Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 38.djvu/274

 Miles as our first national flag. Both were oblong; the field was red, the bars blue, and the stars white; but Colonel Walton's had the Latin cross, and Colonel Miles' the St. Andrews, which removed the objection that many of our soldiers might have to fight under the former symbol. General Johnston preferred a square flag, to render it more convenient to carry; and we finally adopted, in September, 1861, the well-known battle-flag of the Army of the Potomac (as it was first called), to which our soldiers became so devoted. Its field was red or crimson, its bars were blue and running diagonally across from one corner to the other, formed the Greek cross; the stars on the bars were white or gold, their number being equal to the number of States in the Confederacy; the blue bars were separated from the red field by a small white fillet. The size of the flag, for infantry, was fixed at 4x4 feet, for artillery at 4x3 feet, and for cavalry at 2½x2½ feet. It had the merit of being small and light, and of being very distinct at great distances. But it was not accepted by the Confederate Government until it had been consecrated by many a hard-fought battle, when it became the union of our second and third Confederate national flags. When I assumed command of the troops in western Tennessee, February, 1862, I found that General Polk had adopted for his forces a flag nearly similar to the one I had designed for the Army of the Potomac. In September, 1862, when I returned to Charleston, I substituted the same banner for the State flags, then principally used in the department of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. It became thus in our armies the emblem of Southern valor and patriotism; and should we ever be compelled to have a foreign war, I trust that this standard will be adopted as our national battle-flag, to which the Southern soldiers will always gladly rally to a just cause.

"The State flag referred to by you was adopted by the Secession Convention, and contained thirteen stripes—four blue, six white, and three red—commencing at top with the colors as written. The union was red, with its sides equal to the width of seven stripes; in its centre was a single pale yellow star, with five points.

"I remain, yours truly,

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