Hello Jack,

A SALTIRE is a diagonal cross whose arms extend to the edges of a flag or shield. The St. Andrew’s Cross is a Saltire of white on a blue flag or shield. The St. Patrick’s Cross is a Saltire of red on a white flag or shield. The Confederate Saltire is blue on a red flag, so it’s not a St. Andrew’s or St. Patrick’s cross. Colors and design’s are important in heraldry. Saltire’s are found on many flags dating to & pre dating the Crusades as are other forms of a cross, Spain and Russia are a few, like Scotland and Ireland used a Saltire in one color or another on their flags and shields, but it’s not necessarily a Christian only symbol, the Chinese yellow Saltire on a green field was their war ensign. There are other examples of the use of a Saltire for non-Christian use dating before the Crusades.

The St. George’s Cross is red on a white field or shield, this was also used in France in 1188 at the same time England reversed their colors on the St. George’s Cross, they went back to the original colors in 1277. This design also dates to and pre dates the Crusades. You can find this cross on the flags of Greece, Oldenburg, Norway, Scania, Sweden, and Switzerland among a few Nation’s & States that use it. The Confederate use, the cross, white on a blue field or red on a blue field, or blue on a red field, but not necessarily a St. George’s Cross with a cross of red on a white field.

You can find good research on Porcher on line and read about His original intent on the symbolism on the Saltrie used on the Confederate flag. The symbolism has changed over the years, some see it as hate some as heritage but it’s just a pice of cloth floating in the breeze.

The Original “Southern Cross” flag has nothing to do with the southern parts of the United States, the unofficial flag of Australia, the “Eureka Stockade” Flag (1854) pre dates the Confederate flag, it uses a buff cross, St. George’s pattern, on a blue field. And there is the one variation of the “Eureka Stockade” flag used at the Lambing Flat riots in 1860 that use a Saltire.

Do you think, maybe Mr. Porcher a well read & educated man designed his version of the Confederate Battle flag after one of the “Eureka Stockade” flags? I wonder if there is a pre war article in one of the Charleston newspapers about the 1854 conflict in Australia, a interesting twist into the origins of the Confederate Battle flag.

Happy Trails!
Tom Martin