General Beauregard and the origin of the "Battle Flag"

The "Confederate Battle Flag" is based on the ancient "Cross Of Saint Andrew". A few confused people are trying to rewrite history by saying that someone in the 1860s "designed" that flag. How ludicrous! It is centuries old! When we look at the origin of our Confederate Battle Flag, aka the Battle Flag of the Army of North Virginia, we see clearly that Gen. P G T Beauregard did more for the appearance of the "Battle Flag" than anyone else. Porcher Miles was NOT the "designer" of the St. Andrews Cross battle flag-aka ANV Battle Flag, aka "Confederate Battle Flag"; that is a false narrative, aka an "urban legend". Miles chaired the committee that approved the Battle Flag, and his total contribution was to change ONE color. Beauregard was the first to suggest having a new Battle Flag and arranged the final appearance of the flag.

It started with the Battle of First Manassas, in which the flags of the various units were hard to discern in the smoke of battle. In early September 1861, Beauregard wrote to Gen. Joe Johnston:
"We should have two flags - - a peace or parade flag, and a war flag to be used only on the field of battle - - but congress having adjourned no action will be taken on the matter - - How would it do for us to address the War Dept. on the subject for a supply of Regimental or badge flags made of red with two blue bars crossing each other diagonally on which shall be introduced the stars, the edge of the flag to be trimmed all around with white, yellow or gold fringe? We would then on the field of battle know our friends from our Enemies."
(source - - "The Confederate Battle Flag" by John M. Coski)

General Beauregard gives the background and circumstances on how it came about in a book entitled: The Military Operations of General Beauregard in the War Between the States Vol I, 1884. Quote - - " At the battle of Manassas, on the 2lst of July, 1861, I found it difficult to distinguish our then Confederate flag from the United States flag, especially when General Early made the flank movement which decided the fate of the day, and I determined at that time to have adopted a "battle-flag"; which would be entirely different from any State or Federal flags."
"I submitted my views on the subject to General Joseph E. Johnston, commanding, who approved of them, and to the Confederate States War Department, who made at first some objections to them, but finally consented. I then designed a diagonal red cross with white stars on a blue field, but on consultation with General Johnston and Colonel ...Miles, Chairman of the House Military Committee, the latter gentleman suggested a red ground, with a blue cross, and the former a square flag, instead of the slightly oblong one devised by me; these suggestions were adopted, after colored drawings of the two flags had been made and discussed, as well as a nearly corresponding one from Colonel J. B. Walton of the Louisiana Washington Artillery."

This is from page 485 of said book. General Beauregard's statements are corroborated by Gustavus Smith-who was at First Manassas, and Thomas Jordan who agreed with General Beauregard and said, "I will state now that I distinctly recollect that the origin of our battle-flag was due to the trouble which arose, as you say, at the battle of Manassas, in consequence of the similarity between the Confederate and Federal flags, on that occasion. I remember that you at once set to work to find a guard against a similar accident..." This quote is on page 486 of the same book.

ALSO we offer: Confederate Veteran Magazine 1907, page 70:
"...between the hours of three and four in the afternoon of July 21, 1861, when the Southern troops had been beaten back at various points and the fate of the Confederacy appeared to be trembling in the balance, General Beauregard, in looking across the Warrenton Turnpike, which passed through the valley between the positions of the Confederates and the elevations beyond occupied by the Federal forces, noticed a body of troops moving toward his left. He was in great concern to know whether they were Union or Confederate, but could not decide because of the similarity of the colors carried.
During this terrible anxiety General Beauregard determined that the Confederate soldiers should have a flag distinct in design..."
This article does mention Miles being consulted, but attributes the design to General Beauregard.

ALSO: A book entitled: Flags and Seal of the Confederacy by Keith Olendorf and published in 1983 states:"This flag was conceived after the Battle of First Manassas...July 21, 1861. It was during this battle , through the experiences of General PGT Beauregard, that the battle flag was born. Soon after the battle, General Beauregard decided that the Confederate soldiers should carry a distinct flag into battle so as not to cause confusion on the battlefield again." That is from page 4.

ALSO: In Confederate Veteran March and April of 1987 an article by Deveraux D Cannon entitled 'The Confederate Flag' appears on page 5. We quote again:
"...similarity soon provoked a problem, for on a field of Manassas, in the smoke and dust of battle, troops and commanders often found it difficult to distinguish the flags of warring countries. As a direct result of this, General PGT Beauregard commended a design for a battle flag to be used by the army in the field..."

The idea was Beauregard's. The arrangement was Beauregard's. Miles recommended changing one color. Beauregard submitted an oblong (rectangular) flag and Miles recommended changing it to the square ANV design. However, the oblong (rectangular) design was the AOT flag. So while Miles was involved as Chairman of the Committee, he did NOT come up with the idea for the flag, nor the overall appearance. This false re-direction of history is similar to an attempt a few years ago to start a rumor that one of the CSA National flags was designed by someone who was a racist. That was nothing but a despicable mudslinging falsehood, and it was quickly disproven, debunked, ridiculed and completely flushed, just like this failed attempt to rewrite the origin of our honored Battle Flag.

The Battle Flag, aka Confederate Battle Flag, is the brainchild of General P.G.T. Beauregard. It is the soldier's flag, designed FOR soldiers BY soldiers.

When searching for truth one MUST go to original sources. Outsiders, and 'modern Confederate historians', not of Confederate blood and no matter how well-meaning, have done some damage with trying to re-attribute the design to Miles. They have dishonored General Beauregard and the Southern soldiers who were on the battlefield and in so doing have dishonored themselves.

We strongly urge a reading of The Military Operations of General Beauregard by Alfred Roman volume I published in 1884. This book goes in depth with letters between all involved with the origin of the "CBF".
General Beauregard's own words are corroborated by those who were there, and other first person accounts. In letters between Miles and Beauregard, Miles never took credit for that flag.
To be fair, we can credit Porcher Miles with helping to create the First National flag, aka the Stars And Bars. He had suggested that the Saint Andrews Cross be incorporated into that flag, but the rest of the Congressional committee voted against it.

And now you know the truth and facts about the true origin of the Battle Flag of the Army of Northern Virginia.. Those who would attempt to rewrite history are the South's enemies.

On November 28, 1861, in ceremonies at Centreville and Manassas, Virginia, attended by Generals Joseph Johnston and G. T. Beauregard, Confederate soldiers of the Army of the Potomac (later the Army of Northern Virginia) received their new battle flags. The new flags were mostly pink and rose silk (red silk being hard to come by at the time).

General Beauregard gave a speech encouraging soldiers to treat their new battle flag with honor and stressed that it must never be surrendered. Many soldiers wrote home about the ceremony and the impression the flag had made upon them, the "fighting colors" boosting morale after the confusion at the Battle of First Manassas. From that point on, the battle flag only grew in its identification with the Confederacy and with the South in general.

A variation of Beauregard's "Battle Flag" was introduced in March 1862 - - the "Cassidy" flag.

Fifty flags were furnished on 25 February 1862 and sent to Beauregard through one of the regimental quartermasters of Bragg’s congregating forces. These flags arrived at Jackson, Tennessee on 3 March 1862.
Although based on the eastern army’s general design, the new Cassidy made battle flags differed from their Virginia counterparts in several respects. Their fields were made from a red wool-cotton blend, quartered diagonally by a dark blue St. Andrew’s cross of similar material, the cross edged on its sides with 1″ wide white cotton. Each of the four arms of the cross bore three white silk stars, totaling twelve, and hence suggesting that either Beauregard’s personal headquarters battle flag or the battle flag that he had brought from Virginia for the 5th Company of Washington Artillery of New Orleans had served as the pattern for Cassidy. Moreover, rather than the Americanized 5-pointed stars, the flags that Cassidy produced would bear heraldically correct 6-pointed stars. Finally, a yellow serge or bunting border edged the three exterior sides of the flags.

I Am the Confederate Battle Flag

by Charles H. Hayes

I am the Battle Flag of the Confederate States of America.

I am a proud flag.
I have led great armies to great victories.
From tall masts I have saluted,
And been saluted by,
The ablest generals in history.

I am a potent symbol.
I have the power to stir the blood
Of those who carried me in battle
Though that blood be continents away
And generations removed from those battles.

I am an honorable flag.
Do not use me for ignoble purposes.
I am a symbol of pride, not arrogance.
I represent love of homeland, not hatred toward anyone.
But no matter who carries me
Or for what purposes, I cannot be dishonored.

I secured my honor in a hundred battles
Where good men dying passed me to good men still struggling;
Where we prevailed against almost impossible odds;
Where we were beaten by overwhelming numbers;
Where I was as bloody, torn, tired, and soiled
As the men who carried me.

I am a worthy flag.
I have stood watch over the graves of patriots.
I have comforted widows in their loneliness.
As a blood-stained rag I have been passed as a rich legacy
To the heirs of those who had lost all for my sake.

I am the Battle Flag of the Confederate States of America.
Do not forsake me.