Dave Neel
Flags of the 40th
Thu Jan 18 04:02:41 2001


Hayes:

I don't subscribe to the three flag theory for the following reasons:

The 40th was brigaded with the 37th and 42nd Alabama and the 2nd Texas at Vicksburg. We know that the non-standard flag of the 42nd was spirited out of Vicksburg, and the info surrounding that effort does not indicate they surrendered another, less sentimental stand of colors. This could indicate mischief was afoot in the brigade on the matter of flag surrending.

The Higley flag, if I recollect properly, is not in too bad a condition, so there was no need to replace it. If it was not replaced based on need, then any issuance of new colors at Vicksburg should have been done at brigade level, and there is no evidence of flags remaining for the other regiments from such an issuance (as well as the evidence that the 42nd made off with its flag, which wasn't really all that hard to do, their are many stories of color bearers putting flags under their clothing).

Moore's Brigade was in the process of being refitted while in the Chattanooga vicinity. It is logical that the brigade's colors (with the instructions for application of specific battle honors) could have been ordered prior to Lookout Mountain, but that the colors might not have been completed and received by the regiments until after Bragg's fiasco at Missionary Ridge. My understanding is that the applied honor were paid for by the regiments, so the occurance of a battle while the flags were "on order" was not likely to be added.

Col. Higley was in a position to send the flag back to Mobile from Chattanooga or Dalton; at Vicksburg, following the point the garrison was invested in the seige, he was not.

I think Gulley could be a touch off on timing, some 30 years after the fact. Is their other evidence? It is not unreasonable to assume the regiment went through more than two stands of colors during the war, the inferences as to when and where the other flag was received just haven't yet been enough to convince me.

I also now know that the ebay flag I am recalling was a very good copy of the 20th Alabama's Johnston or Atlanta Depot pattern AOT battleflag. I did not see the flag attributed to the 40th.

• 40th's flags — Greg Biggs, Mon Jan 22 02:37
• Flags of Moore's Brigade (Hardee Patern?) — Henry Seale, Mon Jan 22 18:55
• flags of Moore's Brigade — Greg Biggs, Mon Jan 22 23:48
• And that makes *four* 40th flags! — Hayes Lowe, Wed Jan 24 14:14
• and that makes *four* 40th Alabama flags — Greg Biggs, Wed Jan 24 14:22
• Even so, would still leave a 3rd flag to be explained away. — Hayes Lowe, Wed Jan 24 14:42
• even so that would still leave a 3rd flag to be explained — Greg Biggs, Wed Jan 24 15:09
• I wish that I could! — Hayes Lowe, Wed Jan 24 16:25
• More on 40th flag. — Hayes Lowe, Thu Jan 18 14:51
• More on the 40th's Flags — Dave Neel, Thu Jan 18 22:21
• 40th Flag — Hayes Lowe, Thu Jan 18 23:08
• Whoa! Is the ADAH 40th flag a fake?! — Hayes Lowe, Thu Jan 18 23:17
• Still Yet Even More on the 40th's Flags — Dave Neel, Fri Jan 19 06:03
• This is an exciting revelation! — Hayes Lowe, Fri Jan 19 07:03
• sans serif and flags/knives — William Alford, Sat Jan 20 23:08
• Sans serif — Hayes Lowe, Wed Jan 24 06:39
• 40TH Ala. Flag — Henry Seale, Fri Jan 19 16:34
• 40th Flag — Hayes Lowe, Fri Jan 19 16:59
• 40TH Ala. Flag/Captures at Vicksburg — Henry Seale, Fri Jan 19 18:06
• 40th flag — Hayes Lowe, Fri Jan 19 20:41
• Oh! And... — Hayes Lowe, Fri Jan 19 20:43
• More on Vicksburg — Dave Neel, Fri Jan 19 19:37
• more on Vicksburg — Greg Biggs, Mon Jan 22 02:42
• Vicksburg flags. — Hayes Lowe, Wed Jan 24 14:17
• Vicksburg flags — Greg Biggs, Wed Jan 24 14:30