Museum Collections

The Confederate Navy Jack, better known as the Southern Cross or the Rebel flag, is a version created after confusion at the battle of Bull Run, VA, where both the troops of the Union and the Confederacy carried versions of the Stars and Stripes. The square battle flag became very popular with the troops of the Confederacy, but it was never officially adopted. The rectangular Navy Jack was flown on Confederate ships from 1863 to 1865. Today, the design is the most universally recognized symbol of the South, where it is commonly called the "rebel" or "Dixie" flag.