BONNIE BLUE FLAG http://www.lizmichael.com/aboutbbf.htm
Originating in the Republic of West Florida in the early
1800's, the Bonnie Blue Flag was the unofficial first flag
of the Confederacy. 

The first recorded use of the lone star flag dates to
1810. On September 11 1810 a troop of West Florida
dragoons set out for the provincial capitol at Baton Rouge
under this flag. They were joined by other republican
forces and captured Baton Rouge, imprisoned the Governor
and on September 23 1810 raised their Bonnie Blue flag
over the Fort of Baton Rouge. Three days later the
president of the West Florida Convention, signed a
Declaration of Independence and the flag became the emblem
of a new Republic. By 10 December, the flag of the United
States replaced the Bonnie Blue after President Madison
issued a proclamation declaring West Florida under the
jurisdiction of the Governor of the Louisiana Territory.
With this rebellion in mind, this flag was used by the
Republic of Texas from 1836 to 1839. 

The single star stood only for the State/Republic that the
flag flew over. Keep in mind that as the Lone Star flags
began to appear late 1860 (as depicted in the article from
the Charleston Mercury), that star stood only for the
State it flew in. No one was even remotely thinking of a
CSA back then - only seperate Republics, which is what the
first seven seceeding States declared themselves upon
secession. This was to avoid violating the US
Constitution's prohibition of "no two States shall enter
into a compact with each other." 

New nations require new flags, and this brought about the
creation of State flags for many of the secceeding States.


The Lone Star concept was twofold. Some states looked at
it as a reversal of the US Flag Act of 1818, which is
still in effect today. That allows a new star to be added
to the flag the 4th of July following the admission of a
new State to the Union. Hence, some States looked at
single star flags as "taking their star out of the Union".


The states of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisana, having
been a part of the old Republic of West Florida, may have
been inspired by that flag to create single star flags for
their own republics since thay had a historical
connection. The Mississippi and Louisiana flags were
officially adopted. Alabama's was only a secession banner.


Not all Lone Star flags were blue. Many were of other
colours as were the stars. Texas adopted a gold star on
what was called the "Burnet Flag". (see illustration) But
it was the single star depiction that ties them all
together. 

The Confederate government did not adopt this flag but the
people did and the lone star flags were adopted in some
form in five of the southern States that adopted new flags
in 1861. 

In A War Time Journal of a Georgia Girl by Andrews, she
records that her home-made Bonnie Blue flag represented
the Southern Cause. In the context of secession many
States used variations of Bonnie Blue flags to show their
independence, but many of these States also had another
Republic flag, so it seems like the Bonnie Blue
represented to the Southerners of the 1860's unity in
their independence. Just like the rectangular Battle flag
with 13 stars represents the Old South today, the Bonnie
Blue represented "the South" to the people in the war. 

When Mississippi's Ordinance of Secession was signed on 9
January 1861, it was marked by a ceremony in which the
'Bonnie Blue Flag' was raised over the capitol building in
Jackson. Among those who witnessed the event was an Irish
comedian named Harry Macarthy, who shortly after wrote and
performed the famous song, 'The Bonnie Blue Flag'. (The
song "The Bonnie Blue Flag" was just as popular as Dixie
in the early 1860's). 


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