Confederate First National Flag – CSA 13 Stars and Bars

The first Confederate national flag (there would be two others) was adopted on March 4, 1861. Nicknamed the ‘Stars and Bars’, it initially contained 7 stars representing the original seven states that seceded from the United States. Additional stars were added as states joined the CSA. The ‘Stars and Bars’ was largely a battle flag, used by CSA troops in the Eastern Theater. A variant of this flag was also incorporated into some regimental flags, and variations on both were seen on the Western Front as well.This link:ultimateflags.com

A number of competing designs were submitted to the Committee on the Flag & Seal, chaired by South Carolina’s William Porcher Miles. The committee was swamped with so many models and designs that Miles lost track of the number. Ultimately, the committee settled on a design that combined features of the Battle Flag and the Stars and Bars.

Historical Symbol: Confederate First National Flag – CSA 13 Stars and Bars

This design, essentially a rectangle of red, white, and blue with three horizontal bars alternating red and white (a’saltier’), was a variation on the flag of England that had been adopted in 1603. Miles preferred this version because it was somewhat less like the American flag, which he viewed as an enemy symbol.

As the war progressed, the ‘Stars and Bars’ became the most recognized symbol of the CSA to the people at large. It is now the CSA’s most famous emblem, displayed in museums and universities throughout the world.