The Flag of the Confederate States of America
after 4 March 1865.
By Devereaux D. Cannon, Jr. 27 January 2000
The third and final flag of the Confederate States of America, was created by an Act of the Congress of the Confederate States (Second Congress, Session II), approved by the President on the 4th day of March, 1865, four years to the day after the first raising of the STARS AND BARS in Montgomery.
The Flag Act of 1865 describes the flag in the following language:
The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That the flag of the Confederate States shall be as follows: The width two-thirds of its length, with the union (now used as the battle flag) to be in width three-fifths of the width of the flag, and so proportioned as to leave the length of the field on the side of the union twice the width of the field below it; to have the ground red and a broad blue saltier thereon, bordered with white and emblazoned with mullets or five pointed stars, corresponding in number to that of the Confederate States; the field to be white, except the outer half from the union to be a red bar extending the width of the flag.
The Third Confederate National Flag
as actually made by the Richmond Clothing Depot.
By Devereaux D. Cannon, Jr. 27 January 2000
Very few, if any, examples of this flag made during the war corresponded to the official specifications of the law. The new flag was to have a battle flag canton that was 3/5ths the width of the flag, and slightly rectangular. Those made by the Richmond Clothing Depot continued to use the square canton of the STAINLESS BANNER, only changing the pattern by adding the red bar to the outer half of the fly beyond the canton.
Photos and images of Third National Confederate Flags