Confederate Flags (U.S.) Part 5

Flags Using the Polk Pattern

Last modified: 2023-09-02 by rick wyatt
Keywords: united states | confederate | csa | polk pattern |
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On this page:

• Introduction: Flags Using the Polk Pattern
• Polk's Corps of Tennessee Regiment Flag - 1863

• Confederate Flags (U.S.) - Introduction to Confederate Flags
• First National Pattern Unit Flags - Stars and Bars Pattern
• Army of North Virginia Unit Flags - Southern Cross Pattern
• Van Dorn's Corps Flags - The Van Dorn Pattern
• Hardee's Corps Flags - The Hardee Pattern
• Western Army Flags 1864-1865 - The Army of Tennessee Pattern
• Confederate Navy Jacks
• Civil War Flags of the Confederacy
• History of Confederate Battle Flags
• Battle Flags' Popularization
• Confederate Flag Proposals
• Legislation Concerning Confederate Flags
• Rucker's Brigade
• CSA Statement and Heritage Flags
• Historical flags of the United States
• United States of America

• FOTC - Flags of the Confederacy
• Museum of the Confederacy (searchable, 685 flags)
• American Civil War Museum (searchable, 634 flags)
• Flags of the American Civil War

Introduction: Polk Pattern Flags

There were six (or more) different basic design styles of Confederate Army Military Flags. As the flex and flow of military necessity effected the organization and reorganization of Confederate forces, so did the designs of their flags. A couple of examples of this would be in the Vicksburg Defense a subgroup of flags came into being that featured white crosses instead of blue, in Missouri and Louisiana a design subgroup with a Christian Cross design became popular. Faced with this we will divide them into groups. Some of these groups will be the Stars and Bars Pattern, the St. Andrews Cross Pattern (Southern Cross with a white flag border), the Army of Tennessee Pattern (Southern Cross without a white flag border), the Van Dorn Pattern, the Hardee Pattern, and the Polk Pattern. The last three are named for the Confederate Commanders who first designed (or had designed) the basic Regimental flag design to be used by the units under their command.
Most of the flags on this page use the Polk Pattern favored especially by the Army of Tennessee, commanded by the fiery and controversial Confederate General Leonidas Polk. It was issued to his units beginning in January of 1862. It incorporates eleven white stars on a red St. George's Cross on a blue field.
Pete Loeser, 26 August 2023

Polk's Corps of Tennessee Regiment Flag 1863

image courtesy of Hugh Warner, United States Flag Service

This modern illustration shows the use of eleven white stars on a red St. George's Cross on a blue field used with the Polk Pattern.
Source: Historical Flags of Our Ancestors.
Pete Loeser, 26 August 2023