# Stars and Bars **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [October 20, 2003, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stars-and-bars/208444 "2003-10-20T01:44:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Josh\_dePlume](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Josh\_dePlume](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Josh_dePlume)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2003, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stars-and-bars/208444/1 "2003-10-20T01:44:42Z")
[http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mconfederate.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mconfederate.html) This report perpetuates the misconception that “Stars and Bars” refers to the Confederate Battle Flag, the controversial flag with a red background and a blue cross with white stars. In fact it refers to a different flag, a national flag of the Confederacy, that had a blue field with stars in the upper left, much like a U.S. flag, but with bars instead of stripes. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2003, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stars-and-bars/208444/2 "2003-10-20T03:06:48Z")
If this is such a misconception, could you provide a few cites for your version, please? Cecil seems to provide several cites in the column you referred to. Are we expected to accept your version as correct simply because you said so? ---
**Author:** ![Josh\_dePlume](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Josh\_dePlume](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Josh_dePlume)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2003, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stars-and-bars/208444/3 "2003-10-20T03:44:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by [t-bonham@scc.net](mailto:t-bonham@scc.net) \* > \*\*If this is such a misconception, could you provide a few cites for your version, please? > \*\* Here are a few links: [http://www.jlkstamps.com/webpage/starbar.htm](http://www.jlkstamps.com/webpage/starbar.htm) > **[Confederate States of America](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederate_States_of_America)** > > The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy, was an unrecognized breakaway state that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865, and that fought against the United States of America during the American Civil War. Eleven states with declarations of secession from the Union formed the main part of the CSA. They were South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and The ... [http://www.usflag.org/confederate.stars.and.bars.html](http://www.usflag.org/confederate.stars.and.bars.html) > **["STARS AND BARS" The First Confederate National Flag - Confederate Flags](http://confederateflags.org/national/first-national-flag/)** > > CONTENTS OF THIS PAGE: ADOPTION OF THE “STARS & BARS” THE CONFEDERATE 1ST NATIONAL FLAG (THE “STARS & BARS”) AS A MILITARY FLAG. FIRST NATIONAL FLAGS FOR THE CONFEDERATE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC CONFEDERATE 1ST NATIONAL UNIT FLAGS IN SOUTH... [http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-csa1.html](http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-csa1.html) [http://www.cviog.uga.edu/Projects/gainfo/starsbar.htm](http://www.cviog.uga.edu/Projects/gainfo/starsbar.htm) [http://www.bartleby.com/61/23/S0712300.html](http://www.bartleby.com/61/23/S0712300.html) You can find “Stars and Bars” erroneously applied to the Battle Flag too. It’s a common misconception. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2003, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stars-and-bars/208444/4 "2003-10-20T16:50:18Z")
This is one of the things that drives historians crazy. Yes, the expression “Stars and Bars” referred to the First Confederate National Flag. Unfortunately, for every person who knows that, there are a hundred who think it meant the battle flag. The column really should be updated to clarify this. It could also use the statement somewhere that the First Confererate National Flag had exactly three stripes, red, white, and red, which were the “bars” of the name. (Which is incorrect heraldry, but never mind.) ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stars-and-bars/208444/5 "2003-10-21T01:14:42Z")
Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Boards, **Josh** , glad to have you with us. This has been discussed before, at [Slight misinformation on Confederate Battle flag](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=162490) I’ll ask SDStaffers Ken and John Corrado if they’d like to revise the Staff Report.