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By CivilWarTalk
Published: January 15, 2008
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The CS Battle Flag |
The "Stars and Bars" IS NOT the familiar "rebel" flag one sees adorning license plates and atop the General Lee of Dukes of Hazard fame-- that is the CS Naval Jack, based on the CS Battle Flag. 
CS Naval Jack |
The Battle Flag, also known as the Southern Cross, was never an official flag of the Confederate Government. The banner solely represented the soldiers who fought and died for the South on her many battlefields. It was carried by Confederate troops in the field which were the vast majority of forces under the Confederacy. The Stars represented the 11 states actually in the Confederacy plus Kentucky and Missouri. Below, you will find the official flags of the Confederate Government and their period of use. A similar flag to the Battle Flag was used as a navy jack at sea from 1863 onward. The blue cross is paler than the battle flag and the flag is longer. This flag has become the generally recognized symbol of the South. 
The Bonnie Blue Flag |
Originating in Florida in the early 1800's, the Bonnie Blue Flag was the unofficial first flag of the Confederacy (the South united under one star) One of the first things the new government did was select an official flag, which was the 1st National Flag. 
The Stars and Bars |
The Stars and Bars design was approved by a committee of the Provisional Congress on 4 Mar 1861, but was never made official by law. The bottom red stripe ran the entire length of the flag and was 6 units long and 1 unit wide. Above it, and to the left was a blue square, 2 units on a side. In the blue square, a circle of stars (one for each state, initially seven, to represent the original seven Confederate States, eventually thirteen). To the right of the square, two stripes, white below, red above, each 1 unit wide and 4 units long. The Stars and Bars' similarity to the U.S. flag caused problems of mistaken identity at 1st Bull Run/Manassas, so a battle flag for the Army of Northern Virginia was designed. 
The Stainless Banner |
By a law approved 1 May 1863, a new national flag was adopted by the Confederate States-- the "Stainless Banner". It was a field of white twice as long as wide, in the upper left was the battle flag (square) with a side two-thirds the width of the field. This flag had the drawback that when partially wrapped around the flagstaff, the non-white part was covered. This made it look like a white flag of surrender. Furthermore, its length to width ratio of 2 to 1 made it an unusually long flag which exacerbated the problem. 
The 3rd National Flag |
A law approved 4 Mar 1865, modified the "Stainless Banner" to correct its problems. This flag is known today as the 3rd National Flag. The revised flag was 10 units wide and 15 units long. In the upper left was an oblong battle flag 6 units wide and 7 units long. The field was white, as before, except on the fly end there was a vertical red bar 4 units wide. The above dimensions, in terms of units, are derived from the much more convoluted description given by the flag act. This flag was the last national flag of the Confederacy.
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