--- title: Presidential Hopeful Jim Webb Defends Confederate Soldiers description: Democratic presidential hopeful Jim Webb defended Confederate soldiers and slave-owning Northerners who fought on the Union side Wednesday. canonical: https://time.com/3934237/jim-webb-confederate/ author: Sam Frizell article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-06-24T18:20:41.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:42:29.965Z article:section: Politics og:title: Presidential Hopeful Jim Webb Defends Confederate Soldiers og:description: "Honorable Americans fought on both sides in the Civil War, including slave holders in the Union Army." og:url: https://time.com/3934237/jim-webb-confederate/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte30f68ece91ec8d9/69885833a988ca6d216b330b/jim-webb-confederate.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 594 og:image:height: 334 og:image:alt: Former Virginia Senator Jim Webb speaks at the Urbandale Democrats Flag Day Celebration on June 14, 2015 in Urbandale, Iowa. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Presidential Hopeful Jim Webb Defends Confederate Soldiers twitter:description: "Honorable Americans fought on both sides in the Civil War, including slave holders in the Union Army." twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte30f68ece91ec8d9/69885833a988ca6d216b330b/jim-webb-confederate.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Presidential Hopeful Jim Webb Defends Confederate Soldiers > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: Many Flags With Confederate Ties Are Still Flying [Watch (HLS stream): Many Flags With Confederate Ties Are Still Flying](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/iqcMv6a1.m3u8) (2:29)  _Published 2015-06-23. Many people call the Confederate flag offensive, but there are other flags with ties to the Confederacy that aren't being examined as closely._ by [Sam Frizell](https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Jun 24, 2015 6:20 PM UTC  Former Virginia Senator Jim Webb speaks at the Urbandale Democrats Flag Day Celebration on June 14, 2015 in Urbandale, Iowa. Former Virginia Senator Jim Webb speaks at the Urbandale Democrats Flag Day Celebration on June 14, 2015 in Urbandale, Iowa. Scott Olson—2015 Getty Images by [Sam Frizell](https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Jun 24, 2015 6:20 PM UTC Former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb said on Wednesday that the Confederate flag has been wrongly used as a racist symbol, but stopped short of condemning the flag outright. He also added that Americans should remember “honorable” Civil War veterans, “including slave holders in the Union Army.” “The Confederate Battle Flag has wrongly been used for racist and other purposes in recent decades. It should not be used in any way as a political symbol that divides us,” said Webb in a statement responding to questions about whether the Confederate flag should be removed from Virginia license plates in the wake of the Charleston shooting. “But we should also remember that honorable Americans fought on both sides in the Civil War, including slave holders in the Union Army from states such as Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland and Delaware, and that many non-slave holders fought for the South,” said Webb. Webb is also the only 2016 candidate not to condemn the Confederate flag outright or support a push to remove it from the South Carolina capitol grounds. Republicans Scott Walker, Rand Paul and Jeb Bush as well as all the other Democratic candidates have spoken out against the flag. A likely candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination who counts two relatives among Confederate Army veterans, Webb has a long history of defending Dixie soldiers and the flag. He is the last 2016 presidential hopeful to speak publicly about the flag. In striking an ambivalent tone, Webb is seeking to criticize the racist appropriation of the flag, but hold on to his Scots-Irish southern roots, which he often references. (His 2005 book “Born Fighting” is subtitled “How the Scots-Irish shaped America.”) At the Confederate Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery in 1990, Webb said that Confederate soldiers are “misunderstood by most Americans” and recognized them for “enormous suffering and collective gallantry.” “It was in recognition of the character of soldiers on both sides that the federal government authorized the construction of the Confederate Memorial 100 years ago, on the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery,” Webb said in his statement. ### See the 2016 Candidates' Campaign Launches  Sen. Ted Cruz kicked off his campaign for 2016 Republican presidential nomination at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. on March 23. Tom Williams—CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images  Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul launched his bid for the Republican nomination at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville on April 7\. Supporters held signs with the slogan "Defeat the Washington Machine / Unleash the American Dream." Amy Harris—Corbis  Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced her campaign in a YouTube video posted April 12 that has been seen nearly 4.5 million times. One boy featured in the video boasted about playing a fish in a school play. Hillary For America  Florida Sen. Marco Rubio announced his campaign for the Republican nomination during a rally at the Freedom Tower in Miami on April 13\. He took a drink of water during the speech, a callback to his State of the Union response in 2013. Wilfredo Lee—AP  Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders announced his bid for the Democratic nomination across the street from the U.S. Capitol on April 30, 2015\. The backdrop was unusual, since most candidates rail against Washington. Jonathan Ernst—Reuters  Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson announced his bid for the Republican nomination at the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts May 4, 2015 in Detroit, Michigan. The launch featured a gospel choir covering Eminem's "Lose Yourself." Bill Pugliano—Getty Images  Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina announced her campaign for the Republican nomination in a conference call on May 4, then went on "Good Morning America" to talk to George Stephanopoulos. Lou Rocco—Getty Images  Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee announced his campaign at a community college in his hometown of Hope, Ark., on May 5\. Singer Tony Orlando (right) performed. Left: Danny Johnston; Right: Matt Sullivan—Getty Images  Republican presidential candidate and former New York Governor George Pataki (C) greets supporters after formally announcing his candidacy for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination in Exeter, N.H. on May 28, 2015. Dominick Reuter—Reuters  Former Rhode Island Sen. Lincoln Chafee announces his candidacy for the democratic presidential nomination at George Mason University in Arlington, Va. on June 3, 2015. Win McNamee—Getty Images  Republican Senator Lindsey Graham announces his 2016 presidential candidacy in Central, S.C. on June 1, 2015. Erik S. Lesser—EPA  Former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley is joined by his wife Katie O'Malley (R) as he announces his intention to seek the Democratic presidential nomination during a speech at Federal Hill Park in Baltimore on May 30, 2015. Jim Bourg—Reuters  Former Texas governor Rick Perry announces his candidacy for Republican presidential nominee at an event held at Addison Airport in Addison, Texas on Thursday, June 4, 2015. Louis DeLuca—Dallas Morning News/Corbis  Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush waves on stage as he announces his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination during an event at Miami-Dade College - Kendall Campus in Miami on June 15 , 2015. Joe Raedle—Getty Images  Donald Trump holds up his financial statement showing his net worth as he formally announces his campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination during an event at Trump Tower in New York City on June 16, 2015. Brendan McDermid—Reuters  Republican presidential candidate and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal formally announces his campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination in Kenner, La. on June 24, 2015. Jonathan Bachman—Reuters  Republican presidential candidate and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie formally announces his campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination during a kickoff rally at Livingston High School in Livingston, N.J. on June 30, 2015. Brendan McDermid—Reuters  Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker greets supporters after announcing that he will seek the Republican nomination for president in Waukesha, Wis. on July 13, 2015 . Scott Olson—Getty Images  Ohio Governor John Kasich arrives on stage to formally announce his campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination during a kickoff rally in Columbus, Ohio on July 21, 2015. Aaron P. Bernstein—Reuters ## Transcript As details continue to emerge about Dylan Roof who police say shot and killed nine people in a South Carolina church, another issue that runs deep in the history of South Carolina has taken center stage. We cannot have the Confederate Flag waving in the state capitol. 150 years after the end of the Civil War, the time has come. The flag of the confederacy flies high on statehouse grounds over a monument for confederate soldiers and has done so since 2000. Before that it was flown atop the South Carolina state capitol dome right below the United States flag and the South Carolina state flag. It was not always flown in South Carolina in the capitol building. It was actually first raised in 1962 as a defiant response to civil rights. What do you see when you see the confederate flag flying? Rape, torture, terrorism, murder, subjugation. The Confederate flag is viewed by many as offensive, and a symbol of hate, but there are other flags with similar ties to the Confederacy that are not being examined as closely. A prime example comes from Maryland, where the white and red portions of the state flag are associated with Confederate supporters in the state. The Crosslan banner, arms of the Crosslan family, were worn on Confederate uniforms during the Civil War by Marylanders who fought for the Confederacy. The Mississippi flag is significantly less subtle. It has the Confederacy battle flag in the left corner with the red, white, and blue stripe. The Mississippi flag remains the only one in the country to actually feature the Confederate battle flag in its design. It's been that way since the 1890s, and as recently as 2001, it was approved by 65 % of Mississippi voters. Georgia also had the Confederate battle flag flying over its state capitol as recently as 2001. Similarly to the confederate flag being raise din South Carolina, Georgia added the rebel flag to it's official state flag in 1956, during the height of racial immigration, and just 2 years after the historic Brown Versus the Board of Education decision. It has since been changed to the first national flag of the confederacy, also known as the stars and bars. With the Georgia state seal in the middle. While Georgia and Mississippi have the most recognizable ties to the confederacy in its state flag, some argue the state flags of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, and North Carolina all have subtle ties to the confederacy. As it stands there is a proposal in the South Carolina legislature to remove the rebel flag from state house grounds and put it in a museum. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3934237/jim-webb-confederate/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3934237/jim-webb-confederate/"},"headline":"Presidential Hopeful Jim Webb Defends Confederate Soldiers","datePublished":"2015-06-24T18:20:41.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-19T07:42:29.965Z","description":"Webb called on Americans to remember honorable Civil War soldiers, \"including slave holders in the Union Army\"","url":"https://time.com/3934237/jim-webb-confederate/","keywords":["Jim Webb","2016 Election"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte30f68ece91ec8d9/69885833a988ca6d216b330b/jim-webb-confederate.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Sam Frizell","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte30f68ece91ec8d9/69885833a988ca6d216b330b/jim-webb-confederate.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Former Virginia Senator Jim Webb speaks at the Urbandale Democrats Flag Day Celebration on June 14, 2015 in Urbandale, Iowa.","caption":"Former Virginia Senator Jim Webb speaks at the Urbandale Democrats Flag Day Celebration on June 14, 2015 in Urbandale, Iowa.","creditText":"Scott Olson—2015 Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/jim-webb/","name":"Jim Webb"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3934237/jim-webb-confederate/","name":"Presidential Hopeful Jim Webb Defends Confederate Soldiers"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Many Flags With Confederate Ties Are Still Flying","description":"Many people call the Confederate flag offensive, but there are other flags with ties to the Confederacy that aren't being examined as closely.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/iqcMv6a1/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-06-23T20:24:08.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/iqcMv6a1.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3934237/jim-webb-confederate/","duration":"PT2M29S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3934237/jim-webb-confederate/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```