The Southern Cross of Honor was a commemorative

medal A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...

established in 1899 by the

United Daughters of the Confederacy The United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) is an American neo-Confederate hereditary association for female descendants of Confederate Civil War soldiers engaging in the commemoration of these ancestors, the funding of monuments to them, ...

to honor Confederate Veterans.

Design

The Cross of Honor is in the form of a

cross pattée A cross pattée, cross patty or cross paty, also known as a cross formy or cross formée (french: croix pattée, german: Tatzenkreuz), is a type of Christian cross with arms that are narrow at the centre, and often flared in a curve or straight ...

suspended from a metal bar with space for engraving. It has no cloth ribbon. The obverse displays the

Confederate battle flag The flags of the Confederate States of America have a history of three successive designs during the American Civil War. The flags were known as the "Stars and Bars", used from 1861 to 1863; the "Stainless Banner", used from 1863 to 1865; and ...

placed on the center thereof surrounded by a

wreath A wreath () is an assortment of flowers, leaves, fruits, twigs, or various materials that is constructed to form a circle . In English-speaking countries, wreaths are used typically as household ornaments, most commonly as an Advent and Chri ...

, with the inscription UNITED DAUGHTERS f theCONFEDERACY TO THE U. C. V. (the UCV is the

United Confederate Veterans The United Confederate Veterans (UCV, or simply Confederate Veterans) was an American Civil War veterans' organization headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was organized on June 10, 1889, by ex-soldiers and sailors of the Confederate Sta ...

) on the four arms of the cross. The reverse of the Cross of Honor is the motto of the Confederate States,

DEO VINDICE ''Deo vindice'' (Latin for "(With) God (as our) defender/protector") was the national motto of the Confederate States of America. It appears on the margin beneath the device of the Seal of the Confederate States. Never codified by law, ''Deo ...

(

ith The Ith () is a ridge in Germany's Central Uplands which is up to 439 m high. It lies about 40 km southwest of Hanover and, at 22 kilometres, is the longest line of crags in North Germany. Geography Location The Ith is immediatel ...

God sour Vindicator) and the dates 1861 1865 also surrounded by a laurel wreath. The arms of the cross bear the inscription SOUTHERN CROSS OF HONOR.

History

The Cross of Honor was conceived by Mary Ann Erwin, daughter of Confederate politician

Howell Cobb Howell Cobb (September 7, 1815 – October 9, 1868) was an American and later Confederate political figure. A southern Democrat, Cobb was a five-term member of the United States House of Representatives and the speaker of the House from 184 ...

, in 1898. She and Sarah E. Gabbett designed it. The first medal was issued on April 26, 1900, to Erwin's husband, Captain Alexander S. Erwin by the Athens (Georgia) Chapter. Charles W. Crankshaw of

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, Georgia, was chosen as the contractor to produce the medal. Its first manufacturer was Schwaab Stamp & Seal Co. of

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...

, Wisconsin. In 1904 the contract was shifted to Whitehead & Hoag of

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area. Anna Davenport Raines was the Custodian of Crosses of Honor until her death in 1913. Though intended to end in 1913, after the issuance of 78,761 medals, in 1912 it was extended indefinitely. The program finally ended in 1959.

Eligibility and allocation

The Cross of Honor could only be bestowed through the United Daughters of the Confederacy. It could not be purchased; it was given in recognition of loyal, honorable service to the South and only a Confederate veteran could wear it. It was available to any branch of the Confederate military. Only living veterans were eligible. However the final award was given posthumously, in 1951 to Rear Adm.

Raphael Semmes Raphael Semmes ( ; September 27, 1809 – August 30, 1877) was an officer in the Confederate Navy during the American Civil War. Until then, he had been a serving officer in the US Navy from 1826 to 1860. During the American Civil War, Semmes wa ...

. At least 78,761 were awarded. Although no Civil War veterans are still living, the last verified Confederate veteran dying in 1951, Virginia Code section 18.2-176(b) remains in effect and makes it a Class 3 misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than

US$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

500, to "wear any Southern Cross of Honor when not entitled to do so by the regulations under which such Crosses of Honor are given." An unofficial analog of the Union's

GAR Gars are members of the family Lepisosteidae, which are the only surviving members of the Ginglymodi, an ancient holosteian group of ray-finned fish, which first appeared during the Triassic, over 240 million years ago. Gars comprise seven livin ...

Medal, its wearing was never authorized on U.S. military uniforms.

Headstones and markers

The Cross of Honor is also used as an emblem or marker on the graves of Confederate veterans. It will only be issued by the

Department of Veterans Affairs The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers an ...

to be placed on graves of Confederate veterans.

Gallery

File:UDC-marker-fort-sanders-tn1.jpg, Southern Cross of Honor monument alongside Seventeenth Street in

Knoxville Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state' ...

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

File:SCHironcross.jpg, Historical

Southern Cross of Honor marker File:Beech-Grove-Confederate-Cemetery-grave-tn1.jpg, Standard government headstone for unknown Confederate soldier with a Southern Cross of Honor emblem in Beechgrove, Tennessee File:Southern Cross of Honor.jpg,

Sons of Confederate Veterans The Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) is an American neo-Confederate nonprofit organization of male descendants of Confederate soldiers that commemorates these ancestors, funds and dedicates monuments to them, and promotes the pseudohis ...

Southern Cross of Honor marker at the grave of

Confederate States Secretary of State The Confederate States Secretary of State was the head of the Confederate States State Department from 1861 to 1865 during the American Civil War. There were three people who served the position in this time. Secretaries of State See also *Unit ...

Judah Philip Benjamin at the

Père Lachaise Cemetery Père Lachaise Cemetery (french: Cimetière du Père-Lachaise ; formerly , "East Cemetery") is the largest cemetery in Paris, France (). With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Notable figure ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

File:Unidentified Civil War veteran in United Confederate Veterans uniform with Southern Cross of Honor medal LCCN2016652271.jpg, Civil War veteran in

(UCV) uniform wearing a Southern Cross of Honor File:Unidentified Civil War veteran of U.C.V. Albert Sidney Johnston Camp no. 48 in uniform with medals) - From C.R. Yancy, the photographer, Tyler, Texas LCCN2017658728.jpg, Member of Albert Sidney Johnston Camp, No. 48, UCV,

Tyler, Texas Tyler is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the largest city and county seat of Smith County, Texas, Smith County. It is also the largest city in Northeast Texas. With a 2020 census population of 105,995, Tyler was the List of cities in Texa ...

, wearing a Southern Cross of Honor

References

External links

A Guide to the United Daughters of the Confederacy, Southern Cross of Honor Records, 1905-1941
at

James Madison University James Madison University (JMU, Madison, or James Madison) is a public research university in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the institution was renamed Madison Coll ...

Unidentified Civil War veteran in United Confederate Veterans uniform with Southern Cross of Honor medal
at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Southern Cross Of Honor 1899 establishments in the United States Awards established in 1899 Awards disestablished in 1959 Service awards United Confederate Veterans United Daughters of the Confederacy