The Confederate States of America adopted multiple national flags between 1861 and 1865, each one representing different stages of its brief but turbulent existence. Their evolution reflects both military necessity and symbolic expression, as well as Southern identity during and after the War for Southern Independence.

The First National Flag: “The Stars and Bars” (1861–1863)

The first official flag of the Confederacy was adopted on March 5, 1861, by the Provisional Congress meeting in Montgomery, Alabama. Known as the Stars and Bars, it was designed by Nicola Marschall and approved by the Committee on the Flag and Seal, chaired by William Porcher Miles of South Carolina.

Inspired by public support for a design similar to the U.S. Stars and Stripes, the Stars and Bars featured a blue canton with white stars representing each Confederate state, and three horizontal stripes—two red and one white.

However, its resemblance to the U.S. flag caused confusion on the battlefield. At the First Battle of Manassas (Bull Run), Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard delayed an attack because he could not distinguish friend from foe. As a result, a new flag design was sought.

 

The Second National Flag: “The Stainless Banner” (1863–1865)

Adopted on May 1, 1863, the Stainless Banner featured a large white field with the now-familiar Confederate Battle Flag in the canton. The white field was intended to symbolize “the purity of Southern cause,” and the flag came to be known as the Stonewall Jackson Flag after it was draped over the general’s coffin.

But its white expanse led to a new problem—when hanging still, it resembled a flag of truce or surrender. Despite this, the Stainless Banner became the Confederate Navy’s ensign, and one version of it flew around the globe aboard the CSS Shenandoah, making it the last Confederate flag lowered, on November 7, 1865, in Liverpool, England.

 

The Third National Flag: “The Blood-Stained Banner” (1865)

To solve the surrender-flag confusion, a red vertical stripe was added to the fly end of the white field. This final national flag was adopted on March 4, 1865, just weeks before the war’s end.

Known as the Blood-Stained Banner or Blood-Dipped Banner, it saw limited use and is the rarest of the Confederate national flags. Most surviving examples were modified Stainless Banners with the red bar added.

 

The Confederate Battle Flag

The most recognizable symbol today—often mistakenly called “the Confederate flag”—is actually the battle flag of the Army of Northern Virginia.

Designed by William Porcher Miles, it featured a blue St. Andrew’s Cross (saltire) bearing white stars on a red field. Generals Beauregard and Johnston approved the design in square form for battlefield clarity, and it was first issued on November 28, 1861.

Known by several names—Beauregard’s Flag, St. Andrew’s Cross, Southern Cross, or Virginia Battle Flag—it was never adopted as a national flag but became an enduring symbol of Confederate military identity.

 

The Bonnie Blue Flag

Though never officially adopted by the Confederate government, the Bonnie Blue Flag captured the imagination of the Southern public. It featured a single white star on a blue field and drew its inspiration from earlier symbols of independence.

The lone star design originated in 1810 during the West Florida Rebellion against Spain, reappeared in the Republic of Texas in 1839, and was flown again in Mississippi during its 1861 secession.

Its popularity soared after the release of the patriotic song “The Bonnie Blue Flag” by Harry McCarthy—second only to Dixie in popularity during the war.

 

The Flag of South Carolina

South Carolina’s state flag, often called the “first secession flag,” has its origins in the colonial and Revolutionary periods. Elements of the flag—most notably the crescent and the blue field—date back to protests of the Stamp Act in 1765.

The crescent is not a moon, but a gorget, a steel collar worn by soldiers as a symbol of military rank and protection. The palmetto tree was added in 1861 to honor the defense of Fort Moultrie, which was constructed from resilient palmetto logs that deflected British cannon fire in 1776.

This historic design was adopted as the national flag of South Carolina upon its secession in January 1861 and remains the state flag today.