More below:

>>>>I wanted to be clear about few areas concerning the early manufacture of the First National Flag in Virginia. According to the FOTC website, Gen. Beauregard had commisioned a number of FNF to be made of the recently obtained bunting from the Gosport Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, VA. Was any of this bunting used to make the newly designed battle flag as well? >>>>

Probably not. These flags were made in Richmond by local flag maker George Ruskell (about 30 some if I correctly recall). The first ANV flags were silk and the first wool bunting issues of those did not show up until June 1862. The Ruskell flags came in August 1861. Perhaps some of the bunting taken at Gosport ended up being for some of the ANV flags but they also needed large storm, post and garrison colors too which would have eaten deeply into the bunting supply.

>>>>The FOTC article states later some of the FNF were de-constructed and turned into "other" flags. Can I assume these other flags were the new Virginia battle flag?>>>>

I know of some US flags that were deconstructed into CS flags. Is that what you mean? If Howie meant some other pattern I am not sure of which he wrote.

>>>> Also did the Richmond Depot oversee this operation?>>>

Ruskell was on his own in 1861. I have the complete records of Richmond Depot flag manufacture for 1862 and although they handled the distribution of the Magruder/Army of the Peninsula flags in May 1862, they did not directly oversee any flag making until June 1862. That's based on the various entries in the depot log book.

>>> Is Plate No.4 in Richard Rollins' book "The Damned Red Flags of the Rebellion" an example of one of those flags? >>>

For late 4 did you mean Page 4 - the flag of the 2nd Georgia Battalion? If so its hard to tell if Ruskell made this or if they brought it to Virginia from Georgia.

Greg Biggs