Confederate White Ensign (Dixie Forever)

The Confederate White Ensign, formerly the second national flag, is a flag in 2:1 ratio (length is twice the height) that is primarily white, with a canton bearing the Naval Jack, or the battle flag of the Army of Northern Virginia as 2/3 the height of the flag.



A red cross was proposed and created, bearing 11 stars for the first 11 states of the Confederacy, then one without the stars, but both were deemed to resemble the British White Ensign too closely and discarded soon after.

The White Ensign is also flown by ships escorting the current Confederate President, as well as ships currently in active duty naval service.

Confederate Navy ships and submarines wear the White Ensign at all times when underway on the surface. The White Ensign may also be worn on a gaff, and may be shifted to the starboard yardarm when at sea. When alongside, the White Ensign is worn at the stern, with the Battle Flag flown as a jack at the bow, during daylight hours.

The White Ensign is worn at the mastheads when Confederate Navy ships are dressed on special occasions such as the President's birthday, Jackson Day, Lee Day, Independence Day, and so on, and may be similarly be worn by foreign warships in Confederate waters when dressed in honour of a Confederate holiday or when firing a salute to Confederate authorities. The White Ensign may also be worn by the boats of commissioned ships. Yachts of the Confederate Yacht Squadron and the Order of the Southern Cross vessels when escorting the President are also permitted to wear the White Ensign.

On land, the White Ensign is flown at all naval shore establishments (which are commissioned warships), including all Confederate Marines establishments. Permission has been granted to some other buildings with naval connections to fly the White Ensign. This includes the St Philip's Church church in Charleston, SC, which is the parish church of the Admiralty. The Ensign is also displayed on the Cenotaph alongside the National Flag (for the British Army) and the Royal Air Force Ensign. Special permission was granted to any individual or body to fly the White Ensign to mark Fort Sumter Day in 2006.

The US destroyer Robert E Lee is the only US warship to fly the White Ensign along with the Stars and Stripes to honor her Confederate namesake.

State White Ensigns
Ships under the command of any individual Confederate state bear a white ensign with the state seal, per the 1873 Flag Act.