At 09:59 PM 1/25/00 -0600, you wrote: >The 'Stars and Bars' was >> two horizontal red bars, one white, with a blue field and white stars. >This flag was flown over Fort Sumter. > >'Stainless' banner replaced the red bars with a solid white. >This would be the second national flag, replacing the 7 stars in a circle >with 13 stars in the x pattern( St. Andrews cross.) > >The 'Jackson' >> Flag added a vertical red bar at the end of the flag, and the 'Battle' >flag >> replaced the field of stars. >This would be the third national flag. Only a very few of these were ever >made. The union name for this one was 'Dipped in Blood'. > >Confederate ships flew variations of first national and second national, but >always had a 12' "naval Jack" ready for hoisting. > >And I have always thought that the Bonnie Blue was a Alabama secession flag, >before the Confederate gov, was in place, not a designated flag of the >confederacy, I may be mistaken. >And if someone is looking for something to pin down as a Battle Flag, good >luck, there were so many designs on the feild of battle that it would be >kinda hard. >I am glad there is people out there with your knowledge, thats the problem >with the world today, if your not educated on something "its Bad". > >Steve Vick,SCV,MOSB Steve, I'm including the lyrics to 'Bonnie Blue Flag' which should quickly show that it really wasn't associated with any single state. (It has a nice lively tune, too. In fact the tune is highly identified with the Confederacy.) As for the Battle flags, I believe it was Hood that tried to standardize the battle flags into the one seen so often today. In my original posting, I was wrong, the flag under discussion could be from three scources, the Confederate Naval ensign, the 1948 Democratic symbol, or the battle flag of the Army of Tennessee. - ------------------------------------------------------------------- The Bonnie Blue Flag We are a band of brothers, and native to the soil, Fighting for the property we gained by honest toil; And when our rights were threatened, the cry rose near and far: Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star! Chorus: Hurrah! Hurrah! for Southern rights, Hurrah! Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag That bears a single star! As long as the Union was faithful to her trust, Like friends and like brothers, kind were we and just; But now when Northern treachery attempts our rights to mar, We hoist on high the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star. (Chorus) First, gallant South Carolina nobly made the stand; Then came Alabama, who took her by the hand; Next, quickly Mississippi, Georgia, and Florida -- All raised on high the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star. (Chorus) Ye, men of valor, gather round the banner of the right; Texas and fair Louisiana join us in the fight. Davis, our loved president, and Stephens, statesman are; Now rally round the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star. (Chorus) And here's to brave Virginia! The Old Dominion State, With the young Confederacy at length has linked her fate; Impelled by her example, now other States prepare To hoist on high the Bonnie Blue Flag, That bears a single star! (Chorus) - ----------------------------------------------------------------- I can't say for certain, but I always suspected that the single star was the reason this flag wasn't universally accepted as the Confederate flag. As soon as the delegates assembled to form the confederation, they demanded a star for each state. The real pity of it is that with today's trend to re-write history to make it 'Politically Correct', the real history is lost. "1984" hasn't totally arrived yet, but it's not far off. Ron