Trivia #4 Square (9/4/2014)

[FarawayFriend]

William Porcher Miles designed a first version of the square flag, but it was (again) P.G.T. Beauregard who wanted a separate battle flag, as the "Stars and Bars" resembled the Union flag to much and caused confusion in the first Battle of Manassas. He wrote after the battle, that he "resolved then to have [our flag] changed if possible, or to adopt for my command a 'Battle flag', which would be Entirely different from any State or Federal flag".

So the answer must be:
That a square flag became the Confederate Battle Flag was thanks to Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard, but he did not create it, the flag was based on the design of William Porcher Miles.

http://www.firstwhitehouse.org/flags-of-the-confederacy.html

http://www.civilwar.com/resources/313-flags/150182-confederate-flag-history.html#The_Battle_Flag

 

[Brenal]

Joe Johnston

 

[Seduzal]

General Albert Sidney Johnson

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

Er... Beauregard's idea?

 

[E_just_E]

Joseph E. Johnston

 

[firefly177]

Tonight's Civil War Trivia Question Value: 10 points.
.
This question will be open until Monday at about 9:30am EDT
New Questions are Posted Every Night at 9:30pm EDT
.
Please do not post your answers anywhere but in this forum! This includes you FACEBOOK users!
.
Who's idea was it to make the Confederate Battle Flag square?
.
Post your answers BELOW. Good Luck!
.
If you have a Civil War book, or perhaps some other interesting Civil War product you'd like to promote by giving it away as a trivia prize, contact the Webmaster, Mike Kendra

General Joseph E. Johnston

 

[truthckr]

Joseph E. Johnston

 

[NFB22]

Joseph Johnston

 

[godofredus]

There is some confusion of whose idea it was and who implemented the square flag, see: http://www.firstwhitehouse.org/flags-of-the-confederacy.html

The Battle Flag

William Porcher Miles of South Carolina, the chairman of the Committee for the Flag and Seal, created it. He offered his first version of the flag during a meeting of the committee in one of the senatorial chambers. His original version was rectangular and contained only seven stars (seven states seceding). The flag committee refused the design...but Miles continued his efforts by sending sketches of it to his friend, Beauregard. Beauregard offered some help...but to no avail. Miles quit his position with the Confederate Government...and joined Beauregard in Charleston...and was on Beauregard's staff when we bombarded Ft. Sumter.

Beauregard, of course, led the Confederate forces at Manassas...and it was there he decided there was a need for a separate battle flag. The Stars and Bars looked too much like the US flag in the confusion of battle. Beauregard actually almost failed in that battle because of a critical moment in which he was unsure of the identity of the flag. After realizing that it was his flag, his decision led to the brief Confederacy victory. He made the remark that he would have a separate battle flag, regardless of what course others took. There were two flags under consideration...one, a flag with the familiar Latin Cross...and his friend's version...the St. Andrews design. Miles was with Beauregard at that battle.

Beauregard forwarded his idea to Johnston, who then squared it up..

So the answer is General Joe Johnston....

 

[sarladaise]

General Joe Johnston

 

[IcarusPhoenix]

General Joseph E. Johnston suggested changing the flag designed by Confederate Congressman William Porcher Miles to a square as a method of conserving fabric.

 

[IcarusPhoenix]

General Joseph E. Johnston suggested changing the flag designed by Confederate Congressman William Porcher Miles to a square as a method of conserving fabric.

 

[GELongstreet]

Joe Johnston

 

[bixby272]

William Porcher Miles?

 

[101combatvet]

"General Johnston suggested making it square instead to conserve material. Johnston also specified the various sizes to be used by different types of military units. Generals Beauregard and Johnston and Quartermaster General Cabell approved the design of the 12-star Confederate Battle Flag"

Edit - I don't know where this quote comes from. If you had included a more expansive quote that would have made it clear that it was talking about Joe Johnston, rather than Albert Sidney or one of the other Johnstons, I could have given you credit. As it is, I have to mark this answer wrong.

Hoosier

 

[blwhite]

William Miles

 

[War Horse]

Nicola Marschall

Edit - Marschall designed the Stars and Bars national flag, which was not the same thing as the Confederate battle flag.

Hoosier

 

[CivilWarTalk]

Joseph E. Johnston is correct!