) The Confederate Battle Flag (1861-1865) VII. Thereafter, the number of stars continued to increase until Tennessee gained her seat as the 11th State on 2 July 1861. Due to the flag's resemblance to one of truce, some Confederate soldiers cut off the flag's white portion, leaving only the canton.[33]. The Bonnie Blue Flag is on the right. Blue Collar. Return to the Confederate Flags Home Page. On the border of Fairfax, Beverly Grove, and La Brea, Blue Collar serves up Art Deco and noir vibes. First flag with 7 stars(March 4 May 18, 1861), Flag with 11 stars(July 2 November 28, 1861), Last flag with 13 stars(November 28, 1861 May 1, 1863), The Confederacy's first official national flag, often called the Stars and Bars, flew from March 4, 1861, to May 1, 1863. Long COVID patients turn to unproven treatments, Why evenings can be harder on people with dementia, This disease often goes under-diagnosedunless youre white, This sacred site could be Georgias first national park, See glow-in-the-dark mushrooms in Brazils other rainforest, 9 things to know about Holi, Indias most colorful festival, Anyone can discover a fossil on this beach. Miles also told the Committee on the Flag and Seal about the general's complaints and request that the national flag be changed. Although Tennessee did not join the Confederacy until the middle of 1861, four of its unit flags bore seven stars and another three had eight (all seven stars surrounding a central star). Denounced as a hate symbol, the Confederate flag remains popular among white supremacists and Southerners who claim it as their heritage. General Pierre T. Beauregard chose a variation on the cross . [56][57] A YouGov poll in 2020 of more than 34,000 Americans reported that 41% viewed the flag as representing racism, and 34% viewed it as symbolizing southern heritage. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. A rejected national flag design was also used as a battle flag by the Confederate Army and featured in the "Stainless Banner" and "Blood-Stained Banner" designs. Van Dorn was relieved of command after the Battle of Corinth in 1862. The name derived from the blue canton with a circle of white stars and the three red, white, and red bars in the flag's field. The thirteen stars stand for the thirteen states that were part of the Confederacy. Southern Battle Flags - National Park Service These flags show a high preponderance of flags with thirteen and fifteen stars, with most arranged in a circle around a center star, either of the same size or larger than the balance of the stars. There were three bars on the flag, two red and one white, and thus the popular name "Stars and Bars." First Flag of the Confederate States of America, March 4, 1861 The seven stars represent the seven original states: South Carolina; Mississippi; Florida; Alabama; Georgia; Louisiana and Texas. This action piqued the interest of other members of the Foundation, reenactment groups and family members. On April 23, 1863, the Savannah Morning News editor William Tappan Thompson, with assistance from William Ross Postell, a Confederate blockade runner, published an editorial championing a design featuring the battle flag on a white background he referred to later as "The White Man's Flag," a name which never caught on. STARS AND BARS Images of 11 Star versions of the first Confederate national flag. Over the years the flag was changed by adding and . But as secession got underway, the Confederate States of America adopted a flag that riffed off the Unions stars and stripes. The first national flag of the Confederacy was the Stars and Bars (left) in 1861, but it caused confusion on the battlefield and rancour off it "Everybody wants a new Confederate flag,". Our Stars and Bars flags are made from 100% Dupont Solar-Max nylon material or 100% cotton. -"Letter from Richmond" by the Richmond correspondent of the, Journal of the Confederate Congress, Volume 6, p.477, John D. Wright, The Language of the Civil War, p.284, Healy, Donald T.; Orenski, Peter J. CSA- Flags Only - Ultimate Flags The Adopt-A-Flag Program was initiated. Buy Today. A young . The version produced even today for the Stars and Bars, or First National Confederate, features the original seven star pattern in the blue canton. Three horizontal stripes of equal height, alternating red and white, with a blue square two-thirds the height of the flag as the canton. STARS AND BARS Images of 8, 9 and 10 Star versions of the first Confederate national flag. The protesters were demanding diverse hiring and were boycotting the area's stores. Stars and Bars | Confederate flag | Britannica Hundreds of examples were submitted from across the Confederate States and from states that were not yet part of Confederacy (e.g. PD. "A surviving Georgia flag in the collection of the, Bonner, Robert E., "Flag Culture and the Consolidation of Confederate Nationalism. 1861 until 1 May 1863. Of 23 identified 1st national flags from Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina, most (16) bear eleven stars; and of these, 7 are arranged in a circle of eleven, while 5 have ten stars surrounding a center star. Its a story of rebellion, racism, and disagreement over the true history of the Civil Warand as the controversy over its use during the Capitol riots shows, its divisive even 160 years after it was designed. A lithograph from 1897 displays four prominent designs of the Confederate flag and states that the images "help in keeping within us recollections of those who gave their lives to the 'Lost Cause,' and to perpetuate the memories and traditions of the South.". Stars and Bars | NCpedia These two designs were lost, and we only know of them thanks to an 1872 letter sent by William Porcher Miles to P. G. T. Beauregard. But as secession got underway, the Confederate States of America. Beauregard and Joseph Johnston urged that a new Confederate flag be designed for battle. Interestingly, a significant number of Tennessee company and regimental 1st national flags were made of silk and were of very large size, often exceeding 8 feet on their flys. "[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29], The Confederate Congress debated whether the white field should have a blue stripe and whether it should be bordered in red. The Confederate War Department chose two similar sized flags for the forts that came under their control as a result of secession. The winner of the competition was Nicola Marschall's "Stars and Bars" flag. Confederate Flag Bonnie Blue Stars and Bars Battle Flag - WorldAtlas Our historical flags are unsurpassed in quality and authenticity. The blue flag with the circle of white told the Yankees that they facing the troops of Gen. Wm. Why the Confederate Flag Flew During World War II "[32], Regardless of who truly originated the Stainless Banner's design, whether by heeding Thompson's editorials or Beauregard's letter, the Confederate Congress officially adopted the Stainless Banner on May 1, 1863. Symbolism and Meaning of the Confederate Flag - Symbol Sage Amid the smoke and general chaos of battle, it was hard to distinguish the Confederate national flag, the "Stars and Bars," from the U. S. national flag, the "Stars and Stripes." Confederate Congressman William Porcher Miles suggested that the army have a distinct battle flag. Why do people still fly the Confederate flag? - BBC News This flag saw action in the battles in the west. In 1989 friends of Memorial Hall paid for the conservation of a Confederate Battle Flag given to the museum by Rene Beauregard, son of General PGT Beauregard. Moreover, the ones made by the Richmond Clothing Depot used the square canton of the second national flag rather than the slightly rectangular one that was specified by the law. They resemble too closely the dishonored 'Flag of Yankee Doodle' we imagine that the 'Battle Flag' will become the Southern Flag by popular acclaim." These authentic cotton flags are hard to find and may disappear at some point. The federal dark state is creating laws without congress. In February of 1863 the purchase of these 1st national flags ceased when General Beauregard instituted the battle flag of the Army of Northern Virginia, as modified by Charlston Clothing Depot. Most contemporary interpretations of the white area on the flag hold that it represented the purity of the secessionist cause. Even a few fourteen- and fifteen-starred ensigns were made to include states expected to secede but never completely joined the Confederacy. Notable examples include the flag that adorned the coffin of Confederate president Jefferson Davis, that of the Washington Artillery, famed artillery unit of New Orleans, the First Florida Infantry which saw action along side many Louisiana units at Shiloh, and the Sixth Louisiana (Orleans Rifles) embroidered with the inscription Let Us Alone, Trust In God. There is an active flag restoration program and donors may contribute funds to be used toward the restoration of any flag. All rights reserved. PDF The State Flag of Georgia: The 1956 Change In Its Historical Context The design of the Stars and Bars varied . Most famously, the "Bonnie Blue Flag" was used as an unofficial flag during the early months of 1861. and the later Sons of Confederate Veterans, (S.C.V. The Bonnie Blue gained popularity throughout the South through the song THE BONNIE BLUE FLAG written by Harry McCarthy in 1861. Heres the technology that helped scientists find itand what it may have been used for. There are over 140 flags in the collection of Memorial Hall, most of which are from Louisiana regiments. It was sometimes called "Beauregard's flag" or "the Virginia battle flag". A modification of that design was adopted on March 4, 1865, about a month before the end of the Read More symbolism of sovereignty By the early 20th century, white Southerners had mythologized an imagined South that fought the war not to uphold slavery but to protect states rights and a genteel way of lifean idyll endangered by Northern aggression and interference. How the Confederate battle flag became an enduring symbol of - History It is sometimes incorrectly referred to as the Stars and Bars, the name of the first national Confederate flag. Generals Beauregard and Johnston and Quartermaster General Cabell approved the 12-star Confederate Battle Flag's design at the Ratcliffe home, which served briefly as Beauregard's headquarters, near Fairfax Court House in September 1861. Teachinghistory.org [49], Though never having historically represented the Confederate States of America as a country, nor having been officially recognized as one of its national flags, the Battle Flag of the Army of Northern Virginia and its variants are now flag types commonly referred to as the Confederate Flag.