- Joined
- Feb 23, 2013
- Location
- East Texas
I hate to muddy the waters - BUT...
When units were first organized they often (probably usually) received a flag or banner of some sort, often sewn by ladies of the nearest community. This was often done on a company or battery level. Upon arriving at their camp of instruction where the infantry companies were formed into regiments, naturally all these company level banners were now superfluous and many were sent home to be discovered much later as "the flag of the ___ Regiment!", which in a sense it had been. Things became even more confusing when still NEWER flags were adopted when the regiments or batteries were assigned to new Confederate corps which in the Western Theater at least each had their own unique design. That meant yet another flag was retired and sent home to ad to future confusion. Many flags wore out or as in this case were captured and therefore were replaced by yet another replacement banner. All this meant that there *might* be several or many different flags, colors, or banners associated with any particular unit!
The case in point I know best is that of a Texas battery known variously as Good's Battery, Douglas's Battery, the Dallas Light Artillery, the 1st Texas Battery, or the 1st Texas Light Artillery. First raised in early 1861 and consisting of 50 men from each Dallas and Tyler, it was presented with a banner of some design by Miss Mollie Moore on behalf of the ladies of Tyler; according to a letter written later it received one from the ladies of Dallas as well. In early 1862 forming a part of the command of Gen. Ben McCullough in Indian Territory it probably received a NEW banner based on the Confederate First National Flag to indicate its membership as a part of his command. After the battle of Pea Ridge in March, 1862 Captain Good wrote home to his wife describing how one of their flags was "accidently" left lying on the ground when they retreated, where it was picked up by a unit of Missouri German Federals who promptly sent it to their governor! Naturally enough, Captain Good did NOT report the loss of this flag in his official report of the battle.
In late April of 1862 along with the rest of the army it crossed the Mississippi as a part of the command of Earl Van Dorn, who adopted a unique and strange looking new banner for all the units of his corps. Soon the battery was attached to the division of Pat Cleburne which was well-known for having its own distinctive blue banner with a white disc or "moon" in the center. In early 1864, no longer with Cleburne, the battery *may* have been involved in the general issue of new flags for the entire Army of Tennessee, except for Cleburne's Division which retained their blue flags. Therefore, it's easily possible this single battery may have had a half-dozen different flags, all of them "official" at one point or another!
Welcome to the forums!
When units were first organized they often (probably usually) received a flag or banner of some sort, often sewn by ladies of the nearest community. This was often done on a company or battery level. Upon arriving at their camp of instruction where the infantry companies were formed into regiments, naturally all these company level banners were now superfluous and many were sent home to be discovered much later as "the flag of the ___ Regiment!", which in a sense it had been. Things became even more confusing when still NEWER flags were adopted when the regiments or batteries were assigned to new Confederate corps which in the Western Theater at least each had their own unique design. That meant yet another flag was retired and sent home to ad to future confusion. Many flags wore out or as in this case were captured and therefore were replaced by yet another replacement banner. All this meant that there *might* be several or many different flags, colors, or banners associated with any particular unit!
The case in point I know best is that of a Texas battery known variously as Good's Battery, Douglas's Battery, the Dallas Light Artillery, the 1st Texas Battery, or the 1st Texas Light Artillery. First raised in early 1861 and consisting of 50 men from each Dallas and Tyler, it was presented with a banner of some design by Miss Mollie Moore on behalf of the ladies of Tyler; according to a letter written later it received one from the ladies of Dallas as well. In early 1862 forming a part of the command of Gen. Ben McCullough in Indian Territory it probably received a NEW banner based on the Confederate First National Flag to indicate its membership as a part of his command. After the battle of Pea Ridge in March, 1862 Captain Good wrote home to his wife describing how one of their flags was "accidently" left lying on the ground when they retreated, where it was picked up by a unit of Missouri German Federals who promptly sent it to their governor! Naturally enough, Captain Good did NOT report the loss of this flag in his official report of the battle.
In late April of 1862 along with the rest of the army it crossed the Mississippi as a part of the command of Earl Van Dorn, who adopted a unique and strange looking new banner for all the units of his corps. Soon the battery was attached to the division of Pat Cleburne which was well-known for having its own distinctive blue banner with a white disc or "moon" in the center. In early 1864, no longer with Cleburne, the battery *may* have been involved in the general issue of new flags for the entire Army of Tennessee, except for Cleburne's Division which retained their blue flags. Therefore, it's easily possible this single battery may have had a half-dozen different flags, all of them "official" at one point or another!
Welcome to the forums!