Recently I came across a letter in the Abingdon Virginian of 9 October 1863, containing an account about the flags issued to Johnson's division, and to the 48th in particular. Here is the extract of that letter that was written on 3 October 1863.

Abingdon Virginian published “a business letter from an officer of the 48th Va. Regiment, dated at Germanna Ford on the Rapidan, Oct. 3d, an extract from which will be acceptable to many of our readers....The regiments of our Division have recently received new Battle Flags, bearing upon their ample folds the inscriptions of the various engagements in which they have participated. – Ours is quite a creditable one, and bears above our heads the bloody list of Kernstown, McDowell, Winchester, Cross Keys, Port Republic, Cold Harbor, Malvern Hill, Cedar Run, Manassas No. 2, Chantilly, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. Few Flags have a list so noble. We are proud of it. We love it. And we pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honors to stand by and protect it as we did our old one, while there is a Yankee invader on the bloody soil of the Confederacy. But alas! all its defenders are not here! Many of our best, our dearest friends, sleep their last sleep in patriot’s graves. Our hearts sorrow at their fall, and our eyes weep bitter tears. Peace to their sacred dust!”

As the letter makes clear, the flag of the 48th Va. received the flag prior to 3 October 1863. However, according to supply receipts, it was not until 9 October that Maj. James Bruce [Asst QM Jones' Bde] completed the paperwork that officidally issued one battleflag to Lt. Amos M. Fleenor, AQM, 48Va, at "Camp Madison C.H.," according to Fleenor's compiled service record.