Just a few Facts on Confederate Flags

Just a few Facts on Confederate Flags.

Like many people I know I have been both very interested in the current controversy about the state of South Carolina flying "the Confederate flag" over the state capital, and I have read pretty much everything I could regarding this issue. Now I have been a history fanatic all of my life, and an avid American Civil War Reenactor for seven years now and so naturally my friends and family have asked me how I stand on this issue. When asked if I believe "the Confederate flag" is a racist symbol my answer is very simple, which one. Then they mention the flag flying over South Carolina, you know "the Confederate flag", "the battle flag", the Stars and Bars.

When I hear people make these remarks I am astounded. Now I am by no means claiming to be an expert, but I do know a lot about Confederate flags, far more than your average person. When I hear people comment on the flag flying over South Carolina and using the terms "the Confederate flag", "the battle flag", and Stars and Bars I am shocked. It is very clear to me that people who are using these terms know very little if anything about the rich history of the many different types of Confederate flags.

Now I don’t know what is being taught in American history these days, but these comments on the flag flying over South Carolina are not true. However, since I am a reenactor and I love to teach I am sending every one back to school for a crash course in Confederate Vexillology (the study of flags) 101. I just want to take the opportunity to provide the general public with accurate information about Confederate flags so that their arguments for or against the flag flying over South Carolina will make sense in the future.

There are three main remarks about the South Carolina flag being made that are not true. As I mentioned before it is being called "the Confederate flag", "the battle flag", and the Stars and Bars. None of these are true, and so I will now tell you why these comments are wrong.

Okay, lets start at the beginning. "The Confederate flag", when I hear this statement it sounds like the speaker is referring to the only Confederate flag that ever existed. Believe it or not there were many Confederate flags, 46 that I am aware of, so when people talk about "the Confederate flag I ask them which one, or in other words which of the 46 different Confederate flags are you talking about. Of course we all know that the current issue is about the flag flying over South Carolina, you know "the battle flag".

Of the 46 different Confederate flags 26 were battle flags, so again the which one issue comes up. I will again stress the point that there are more than one Confederate flag, and more than one battle flag, so please stop generalizing. Now the flag flying over South Carolina is a battle flag. To confuse the issue even more it is two different battle flags. It is the 1863 Navy Jack, and the 1864 battle flag for the Army of Tennessee, so take your pick. Actually if you want to get technical on the issue it is the Army of Tennessee battle flag, because the flag flying over South Carolina is too big for a navy jack.

If the flag flying over South Carolina is the 1864 Army of Tennessee battle flag then what is the Stars and Bars? The Stars and Bars was the First National flag of the Confederacy. Now I am going to make one point very clear, the 1864 Army of Tennessee battle flag and the Stars and Bars are not the same flag. They don't even look the same! We all know what the '64 Army of Tennessee battle flag looks like, but what about the Stars and Bars? The Stars and Bars is simple. It is a rectangle about three feet by five feet with a blue field in the upper left corner, just like the American flag. In the blue field are white stars in a circle, and depending on the time period the number of stars would be either seven, eleven, twelve, or thirteen (So if we get real technical each of these variants is a different flag and now we have 49 different Confederate flags!). We have stars and now for the bars. The bars are three stripes red, white, and red, with each bar being about one third of the width of the flag, somewhere about twelve inches or so. Again I will say that the flag flying over South Carolina is not the Stars and Bars, so stop calling it that!

Now that I have explained a few of the basic vexillological facts regarding Confederate flags you may still wonder how I stand on the issue. My stance on this may seem like sitting on the fence to some people, but I can see both sides of the argument. Like it or not the flag flying over South Carolina is the 1864 Army of Tennessee battle flag, and is a symbol of Southern history and heritage, not hate. It is a battle flag, and is a symbol of the military not the Confederate nation. The battle flag was the symbol of the army that used it. The flag in question is only a symbol of the Army of Tennessee. However, if we look at the entire picture we can see a different side to this flag. History tells us that shortly after the Civil War a small group known as the Ku Klux Klan was formed. Now we all know who the KKK are, and what they do. No one can argue that the KKK is not a racist hate group, and their white hooded cloaks, burning crosses, and other symbols also represent the KKK and all they stand for. Now for some reason the KKK wanted a flag and so they adopted the 1864 Army of Tennessee battle flag as their own.

Things are starting to make sense now. All the claims that the flag over South Carolina is a racist symbol, and symbolizes the oppression of former slaves makes sense, when used for that flag. What South Carolina is flying is the flag of the Ku Klux Klan, and this action in a way can be seen as a Klan endorsement. For that reason I feel that South Carolina should take down the flag in question.

However let me be very clear on one thing. The Confederacy stood for many things and their flags represent all that the country fought for, they are not just symbols of slavery. The flag of the KKK is only meant as a racist symbol. If you want to hate the Klan and the 1864 Army of Tennessee battle flag because the Klan uses it fine, heck I do. However, to judge the Confederate States of America, and all their flags and make the claim that all they stood for was slavery and racism is taking things a bit too far.

I want to close by saying that it is my personal belief that this entire argument would not exist if South Carolina was flying one of the many other Confederate flags. It is my personal opinion that this entire argument is over the State of South Carolina flying the flag of the Ku Klux Klan; it is not about a Confederate flag, but the flag of the Klan. I say this based on my personal observations. Over my years of reenacting I have seen countless spectators stare in confusion at the various Confederate flags and have been asked many times to explain what those flags were. Not many people would know a Confederate Flag if they saw one. However, we all know the Klan, and have seen the Klan with that flag, and thus the resentment towards it. For those of you who do not believe me about the lack of ability for many people to recognize a Confederate flag if they saw one I leave you with this very sad, but true story. I was at a reenactment once visiting some friends in the Confederate camp when this couple stopped and looked at one of the flags, the Stars and Bars. The lady shouted out in excitement, "Oh look honey, it is the Continental Army flag, you know the American Revolution."

Sincerely Yours,

Kenneth J. Sliviak

Co. "G" 6^th PA Rush's Lancers

Civil War Heritage Foundation