WD 124 is a Third Bunting ANV flag (3/12 inch stars and 5 inch wide cross) with a bunch of white bunting attached to it. It measures 65 inches by 69 inches (original length being 96 inches). This, according to the image from the MOC that I have and the Madaus scale drawing, was made as a Richmond Depot Second national. For starters, it lacks the white fimbration going all around the outer edges of the flag. The scale drawing and image clearly shows the white canvas hoist edge of the ANV flag to which a slightly narrower canvas edge was sewn for the rest of the size of the flag.

I have an 1999 email from Howie about this flag in my files and he mentions the two accounts that Rollins cited in his book. One is that the flag was made in Richmond by "the ladies" and then sent to Jeff Davis. Davis then gave it to Gen. Lee who decided to give it to the regiment "most worthy of receiving and carrying it." The flag was given to Gen. Ewell who then gave it to division commander Robert Rodes who then gave it to Brig. Gen. Julius Daniel who lastly gave it to the 32nd North Carolina Troops. The brigade historian recalled that the flag was, "the only regular Confederate flag that was in the corps and the Thirty second Regiment carried that flag in the battle of Gettysburg."

Rollins cited a second story as well. The source for this was Major Campbell Brown, of Ewell's staff. Brown recorded in his diary (at the TN State Library and Archives today - I have the pertinent pages copied), that when the Confederates got to Carlisle and saw a flag staff they decided to raise a Confederate flag on it. The Second National sent to Lee, Ewell et al, was too small, so, "the battle flag of the 32nd [North Carolina Troops] was available, so they made it the "ground work [canton[" of a new flag. They found two or three tailors "and in an hour or two we had a handsome flag ready for hoisting." Thus a large Second national Confederate flag fluttered over the US Army barracks in Carlisle, Pennsylvania."

Rollins uses these sources: Walter Clarks's Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War 1861-1865 (Vol. 2, Page 514) for the Davis to Lee to Ewell etc. story.

The Journal of Campbell Brown, Page 47, TSLA is the source for the account of the ANV flag of the 32nd NC being altered into the Second National. He also cites the Wake Forest Student of April 1897 as corroborating this source. I have the Campbell Brown hand written diary in my file on this flag.

Rollins finds the Campbell Brown story much more credible for the reason of it was written at the time and he was there. Additionally, the 32nd NCT was only recently with the army having spent the war through 1862 in Richmond during the Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville campaigns so where was this alleged episode of valor for which Daniel gave them the flag based on the Clark account?

I tend to support Rollins and the Campbell Brown account based on the immediacy of Brown who was there and the fact that the flag itself was not made like any Richmond Depot Second National flag that I have ever seen. The canton is clearly an ANV Third Bunting flag with the rest of the white sewn to it. It is far larger than what a regimental Second National flag would have been from the depot (see the Second National from Cox's NC Brigade issued in the Fall of 1863 for proof).

I have no email from Howie that states one way or another as to how he felt about this flag. If you have that please post it here for us all.

Greg Biggs