Ben Ford:
It has been exciting, to follow this thread and witness the discovery of a new Star -- pardon, issue (the FREDERICK). But I do want to comment on your speculation that the "missing" center star was a space reserved for regt designation: If (as I have always thought) the stars represented the component States of the Confederacy, (using by analogy the "growth" of stars on the patterns of First Nationals), I should think it a serious matter to decide to "drop" one to use its space for another purpose. Could this correlate with disappointment over losing or giving up on one of the "13" around the time speculated? (Thinking of border states, and, as an example, the disappointed fella returning from the 1862 Maryland campaign claiming that Maryland, citing the popular song, "Breathed and burned all right, but she wouldn't come".) You doubtless considered that as a first explanation, but I'm not grabbed by the regimental reasoning, and suspect something other than sloppy inspection, tired fingers or star shortage.