The Battle Flag of the Confederacy was originally designed
to alleviate the confusion the “Stars and Bars”(bearing
strong resemblance to the Stars and Stripes) had caused on
the battlefield. To remedy this, General Beauregard
used the design of Colonel William Porcher Miles for his
forces. The flag features a Cross of St Andrew and
13 stars representing the 13 states to have seceded and joined
the Confederacy, though Kentucky and Missouri were officially
neutral. The emblem proved so popular it soon became
a part of the Confederacy’s national flag, and would
be used until its fall. Known as the “Southern
Cross”, it remains a powerful symbol of the South,
and is generally considered the main emblem of the Confederacy. This
is the original version, a square instead of a rectangle,
and was used by Artillery and various other units. |