Confederacy's First Battle Flag, The

The original, hand-stitched silk flag with gold-painted stars was designed for the Confederate Army of the Potomac after the first battle of Manassas. It was created as a military necessity, without the authority or knowledge of the Confederate government-however, it filled a dire need. Gens. P. G. T. Beauregard and Joseph E. Johnston recognized that Confederate units needed to have an identifiable banner to unite them on the battlefield. A sketch of this flag design was provided to Mary Lyon Jo