The Confederate Flag (Battle Flag)

Also termed “The Southern Cross”, the “Army of Tennessee Battle Flag” and the “Confederate Naval Jack”, this is the most acknowledged of all the Confederate Flags.

Due to the chaotic and turbulent nature of the American Civil War, troops in the field found it difficult from a distance to distinguish between the American Stars and Stripes flag of the Union and those of the Stars and Bars designs used by the Confederate States of America.

The Army of Northern Virginia was the first to design a flag with the cross of St. Andrew, and a logical extension of this was General P.G.T Beauregard’s declaration that the image would become the principle battle flag of the Confederate Army.

The Confederate Battle Flag comprised of a blue saltire, edged with white, with thirteen equal white stars, on a red field. The white border remains around the saltire, but the red field is no longer bordered by white in most modern representations.

The Symbolic Meaning

The thirteen stars pictured on the flag are representative of the eleven states in the confederacy, and Kentucky and Missouri.

Moreover, the X-shaped cross on the flag, most commonly referred to as the “Southern Cross” is understood to represent the patron Saint of Scotland. This was poignant for the people in the South who carried Scottish and Irish bloodlines, as St. Andrew was identifiable to them.

The saltire is symbolic of growth and power.