Confederate Southern Cross (1861)

The Stars and Stripes 34-star flag went into battle against the Stars and Bars on July 21, 1861 at Bull Run, VA.  The Confederates quickly learned that their flag was too similar to the Union flag in the confusion of battle, so they created another for battle use: the Southern Cross.

Square in shape, it had a red field with a blue diagonal cross encompassing 13 white stars across the field, one star for each of the Confederate States: Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas and Tennessee.  Also known as the "Rebel Flag", it became extremely popular throughout the South although it was never officially adopted by the Confederate States of America.