When most people think of Confederate troops, they think of them fighting under the “Stars and Bars”, the famous Confederate battle flag. In Missouri, however, that flag was rarely used. Instead there were a variety of flags. The most common was the one you see above, adopted early in the war and used both in Missouri and by Missouri troops sent east of the Mississippi. General Sterling Price, who led the 1864 invasion of Missouri that's the backdrop to my novel A Fine Likeness, had a flag like this.
Some units used the flag of the Missouri State Guard, the former state militia that remained loyal to the secessionist state government. Others created flags of their own. The 4th Missouri Infantry under General Van Dorn, for example, used this flag.[Images courtesy Wikimedia Commons and the National Park Service]
Very interesting information.
ReplyDeleteDonna
Stars and Bars refers to the First National Flag of the Confederacy NOT the "Southern Cross" or Battle Flag of the Army of Northern Virginia- at First Manassas(or Bull Run to the Yankees)the First National flag became confused with the US flag the Federal troops were carrying,due to all the powder smoke-so the new flag was designed
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