Flags Seen at Chickamauga

[TheColorBearer]

Nice pics. The guy I talked to from Georgia was right, they desperatly need my flags down south. This Event was set in 1863 correct? but yet they were using a 1st National Confederate flag. I wish I could sew the flags at a faster rate but I cannot.

In those days one of the best ways of communication was with your Flag. When I go to events and see Infantry marching with a 41" Battle flag from a distance I would take that as Calvary, or the Calvary using a 31" Battle flag and I think it is Artillery. The Flags a person or persons display should be correct, so many spend years on research and many dollar's on equipment only to show up with the most horrible flag set you have ever seen. And when those folks are spotted out on the field or by a passer by the first thing that is seen is their flag.

[sbl]

Todd,

Neat commercial!

[RJSamp]

Nice pics. The guy I talked to from Georgia was right, they desperatly need my flags down south. This Event was set in 1863 correct? but yet they were using a 1st National Confederate flag. I wish I could sew the flags at a faster rate but I cannot.

In those days one of the best ways of communication was with your Flag. When I go to events and see Infantry marching with a 41" Battle flag from a distance I would take that as Calvary, or the Calvary using a 31" Battle flag and I think it is Artillery. The Flags a person or persons display should be correct, so many spend years on research and many dollar's on equipment only to show up with the most horrible flag set you have ever seen. And when those folks are spotted out on the field or by a passer by the first thing that is seen is their flag.

I think it's neat you can pick off a 41" battle flag vs a 31" battle flag at a half a mile.....no way my 53 year old eyes can spot that.....

[TheColorBearer]

I think it's neat you can pick off a 41" battle flag vs a 31" battle flag at a half a mile.....no way my 53 year old eyes can spot that.....

When you have made as many of them as I have you will have the same ability.


And it's no commercial just the facts. The pictures speak for themselves.

None of my statements in any way shape or form were meant to put down that event or the people at it, just the flag choices they made.

[RJSamp]

When you have made as many of them as I have you will have the same ability.

Point Taken! I can identify most bugles at a glance, at a distance, partially covered up, in a poor photograph.....

Reminds me of the Indians who could spot a lame horse, or their horses, out of herd of 20,000 ..... with just a simple glance.

[NC5thcav]

When I go to events and see Infantry marching with a 41" Battle flag from a distance I would take that as Calvary, or the Calvary using a 31" Battle flag and I think it is Artillery. The Flags a person or persons display should be correct, so many spend years on research and many dollar's on equipment only to show up with the most horrible flag set you have ever seen. And when those folks are spotted out on the field or by a passer by the first thing that is seen is their flag.

While I agree that units should use appropriatly sized flags, sometimes the size could be different than the regulations. The regulations did spell out sizes for the different branches of service in the ANV, but very few that I have researched actually conform to regulations. Most NC ANV battle flags seem too have been in the neighborhood of 46" to 49", and most were not actually square, but that wouldn't be noticed. Some good examples are these.

52nd NC-47"X50"
55th NC-47 1/2"X46"
42nd NC-48"X51"
35th NC-48"X50"
30th NC-47"X51"
28th NC-50"X49"
24th NC-48"X48"

The first number is the hoist, the second is the fly. All of these flags are in current museum collections, so the measurements are accurate. Also, the square battleflags were predominatly ANV issue, although they did see service in other areas, such as the AoT. Some units were also issued flags sized for other branches of service. The 58th NC, in the AoT, has two surviving battleflags. Both are Augusta Clothing Depot issues. One is infantry sized and measures 36"X51" and the second is an artillery sized flag that measures 32"X38". Both of these flags are in the collestion of the North Carolina Museum of History. Another one is the battleflag of the 5th NC cavalry. It is a 46"X48 1/2" Richmond Depot issue.
This is another case when unit specific details can vary. Now would an inch or two realy make that much difference? Probably not, especialy for a generic use flag. But if you are trying to copy a unit specific flag, sometimes a little digging will surprise you.

[FloridaConfederate]

Now would an inch or two realy make that much difference?

It's not all about kit.

Good acting can more than make up for a lack of inches.

[NC5thcav]

This Event was set in 1863 correct? but yet they were using a 1st National Confederate flag.

Lee's order forbiding any flags but the square battleflags only applied to the ANV. The 1st Nationals were still being used by some units in the AoT, along with other older designs like the Hardee pattern, Polk pattern, and McCown pattern flags. The 39th NC carried a McCown pattern battleflag at Chickamauga. There is also an ANV 1st National that belonged to the 34th NC that survives. It doesn't have a capture date, but its capture number puts it among those surrendered at Appomatox, so regiments may have ignored Lee's order to give up their old flags.

[TheColorBearer]

Lee's order forbiding any flags but the square battleflags only applied to the ANV. The 1st Nationals were still being used by some units in the AoT, along with other older designs like the Hardee pattern, Polk pattern, and McCown pattern flags. The 39th NC carried a McCown pattern battleflag at Chickamauga. There is also an ANV 1st National that belonged to the 34th NC that survives. It doesn't have a capture date, but its capture number puts it among those surrendered at Appomatox, so regiments may have ignored Lee's order to give up their old flags.

The flag in question is a National Flag, this is the flag that fly's at the very top of any pole or staff. They did not stray from this fact. If a 1st National flag was captured at appomatox then it was on someone's person not on the pole. The government was very strict about this.

[TheColorBearer]

This is another case when unit specific details can vary. Now would an inch or two realy make that much difference? Probably not, especialy for a generic use flag. But if you are trying to copy a unit specific flag, sometimes a little digging will surprise you.

I wasn't referring to AoT flags in those pics. I was referring to the ANV flags as there was an ANV group present at Chickamauga ie: Longstreet's corps.

I have done more than a little digging sir, I have done a lot of traveling, and hours of research on different types of flags, from just about every theatre. In the end the description of the flag was written down on paper and it was up to the flag maker to go from that. I was not only making comments on the flags at that event but also at the way that they were made. Sewing machines are good for some things but never a Civil War flag, nor are brass gromets.