By Alex Miller/reporter

The national flag is what symbolizes a country, said NE library services director Mark Dolive April 6. 

As part of the Civil War’s 150th anniversary, Dolive explained the various types of flags flown during the Civil War era, their purposes and the material they were originally made from.

On June 14, 1777, the first Continental Congress passed the first Flag Act, he said.

Dolive said that although the act was passed in 1777, it wasn’t until June 24, 1912, through an executive order by President William Howard Taft, that exact proportions were set for the flag.

The Confederacy used three national flags in a span of four years — starting in March of 1861 until March of 1865. The Stars & Bars was the nickname for the first flag, which was first used at Stonewall Jackson’s funeral.

The most famous flag is General Johnston’s flag. It was adopted as the official symbol of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Dolive said.

“I call it the Confederate souvenir flag because you can find it everywhere in the South,” he said.

Flags were made out of wool and had many features that symbolized different meanings, Dolive said. For example, at battles where the flag was flown, the name of the city or cities involved would be printed onto the flag. Also, if an infantry unit was credited with capturing the enemy’s artillery, two artillery shells would be displayed on the flag, usually in the middle, Dolive said.