George,

Old news, but a note concerning the misstatement that the flag incorporates the cross of St. Andrew.

The St. Andrew's cross is a white "X" on a dark blue field such as the Scots flag and the regimental flag of the 37th Texas Cavalry.

The cross on the ANV battle flag incorporated into the Mississippi 1894 flag is NOT the St. Andrew's cross (white on blue) or the St. Patrick's cross (red on white, as in Alabama's state flag). The cross on the ANV battle flag is blue on red and is a flag design element called a "saltier" (pronounced "sal-teer").

The designer of the ANV battle flag never made mention of incorporating any Christian symbols and never connected the flag design to religion. Not every "X" is a Christian symbol.

Personally, I prefer a return to a REAL Confederate flag, the old "Magnolia" flag, The pre-1894 flag was the flag of the independent Republic of Mississippi, the Confederate state of Mississippi, and the regimental battle flag of at least 18 Mississippi regiments. It is far more steeped in Confederate heritage for Mississippians than the 1894 flag.

"The first law of the historian is that he shall never dare utter an untruth. The second is that he shall suppress nothing that is true. Moreover, there shall be no suspicion of partiality in his writing, or of malice." - Cicero (106-43 B.C.)

We simply ask that all act upon the facts of history.

Col. Michael Kelley, CSA (electronic mail, February 13, 2004)