What do the symbols and colors represent in the first confederate flag?

Answer 1

THE ORDER OF CONFEDERATE COLORS

Knights of the Golden Circle, KGC Information Exchange, December 5, 2008, http://kgc4dixie.webs.com/

New York Times, 1896: "The Confederate Convention. Richmond Filling with People Who Will Attend It. RICHMOND, Va., June 29.--Richmond is all ready for the sixth annual reunion of the United Confederate Veterans, which commences here to-morrow, continuing three days, and winding up Thursday afternoon with a grand parade and the ceremonies incident to the laying of the cornerstone of the Jefferson Davis Monument. On regular and special trains Confederate camps, troops, delegations, and unattached visitors are pouring into the city, and by to-morrow morning the accommodations of Virginia's capital will be pressed to their utmost capacity.

Along the line of march of Thursdays' procession the stores and residences are beautifully decorated, as are buildings in various other parts of the city. The CONFEDERATE COLORS predominate, but the National colors are also largely in evidence. Nearly every man, woman, and child one meets wears a Confederate button."

Red, White and Blue. We choose what we see through many years of learning another way so we honestly want to see something like Confederate colors as red, white and blue. Logic should tell us the Confederacy would not choose new emblems from flag to Great Seal and allow the old colors of union to remain--Britain and the first revolution excepted.

Many Confederate pre-flag examples (with horizontal stripes) prior to the adoption of the Stars and Bars showed an order of color in blue, white and red. This information from the very first Confederate flag considerations is revealing: "Submitted by 'A Gentleman of Louisville, Kentucky.' This is a design theme which will be seen in a number of submissions. The colors of the U.S. Stars and Stripes are reversed. The 'gentleman' says that the 7 BLUE STRIPES REPRESENTED THE FIRST SEVEN States forming the CSA. The number of white stars is to increase as new States join the CSA." -- http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-csap1.HTML

In the formation of the "Republic of Louisiana" (February 11, 1861) was the adoption of their own flag: "We, the people of the State of Louisiana in convention assembled, do ordain and establish that the flag of the State of Louisiana shall consist and be composed of thirteen horizontal stripes of the colors hereinafter described, and to be disposed in the following order, commencing from the upper line or edge of the flag, to wit: the first stripe BLUE; second, WHITE; third, RED; fourth, white; fifth, BLUE; sixth, WHITE; seventh, RED; eighth, white; ninth, BLUE; tenth, WHITE; eleventh, RED; twelfth, white; and the thirteenth, or bottom stripe, BLUE. We do further ordain and establish that there shall be in the upper or chief corner of the flag, a square field, the color whereof shall be red; and the sides therefor equal to the width of seven stripes, and that in the center of said field there shall be a star of due proportionate size, having five points or rays; and that the color of the said star shall be a paile yellow. We do further ordain and establish that the said flag, and no other, shall be the NATIONAL flag of the State of Louisiana."

The current Stars and Bars pattern of the Mississippi flag, with battle flag in canton, is also a living reminder of the Confederate order of colors as its top to bottom bars feature blue, white and red (the Stars and Bars is not the St. Andrew's "X" as commonly misrepresented). In 1892, Mississippi chose a hybrid flag of the First National and Stainless Banner but a wartime example that can be seen at the Alabama state museum in Montgomery. Unlike the Confederate example of Stars and Bars (red, white then red) and St. Andrew's or Jacob's cross in canton, Mississippi's design shows bars top to bottom of BLUE, WHITE and RED.

The description of Mississippi's flag recommended by the joint legislative committee was: "One with width two-thirds of its length, with the union square in width, two-thirds of the width of the flag; the ground of the union to be red and a broad blue saltier thereon bordered with white and emblazoned with thirteen (13) mullets or five-pointed stars, corresponding to the number of the original States of the Union; the field to be divided into three bars of equal width, the upper one BLUE, the center one WHITE, the lower one RED; THE NATIONAL COLORS; the staff surmounted with a spear-head and battle-axe below; the flag to be fringed with gold, and the staff gilded with gold."

Appearing in the Austin State Gazette, March 23, 1861, p.1, c.5, "The Confederate Congress, The Flag of the Confederacy" is reported, "The three colors of which it is composed, red, white and blue, are the true Republican colors." Much credit is given Mr. Miles' statement of colors than good research will allow and an even stronger set of evidence indicates Confederate colors were something else. Even though an order of colors appears to have been stated in proposal, the Confederate Congress did not formally adopt the Stars and Bars by vote says one source. Another states the flag was adopted on March 4, 1861 but an Order of Confederate colors had already been set in motion and followed through with even decades later.

Going back to the Gazette article, "Your committee, therefore, recommend that 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 of the width of the flag; the red spaces, above and below, to be of the same width as the white; the Union blue extending down through the white space and stopping at the lower red space; in the center of the union, a circle of white stars corresponding in number with the States in the Confederacy."

The Stars and Bars flag of Dixie did not have "three bars" heraldry would recognise. Three bars on a field of red in a vertical (top to bottom) order can be said: red, WHITE BAR, red, WHITE BAR, red, WHITE BAR--but these do not suit the mind's eye as expected. The current Mississippi flag of BLUE, WHITE and RED lends itself more properly to division and not of a color upon which rests a bar (in this case a heraldry fess). The trouble Mr. Miles had was the new flag had an order of colors that followed an Austrian division from top to bottom of RED, WHITE and RED with a smaller blue canton of stars as an addition. Red would seem a natural first expression of color by quantity and those later naming the "Stars and Bars" were not men of true heraldry.

The proposal again, "The three colors of which it is composed, red, white and blue, ARE THE TRUE REPUBLICAN COLORS." What were "true Republican colors" but those of the U.S.A. which makes Miles' statement out to be what it was--a political statement of posturing. Oh, the sentimentality of a politician--but his view of colors was not shared by his own Committee associates proposing other Confederate flags of stars and BLUE stripes where stripes represented the first seceded states of Dixie. Mr. Miles also appears to have ignored an Order of Colors discussed among individual states ratifying their own banners--Louisiana's passage on February 11, 1861 in horizontal stripes of that time in BLUE, WHITE and RED as good example. Mr. Miles was not observant of flags adopted at the very time he worked on the Confederate flag committee but as Confederates we must not allow past or present sentimentality of union to obscure issues for sake of peace on New England terms.

There are examples of Dixie's blue, white and red but one of my favorite is a color version showing the Confederacy's Great Seal (1913) produced by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. One only has to note an order of color in its ribbon from left to right and outer to inner rings of the Great Seal as with the French Tricolor's--Blue, White and Red.

Make sure your Confederate activities and organisations use Dixie's true colors. They are a living heritage to enjoy and preserve for future generations.

Remember the BLUE, WHITE AND RED!

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THE ORDER OF North Carolina COLORS

Knights of the Golden Circle, KGC Information Exchange, December 3, 2008 (This is a follow-on article to The Order of Confederate Colors.) http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KnightsoftheGoldenCircle/

Standards, banners and flags of all types had to wait the development of heraldry in the 12th century so designs might be written down for reliable reproduction. All this started with the old European colleges of arms that maintained an arminger's shield design by a descriptive language called blazonry and this is where flying heraldry got its start.

The basic design of the North Carolina flag was passed February 5, 1885 using crude description unlike the blazon that follows in a combination of English and French (added explanation): divided per fesse (a diagonal line), gules (red) and argent (silver, white for flags), overall a vertical banner azure (blue), running from dexter chief (left, top) to dexter base (left bottom), equal to 1/4 the width of the flag, thereon in the fesse point (middle), the North Carolina logo, or (word "or" is gold, or yellow for flags). The current flag of North Carolina has an order of colors in RED, WHITE and BLUE.

In heraldry the first colors mentioned are field colors and a describing of the field comes first. Below is legislation of the very first North Carolina state flag created at the formation of The Confederate States of America.

AN ORDINANCE IN RELATION TO A STATE FLAG Be it ordained by this Convention, and it is hereby ordained by the authority of the same, That the Flag of North Carolina shall consist of a red field with a white star in the centre, and with the inscription, above the star, in a semi-circular form, of "May 20th, 1775," and below the star, in a semi-circular form, of "May 20th, 1861." That there shall be two bars of equal width, and the length of the field shall be equal to the bar, the width of the field being equal to both bars: the first bar shall be blue, and second shall be white: and the length of the flag shall be one-third more than its width [Ratified the 22nd day of June, 1861]. --http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/NC/symbols/flag.htm

The statue attempts heraldry language but there is no "bar" in this flag nor "field...equal to the bar". Again, the term "field" always applies to overall color and in this case begins with a division of blue (top) and white (bottom). The red (left) zone is considered a "banner overall" of color showing the North Carolina logo. The 1861 North Carolina flag had an order of colors in BLUE, WHITE and RED.

Interesting locations telling the story of North Carolina state flags:

http://www.confederateflags.org/states/FOTCncarolina.htm (Exceptional Photographs) http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-nc.HTML#civ

http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/flags/nc_flag.htm

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THE ORDER OF NORTH CAROLINA COLORS (Revision)

Knights of the Golden Circle, KGC Information Exchange, December 3, 2008

(This is a follow-on article to The Order of Confederate Colors.)

http://kgc4dixie.webs.com/

Standards, banners and flags of all types had to wait the development of heraldry in the 12th century so designs might be written down for reliable reproduction. All this started with the old European colleges of arms that maintained an arminger's shield design by a descriptive language called blazonry and this is where flying heraldry got its start.

The basic design of the North Carolina flag was passed February 5, 1885 using crude description unlike the blazon that follows in a combination of English and French (added explanation): divided per fesse (a diagonal line), gules (red) and argent (silver, white for flags), overall a vertical banner azure (blue), running from dexter chief (left, top) to dexter base (left bottom), equal to 1/4 the width of the flag, thereon in the fesse point (middle), the North Carolina logo, or (word "or" is gold, or yellow for flags). The current flag of North Carolina has an order of colors in RED, WHITE and BLUE.

In heraldry the first colors mentioned are field colors and a describing of the field comes first. Below is legislation of the very first North Carolina state flag created at the formation of The Confederate States of America.

AN ORDINANCE IN RELATION TO A STATE FLAG

Be it ordained by this Convention, and it is hereby ordained by the authority of the same, That the Flag of North Carolina shall consist of a red field with a white star in the centre, and with the inscription, above the star, in a semi-circular form, of "May 20th, 1775," and below the star, in a semi-circular form, of "May 20th, 1861." That there shall be two bars of equal width, and the length of the field shall be equal to the bar, the width of the field being equal to both bars: the first bar shall be blue, and second shall be white: and the length of the flag shall be one-third more than its width [Ratified the 22nd day of June, 1861]. --http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/NC/symbols/flag.htm

The statue attempts heraldry language but there is no "bar" in this flag nor "field...equal to the bar". Again, the term "field" always applies to overall color and in this case begins with a division of blue (top) and white (bottom). The red (left) zone is considered a "banner overall" of color showing the North Carolina logo. The 1861 North Carolina flag had an order of colors in BLUE, WHITE and RED.

Interesting locations telling the story of North Carolina state flags:

http://www.confederateflags.org/states/FOTCncarolina.htm (Exceptional Photographs)

http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-nc.HTML#civ

http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/flags/nc_flag.htm

Answer 2

The colours and symbols are borrowed from the general U.S. federal flag, which was not abandoned fully because citizens of the Confederacy were against abandoning it. The colours and symbols of the U.S. flag bear no special, defined meaning except that the number of bars was equal to the number of rebelling colonies (13) and that the numbers of stars represented the number of states in the Union. Likewise, the Confederate flags used the stars to represents the number of states in their union but their bar colours, like the U.S. flag, had no specific meaning (though some have said that the 'white field' can be interpreted to mean purity).

Answer 3

THE ORDER OF COLORS FOR THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA (CSA):Often we choose what we see through many years of learning another way so we honestly want to see something like Confederate colors as red, white and blue.Logic should tell us that the Confederacy would not choose every conceivable new emblem from flag to Great Seal and then allow the old color order to remain--Great Britain and the first revolution excepted.The split and secession from the industrial states (primarily New England) was bitterly set in motion and feeling so high that the French would no more choose the red, white and blue of Britain than the late Confederacy would have.Nearly every pre-flag example (with horizontal stripes) prior to the adoption of the Stars and Bars showed an order of blue, white and red. Even the current Stars and Bars pattern of Mississippi, with battle flag in canton, is a living reminder of a true order of colors in its top to bottom bars of blue, white and red. (The Stars and Bars is not the St. Andrew's "X" as commonly believed.)Some will say the Confederate Congress did not specifiy an order of colors but such does not mean there was without. The Confederate Congress failed to formally adopt the Stars and Bars as well.There are examples of Dixie's blue, white and red but my favorite is a color version of the Confederacy's Great Seal produced in 1913 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. One only has to note an order of color in its ribbon from left to right as with the French Tricolor--blue, white and red.Gary Smith