Certainly no soldier desires that Congress should do what the Yankees have never been able to do—take that flag from us. For my part I would rather fight under my lady's handkerchief as a banner, if they force us to lay down the azure cross, which we have borne so often through the rolling smoke into the light of victory.
Yours, indignantly,
[From the law adopted by the Confederate States Congress May 1, 1863.]
That the flag of the Confederate States shall be as follows: the field to be white, the length double the width of the flag, with the union (now used as the battleflag) to be a square of two-thirds the width of the flag having the ground red; thereon a broad saltier of blue bordered with white and emblazoned with white mullets or five-pointed stars corresponding in number to that of the Confederate States.
In reference to the last flag adopted we can give a more detailed account of its origin and of the gallant soldier who designed it:
[From the Richmond Whig of February 14th, 1865.]
We give below an interesting letter from Major Rogers, the designer of the new Confederate flag which has been floating over the capitol for a day or two past. We give it not only for the interesting character of the document, but also as a page in the history of our struggle. The bill adopting the new design has passed the Senate unanimously, and is now before the Committee on Flag and Seal of the House, composed of Messrs. Chilton of Alabama, Rives of Virginia and Chambers of Mississippi:
Hon. Edward Sparrow, Chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs,
Confederate States Senate:
General—While disabled for active service, I have employed a portion of my leisure in trying to improve our national flag, and after much attention to the subject and the laws of heraldry have submitted a design to Congress, which was introduced into the Senate on the 13th ultimo by Mr. Semmes, of Louisiana. The bill which I have drawn is as follows:
"A Bill to establish the Flag of the Confederate States.
"The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That the flag of the Confederate States shall be as follows: The width two-thirds of its length, with the union (now used as the battleflag) to be in width three-fifths of the width of the flag, and so proportioned as to leave, the length of the field on the side of the union twice the width of the field below it; to have the ground red, and a broad blue saltier thereon, bordered with white and emblazoned with mullets or five-pointed stars, corresponding in
