The Confederate Battle Flag
First national flag, March 1861-May 1863
Battle flags during the civil war were necessary visual aids. A common condition occurring during battle was white smoke caused by the firing of muskets. The smoke varied in density and duration depending on weather and battle conditions diminishing visibility. The flags, carried 8-10 feet high, were often the most visual objects on the field.
Positioned at the center of the regiment in line of battle, the flags served as field markers to organize officers and soldiers in formation. When battle line integrity was compromised, soldiers would converge on the flag or “dress to the colors”. Officers accompanied by the flag could re-form the regiment if the battle line became disorganized by having the soldiers converge on the flag or “rally to the colors”. Brigade commanders could identify units under their command to locate and track the movements of their regiments for battle assessment and to make adjustments. Couriers could identify regiments by the flags to deliver orders to the appropriate command staff.
Regiments, upon receiving their battle flag, would mark them with their regiment number and/or battle honors. As a result, they became great morale builders, symbols of unit pride, courage and honor. Flags were always located at the center of the regiment in line of battle and carried by a small squad of men known as the color guard. The guard consisted of two flag bearers, one a national flag, one a regimental flag and about six color guards. The color guards were unarmed and escorted the flag and would pick up the flag if the bearer could not continue. The men of the color guard were selected from the companies of the regiment. It was considered one of the highest honors to be selected for this duty despite the high mortality rate. The flags being of great pride and military importance were protected at all cost, as it was considered a disgrace to have it captured in battle.
The history of the confederate battle flag began at the battle of 1st Manassas/Bull run, in July 1861. The similarity between the north and south national flags made it difficult to tell them apart. Adding to the confusion was similarity and unfamiliarity of the various battle flags to the commanding generals.
After the battle, General P.G.T. Beauregard wrote that he was “resolved then to have our flag changed if possible or to adopt for my command battle flag which would be entirely different from any state or federal flag”. For this task he selected his aide William Porcher Miles, former chair of the Flags and Seals committee. Miles addressed the committee of the General’s complaints and his request to change the national flag. By a four to one vote, the request was rejected and after the decision, Beauregard proposed the idea of having two flags.
Miles described to Beauregard a flag design for this purpose that he had proposed for consideration as a national flag design in March of 1861. Beauregard, in a letter to his commander General Joseph E. Johnston, informing him of this design and his situation wrote “I wrote to Miles that we should have two flags, a peace or parade flag, and a war flag to be used only on the field of battle, but congress having adjourned no action will be taken on the matter. How would it do us to address the war department on the subject of regimental or badge flags made of red with two blue bars crossing each other, diagonally on which shall be introduced stars, we would then on the field of battle know our friends from our enemies”. Miles flag designed, as all were up until this time, was rectangular. Johnston suggested making it square to conserve material, he also specified various sizes to be used by different types of military units. In September, 1861 at the Ratcliffe home in Fairfax Virginia, Generals Johnston, Beauregard and Quartermaster General Cabell approved the 12 star confederate battle flag design. On November 28, 1861 regiments of the Army of Northern Virginia received the battle flags in ceremonies at Centerville and Manassas Virginia. The flag would remain unchanged and served as the standard confederate battle flag for the Army of Northern Virginia until the end of the war.
After the battle, General P.G.T. Beauregard wrote that he was “resolved then to have our flag changed if possible or to adopt for my command battle flag which would be entirely different from any state or federal flag”. For this task he selected his aide William Porcher Miles, former chair of the Flags and Seals committee. Miles addressed the committee of the General’s complaints and his request to change the national flag. By a four to one vote, the request was rejected and after the decision, Beauregard proposed the idea of having two flags.
Miles described to Beauregard a flag design for this purpose that he had proposed for consideration as a national flag design in March of 1861. Beauregard, in a letter to his commander General Joseph E. Johnston, informing him of this design and his situation wrote “I wrote to Miles that we should have two flags, a peace or parade flag, and a war flag to be used only on the field of battle, but congress having adjourned no action will be taken on the matter. How would it do us to address the war department on the subject of regimental or badge flags made of red with two blue bars crossing each other, diagonally on which shall be introduced stars, we would then on the field of battle know our friends from our enemies”. Miles flag designed, as all were up until this time, was rectangular. Johnston suggested making it square to conserve material, he also specified various sizes to be used by different types of military units. In September, 1861 at the Ratcliffe home in Fairfax Virginia, Generals Johnston, Beauregard and Quartermaster General Cabell approved the 12 star confederate battle flag design. On November 28, 1861 regiments of the Army of Northern Virginia received the battle flags in ceremonies at Centerville and Manassas Virginia. The flag would remain unchanged and served as the standard confederate battle flag for the Army of Northern Virginia until the end of the war.
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The 7th Tennessee was part of Archer’s Brigade in the Army of Northern Virginia (ANV). The ANV was the first in the confederate army to be issued the standard battle flags to its entire group because its commander General Johnston realized the need for a flag to “rally around” that look different from the stars and stripes in the smoke of battle. The square ANV flag design was first issued to the whole army in November 1861 and was made of silk. Then because silk flags were quickly torn and damaged and captured in 1862, the same design was re-issued but in wool bunting with white cotton stars. Silk supplies were also depleted during this time. The 7th Tennessee would have had several of these slightly different bunting flags over the course of the war. We know for sure that the 7th would have had one of the original first bunting flags. We also know that its flag was the only one in Archer’s Brigade not captured at Gettysburg.
The original 7th Tennessee battle flag was presented to them in 1861 or 1862, the best estimate is that it was made in May of 1861 and presented to the regiment when they were forming at Camp Trousdale in May or June 1861. The flag was based on the first national design. The official history on this flag is that it was captured at Petersburg in April 1865. It was given the capture number WD 343 and it was returned to the state of Tennessee in 1905. The dimensions of the flag are:
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