Daily AncestorSouthern Cross of Honor
The Southern Cross of Honor is the medal the United Daughters of the Confederacy created in 1899 for Confederate veterans, and the cross emblem later put on their graves.
Adopted by the U.D.C. in 1899 and first awarded in 1900, the cross could not be bought: it was bestowed on a living veteran for honorable Confederate service, and at least 78,761 were awarded before the program ended in 1959. It bears the battle flag, the words United Daughters of the Confederacy to the U.C.V., the motto Deo Vindice and the dates 1861 and 1865.
The cross is also used as an emblem or marker on Confederate veterans' graves, and the VA will issue it as a headstone emblem only for a Confederate veteran.
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Daily Ancestor. "Southern Cross of Honor." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/military/southern-cross-of-honor. Last checked 2026-10-12.