Lt. James T. Woodward Camp 1399 Sons of Confederate Veterans Warner Robins, Georgia P.O. Box 1823, Warner Robins, GA 31099 - http://scvcamp1399.org/

Why should you join SCV? ||  Georgia Flag Frequently Asked Questions || Commentary: On the '56 Flag

The Ugly Barnes Rag of 2001	The Georgia Flag 1956-2001	The Perdue Flag of 2003

Now matter how you package this new 2003 flag 'compromise' (subterfuge) it fails at the very core because the 1956 flag was removed under false pretenses and until that flag has the opportunity to be restored Georgia will continue to be divided. Yes, the new flag resembles the provisional First National Confederate flag, but the honor of the Confederate Battle flag has been attacked and that is what must be restored.  [ Click here to see the Georgia Division SCV Flag Facts 2002 (PDF format) ]  In addition, this new politician's flag has 13 stars rather than seven like the First National and the Georgia law defining the new flag states that the 13 stars are to represent the 13 original colonies that seceded from Great Britain.  Thus, any claims that this flag is "Confederate" are specious at best.  The 2003 flag is a counterfeit flag. 

The Georgia flag was "officially" changed in 2001 to an ugly blue design best known as the "Barnes Rag." Many have likened it to a restaurant place mat. Flag experts (vexicologists) called the Barnes rag "the ugliest flag in North America."  After stating that he had no intentions to even discuss changing the 1956 Georgia flag, one-term Governor Roy Barnes and his fellow conspirators pushed the new design through the General Assembly in 2001 in a surprise blitz of coercion, bribery and intimidation. This "strong-arm sneak-attack" approach reveals that they knew the people of Georgia did NOT want the flag changed.  In open defiance of the people, the infamous change was pushed through.  Barnes and many other turncoats bet their jobs that Georgia voters would forget the flag change. They were WRONG!

In the election November 5, 2002, the people of Georgia have spoken loudly and clearly--it was a state-wide mandate for a fair vote on the 1956 flag.  Many of the people who voted for the 2001 flag change are no longer in office. NOW, we want our flag back.   The people of Georgia are entitled to make this decision.  But our representatives and state Senators are afraid to simply let the people choose their Georgia flag.  The cowards and crooks in the General Assembly caved in to pressure from anti-Southern bigotry groups such as the NAACP and Atlanta business interests the regularly pay them extortion money (especially Jesse Jackson's "Rainbow" organization). 

In April 2003, the General Assembly gutted the flag bill (HB380) of the provision for a July 2004 referendum that would allow the people to choose their preferred flag.  As of May 8, 2003, when Governor Perdue signed the bill enacting a new Perdue flag---once again, the General Assembly is ramming a politician's flag down the throats of the people.   The referendum in March 2004 provided for a vote to keep the politician's new flag, or to "choose" the Ugliest Flag in North America (the Barnes Rag).  That's not a choice, that's an insult.  It's once again time to remind the gnomes under the dome just WHO they are supposed to represent.  Did your representative and Senator vote to let you have a real choice, to choose the 1956 flag?  Or did they vote to DENY you a choice, give you an insult and call it a choice?  .

The Georgia SCV Division Reunion in 2003 issued this slogan: "A change of heart in 04 or a change in the legislature in 05."  We have a whole new legislature now...let's see what they do. "Update: The Fair Vote bill was outmaneuvered in the back rooms of the 2005 legislature, and it was left to die in Committee. Heck, no, we ain't forgettin'.

Our Southern Symbols and our Southern Heritage remain under attack

The charges are that the battle flag portion of the 1956 Georgia flag represents slavery and bigotry and also that our the 1956 State flag was adopted in defiance of the Brown vs. Board of Education decision, which led to integration of schools. NEITHER CHARGE IS TRUE.  Flag opponents continue to make these charges but refuse to back or debate them.

THE FACTS ARE:
Judge John Sammons Bell, Chief Judge of the Georgia Court of Appeals designed the Georgia flag (1956-2001). He says that the purpose of the change was "to honor our ancestors who fought and died and who have been so much maligned." He denies any accusation that the flag change was proposed in defiance of integration saying, "Anybody who says anything to the contrary is wrong or perpetuating a willful lie." Governor Carl Sanders, a Civil Rights Supporter, and Governor Ernest Vandiver were in the legislature when the flag change was made. Both agree that the debate in the legislature over adoption of the new flag had nothing to do with integration or the Supreme Court decision. Neither the Atlanta newspapers nor any other newspaper of the day ever published anything, which indicated that the flag was being changed in defiance of desegregation decisions of the Supreme Court.

THE SOUTH DID NOT FIGHT TO PRESERVE SLAVERY.
Slavery was protected in the U.S. Constitution. It could not possibly have been changed without support from the Southern States. All Southerners had to do was stay in the union to keep slaves. When the war started, there were more slave States in the Union (8) than in the Confederacy (7). To have a war over slavery, one side would have to fight to end slavery. President Abraham Lincoln stated, "My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and it is not either to save or destroy slavery". He further promised to enforce laws that required runaway slaves to be returned. General U. S. Grant, Union Commander, stated that if he became convinced that the war was being fought to free the slaves, he would resign his commission and offer his sword to the other side.

Southerners were forced to pay most of the taxes to a central government that had strayed from the Constitution and denied the independence of the States as established by the founding fathers. Seven States formed a new country. When the Northern States raised an army and invaded the Southern States, the war was on. Southern States only wanted freedom and independence.

Confederate General Robert E. Lee said, " All that the South has ever desired was the Union as established by our forefathers should be preserved."   Freedom and Independence are the opposite of the totalitarian dictatorship the Nazis wanted.  We resent the comparison.

The battle flag was adopted during the war so that Southern troops could distinguish their men from the enemy. The previous flag (Stars & Bars [see below]) looked too much like the Stars and Stripes. Both armies were shooting their own men. The battle flag was never an official government flag but it was the flag of the soldiers.  Black Southerners supported the Southern war effort in every way. Not only did they maintain farms, help look after women and children, and refuse to rise up against Southern white people as encouraged by the North, but also they actually participated in the war effort. Tens of thousands of black Southerners served in the Confederate armies.

Black Confederates were integrated and received the same pay as whites, which did not happen in the U.S. Armies until World War II. Frederick Douglas, black leader in the North, said "There are at the present moment many colored men in the Confederate Army doing duty not only as cooks, servants, and laborers, but as real soldiers, having muskets on their shoulders and bullets in their pockets, ready to shoot down loyal troops and do all that soldiers may do...".

The NAACP has adopted a resolution calling for a "SYSTEMATIC EFFORT TO REMOVE ALL VESTIGES OF THE CONFEDERACY FROM PUBLIC DISPLAY." It is not just our flag but also all our symbols, monuments and even our culture that they wish to destroy (Cultural Genocide).

All Southerners should be proud of our unique heritage. The Confederate battle flag is recognized around the world as a symbol of independence and self-determination. No other Americans have suffered so much and made such sacrifices as our Southern ancestors.

We reject the premise that the War for Southern Independence was about slavery and therefore, we reject any inference that the Confederate battle flag or any flag of the Confederacy celebrates slavery or racial oppression. It's regrettable that malicious liars and the well-meaning ignorant continue to spread such misinformation in efforts to discredit our beloved flags. As stated before, the NAACP's stated goals are the total eradication of all vestiges of the Confederacy and every Southern symbol associated with it....not just flags, but all monuments, markers, statues and celebrations. This is cultural genocide and it represents the height of intolerance and prejudice on their part.

Only in America is there any negative connotation associated with the Confederate flag.
In the late 1980s, the Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and others had thousands of students waving Confederate flags at a time when waving their own national flags would mean certain death at the hands of the KGB and the Politburo. All flags, currency and symbols of their former countries were forbidden by the Soviet empire. Student protestors in Belgrade waved the Confederate flag. East Berliners raised the Confederate flag above the Berlin wall in 1989 (Newsweek published a famous 1989 photo) to show their defiance to Communist tyranny. The French-speaking nationlists of Quebec wave the Confederate flag along with the Fleur-de-lis as a symbol of their desire for independence from English Canada. Even the Zulus of South Africa wave Confederate flags as a symbol of definance and their desire for independence. Everywhere else in the world, the Confederate flag is seen as a symbol of independence and defiance to tyranny. Why is it that these foreigners understand American history and our flag so much better than the hateful but vocal few who condemn the Confederate flag here in the USA? [ See our Suggested Reading List ]

Won't you help preserve our unique Southern Heritage? If you have an ancestor who honorably served the Confederate military, join the UDC or the Sons of Confederate Veterans today. If you haven't had time to do the genealogical research, you can still join a local SCV Camp as an Associate Member and participate fully in its memorial and preservationist activities. SCV members will happy to assist you with your research.

Let's educate those who are willing to learn and accept us for who we are. Let's invite others to respect our culture just as they wish us to respect theirs. Contact your legislator to help return our flag and preserve our culture.

Georgia Flag Frequently Asked Questions

There has been a considerable amount of controversy in recent years concerning the 1956 Georgia Flag, especially since it was changed in 2001. Many questions have been asked by citizens and many people have tried to answer these questions from varying viewpoints. In an attempt to answer the many questions, the GEORGIA FLAG FACTS COMMITTEE (of the Georgia Division SCV) has researched the development of the official GEORGIA FLAG from its first mention in the official records of the state governrnent to present. The findings are presented here so the citizens of Georgia might form their opinions concerning the GEORGIA FLAG based upon FACTS.

Question: When did the State of Georgia first adopt an official flag?

Answer: Following the American Revolution, it was decided that all of the sovereign states should adopt a flag design. Although no official action has ever been found in the record, a common design was seen shortly thereafter and was used frequently until 1879. It was a blue field with a white Georgia State Seal in the center. (Authority: Ron. Ben Fortson, Secretary of State of Georgia, June 1973.)

Question: If no record is found that the first commonly used flag was officially adopted, when was the first official flag adopted?

Answer: During the 1879 session of the Georgia General Assembly "... an Act to declare and establish the flag for the State of Georgia ..." was introduced by a prominent Senator from Waynesboro named Col. Herman H. Perry. Col. Perry was a well known lawyer and former colonel in the Confederate States Army. His design was an adaptation of the first national flag of the Confederate States of America, commonly know as "The Stars and Bars". It was shown as a vertical blue bar on the flag staff third of the flag with the remainder covered by three horizontal bars of equal width. The middle bar was white with the upper and lower bars red. In 1905, the State Coat of Arms, or seal, was added in the middle of the blue bar. Col. Perry's purpose was clearly to remember the Confederate States of America:, the fallen nation of which Georgia had been a part. Other former Confederate states also adopted variations of the "Stars and Bars". (Authority: Georgia Official and Statistical Register, 1954-1955 published by the Georgia Secretary of State and Miss Carol Hart, Director of Archives.)

Question: The state flag is no longer shown with the Confederate "Stars and Bars" adaptation. When was it changed?

Answer: During the 1956 session of the Georgia General Assembly. (Authority: Acts of the Georgia General Assembly, 1956 session.)

Question: What is the 1956 design and where did it originate?

Answer: The 1956 design is an adaptation of the Cross of Saint Andrew. The version used in the official flag of Georgia was taken directly from the field or battle flag of the Provisional Army of the Confederate States of America. The design was used by the Army of the Confederate States of America - of which Georgia was apart -during the War Between the States.

Question: Why did the Confederate States Army not use the "Stars and Bars" alone; after all, it was their official flag?

Answer: The Stars and Bars proved to be much too similar in design to the Stars and Stripes of the United States. Since the two nations were at war in 1861 when the design was created, needless casualties on both sides were encountered at the first Battle of Manassas due to the confusion caused by the similarity. A new design was ordered by the Confederate generals. The Cross of Saint Andrew, the ancient symbol of Scotland, was used by a Virginia regiment during the battle. A general suggested that it was sufficiently unique to serve the purpose. It was then adapted in square fashion so as to allow it to flow easily in the breeze. The flag was then carried by the combat troops of the Confederate nation for the remainder of its existence. (Authority: 'The Flags of the Confederacy' by Devereaux Cannon.)

Question: Who proposed that the Georgia flag be changed to reflect the Cross of Saint Andrew rather than the Stars and Bars?

Answer: Senator Willis Neal Hardin and Senator Jefferson Lee Davis introduced the bill that was drafted by the same man who designed and created the 1956 State Flag, State Democratic Party Chairman and Civil War buff John Sammons Bell. The new design was created because the old Confederate design had become "meaningless" in the words of Bell. He wanted to forever perpetuate the memory of the Confederate soldier who fought and died for his state. (Authority: Interview with John Sammons Bell by Vivian Price published in the 'DeKalb News/Sun,' page2-F 13 July 1988.)

Question: Why was the flag changed in 1956?

Answer: Judge John Sammons Bell, former Chief Judge of the Georgia Court of Appeals and designer of the current flag stated that the purpose of the change was "to honor our ancestors who fought and died and who have been so much maligned." (Authority: Interview with John Sammons Bell by Vivian Price published in the 'DeKalb News/Sun,' page2-F 13 July 1988.)

Question: Some have claimed that the 1954 school desegregation decision by the U.S. Supreme Court stimulated the change in 1956. Is this true?

Answer: Concerning those who claim that the flag was "... designed as a last desperate gasp of defiance against integration," Judge Bell said "Absolutely nothing could be further from the truth ...every bit of it is untrue." He further stated that" Anybody who says anything to the contrary is wrong or perpetuating a willful lie." (Authority: Interview with John Sammons Bell by Vivian Price published in the 'DeKalb News/Sun,' page2-F 13 July 1988.)

Question: Some claim that Hardin, Davis and Bell might not be willing to tell the truth ---that they might have tried to hide their 'real' purpose. Could this be true?

Answer: These gentlemen denied any such impropriety. In the year 1956 several newspaper accounts of the proposed change in the GEORGIA FLAG were published. In none of the articles was there any hint that the flag change was for any reason other than that stated by the gentlemen who proposed the change. (Authority: The Atlanta Journal, 2 Feb. 1956, page 6; The Atlanta Constitution, 2 Feb. 1956, page 8; The Atlanta Journal/Constitution, 5 Feb. 1956, page C-I; The Atlanta Constitution, 10 Feb. 1956, front page; The Atlanta Journal 10 Feb. 1956, page A-4.)

Question: Judge Bell is still alive yet Senator Hardin and Senator Davis are now deceased. Is there any evidence that they felt the same?

Answer: In letters to the Flag Facts Committee, the sons of both senators unequivocally stated that their fathers never mentioned any purpose for the redesign of the Georgia Flag other than as a means of honoring their ancestors who fought for Southern independence. They specifically stated that their fathers were disturbed that anyone would claim that they were using the flag change as a political issue. (Authority: Letters to the committee dated 17 Sept. 1990 from Willis Hardin, Jr. and letter to the committee dated I Feb. 1990 from Jefferson L. Davis, Jr.)

Question: Isn't it true that these gentlemen would not have admitted to any motivation concerning defiance of integration in 1956?

Answer: Any reading of the newspapers in 1956 shows that politicians who believed in defiance of integration were not at all reluctant to say so in the news interviews. In fact some thought that political advantage could be gained by such positions. (Authority: The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution during the period 1954 to 1956.)

Question: Is it just a coincidence that the flag was changed two years after the Brown vs. Board of Education case in the U.S. Supreme Court?

Answer: It must be remembered that Confederate patriotism was running high in 1956. On January 20 1956 it was announced that the Civil War Centennial Committee would be formed to plan commemorative events for the 100th anniversary of the War between the States. This coincided with the deaths of the last remaining Confederate veterans. The last soldier in Georgia died in 1952. The last soldier of the entire Confederacy died in 1959. In the years between, the old veterans were one by one passing away. A great deal of sympathy was felt throughout the South for the old soldiers and many commemorative activities took place. (Authority: The Atlanta Journal, 20 Jan. 1956, page A-5; 'The South's Last Boys in Gray' by Professor Jay S. Hoar, University of Maine.)

Question: Since 1956, has the issue of the flag come before the General Assembly?

Answer: In the mid 1980s, the issue was brought up twice by a lady representing a portion of Sumter County. In 1970 a motion to postpone the resolution was overwhelmingly passed. When the issue came to the floor of the House of Representatives in 1972 it was defeated 139 to 20. Clearly, the General Assembly did not want to change the flag. In 1993, Governor Zell Miller proposed a change in the 1956 flag, but that measure was soundly defeated.  In 2001, one-term Governor Roy Barnes thwarted the will of the people of Georgia by pushing through a change so rapidly that opposition was given no chance to object...until the 2002 elections.

Question: Isn't it true that a large part of the population wanted the flag to be changed?

Answer: Polls conducted over many years have been in favor of keeping the 1956 State Flag. In June 1992, Georgia State University conducted a scientific poll in which 813 Georgians were randomly questioned. 59% polled favored keeping the State Flag while only 33% favored changing it. The maximum chance of error was 4%. In a more recent poll conducted by The Atlanta Joumal Constitution and WSB- TV 64% of all Georgians polled were in favor of keeping the Confederate Battle Flag on the State Flag. (Authority: The Atlanta loumallConstitution 19 June 1992, Page D-4; 25 October 1992, Front Page)  Every online (Internet) poll (non-scientific) conducted in the last few years has been overwhelmingly in favor of returning the 1956 flag.  The average of two to one in favor the of the 1956 flag is consistent with prior polls.  Hoping for another result, a number of media outlets have concealed of destroyed the results of their online polls.

The above FAQ was researched and compiled by Charles Kelly Barrow for the Georgia Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans and modified for use on this Camp's website. Since the publication of the above, other questions have been raised and will be addressed here:

These remarks above pale in comparison to the volume of remarks Groover made over his long career from 1956 to 1994. Groover was quoted extensively thoughout his career on this flag issue. Numerous quotes from the AJC and The Macon Telegraph from 1956, 1972, 1987 and 1993 were unequivocal.

On March 9, 1993, Groover took to the floor of the Georgia House to challenge then Gov. Miller’s proposal to change the 1956 flag. He admitted the obvious that segregation was a heated topic in 1956 and added,

“But those who now say that the legislature was obsessed with the matter of segregation to the exclusion of all other matters know not of what they speak…”

Groover went on to say,

“To now conclude that the flag was adopted primarily as a symbol of segregation is justified only in the minds of those who, for their own purposes, would teach one segment of our population to hate another because of the faults of their ancestors. How was the flag bill passed? And why? It was designed by John Sammons Bell who was then the Chairman of the state Democratic Party and who now says that the issue of segregation was not in his mind...."

Groover pointed out that some of the most outspoken segregationists in the state at that time voted against the 1956 flag change.

Here’s what Groover said under oath in his deposition in a 1994 federal court case (James Andrew Coleman vs. The State of Georgia and Governor Zell Miller) :

“I have no personal knowledge which would dispute the purely historical motives which were expressed then and since by the sponsors and others involved with the legislation when it was introduced in the Senate. While I cannot say that the Supreme Court's rulings regarding desegregation played absolutely no role in my decision to support the bill in the House, I can say that segregationist sentiment was not the overriding or even a significant factor in my vote concerning the new flag, or, based on personal observation and knowledge, in its ultimate adoption by the House....”

Shouldn’t we believe Groover's decades of public comments that are consistent with his sworn testimony? Shouldn’t we believe Judge Bell and many others who have emphatically stated their motives for the 1956 flag change were honorable? Of course.

Question: Given that the overwhelming majority of Georgia voters wanted the 1956 flag or at least a fair chance to vote for it, why did the General Assembly remove the referendum from the 2003 flag bill (HB380) that would have let the people decide?

Answer: Anti-southern bigotry is a much stronger force in "occupied" Atlanta than in the rest of Georgia.  Many business interests in Atlanta fear a threatened boycott by the NAACP if the 1956 flag were returned...and they knew if it were on the ballot for the people to choose, chances are it would be returned as the official state flag.  These business interests are regularly extorted for "donations" to "civil rights" organizations and of course, they have to tow the party line.  To them, the almighty dollar is more important than honoring the courage and character of our Confederate forefathers.  In short, the legislature of Georgia, though elected by THE PEOPLE in their home districts,  is dominated by the monied interests in Atlanta and the threat of being called a "racist" by the demogogues in the Atlanta media, the mouthpieces of the anti-Southern movement. It's up to the people of Georgia to remind these power-hungry cowards who sent them to Atlanta.  We need courageous people to stand up and run against these cowards and traitorous scoundrels, so that the people have a better choice with which to unseat them and replace them. See the following link for information and details on the toothless threats of economic boycotts ----> [ Click here to see the Georgia Division SCV Flag Facts 2002 (PDF format) ]

Question:  Why didn't Governor Perdue keep his promise to let the people vote for the 1956 flag?  Why didn't he simply veto the flag bill (HB380)?

Answer: Governor Perdue knew that supporters of the 1956 flag were the driving force that elected him or rather, defeated Barnes.  Yet, he lacked the fortitude to VETO the gutted flag bill (insult!) and force the issue.  Instead he chose to sign it and blame the outcome on the General Assembly....it has been alleged that Perdue sold the flag vote for support of his budget and tax package.  Governor Perdue has denied this allegation by writing "My administration was not part of any deal that limited the options for Georgians. Further, I did not tamper with the process to give one flag a greater likelihood of winning over another, nor did I ever authorize any legislative or budgetary trades in order to secure enough votes for passage of the legislation."   He also wrote, "While this bill did not include everything I asked for, I respect the decision of the elected members of the General Assembly and have signed HB 380 into law."  This is called shifting the blame.  He still calls the March referendum on whether to return to the Ugliest Flag in North America a "choice."  He writes that "the process is complete" and he hopes that we'll simply "turn the page" and move on.

Many Georgians do NOT view the new flag and "choice-less" referendum as fulfilling the promise Perdue made in his campaign. The moneyed interests and politicians do NOT want the issue debated again. It may be some time before the people can force a renewal of the discussion to seek a fair vote on the flag. Meanwhile, the Georgia Division of the SCV recognizes only the REAL Georgia flag, the 1956 flag. Our meetings display only the '56 flag; the Perdue counterfeit flag is not recognized or welcome.

[ Click here to see the Georgia Division SCV Flag Facts 2002 (PDF format) ]

For information, please write
Lt. James Woodward Camp 1399
PO Box 1823, Warner Robins, GA 31099
OR
Contact Adjutant Wayne Scarborough or Commander Steve Scroggins by email.

Why should you join SCV? || FAQ on SCV {from Camp 674}