13 Star Confederate Flag

The 13 Star Confederate flag was the official Civil War battle flag of the South and was in use from 1861-1865. The flag had 13 stars for the thirteen states in the Confederacy. This flag was first used in battle in December 1861. Legend states that because the pattern and colors of the Stars and Bars flag did not distinguish it sharply from the Stars and Stripes of the Union, it sometimes led to confusion on the battlefield. So it was decided to design a new flag for the Confederate States that was in no way similar to the Union's Stars and Stripes.