Historical Nonfiction

The Confederate flag was actually very close to the Union’s flag. It was called the “stars and bars,” and the nine stars represented the nine states that first seceded. (Arkansas and Tennessee would join later, and Kentucky and Missouri were considered part of the Confederacy, despite their “Confederate” governments never controlling their home states.)

Since the flag was easily mistaken for the Unions’ on the battlefield, there were many proposed alternative flags. After a few other flags, in the final stages of the war the Confederate congress chose a blue St. Andrew’s cross on a red background as its symbol.