Ben,

With regards to the creation of what became known as the Hardee pattern battle flag, this Irish lore has zip to do with it at all!

The flag design was created by Gen. Simon B. Buckner while commanding a division in the Army of Central Kentucky posted at Bowling Green from the fall of 1861 to early February 1862. Buckner, in a 1909 Nashville newspaper interview, stated that the army had no specialized battle flag and that he created this one to solve that problem. His wife and a ladies sewing circle there made the flags in January 1862. These flags only had white edging on the hoist side and not all around like later versions did.

Buckner's Division was sent to reinforce Fort Donelson and brought not only their First National flags but also their Hardee/Buckner flags as several were captured there when the garrison fell. Known captures include the 2nd Kentucky Infantry, 18th Tennessee Infantry, 32nd Tennessee Infantry and the 3rd Tennessee Infantry (whose flag survive in private hands).

What was left of the Army of Central Kentucky became Hardee's Corps after the fall back from Bowling Green to Corinth, MS where they became a component of the new Army of the Mississippi for the Battle of Shiloh. His corps, which included the brigade commanded by Patrick Cleburne, used these flags through 1863. Thereafter, only Cleburne's Division used them for the rest of the war.

As Hardee's Corps expanded new flags were made in the field and issued to the troops. For example, I have invoices from the Sawyer brothers of Corinth dated May 1862 for selling the cloth for making the flags of Hardee's Corps. Jacob Gall made 34 of these flags in September 1863 according to his invoice. He was a Louisiana solider detached to be Hardee's personal tailor earlier that year.

So there is nothing at all about Irish moons and revolt for the making of this pattern. In fact, since Buckner was an officer in the pre-war Kentucky State Guard, I think his inspiration came from flags of that command - blue with a light blue round center and the US Coat of Arms in it. The modern KY state flag is blue with a white circle bearing the state Coat of Arms.

By the way, Hardee never said that he created that flag; he did say that he adopted it which means that it existed already.

Greg Biggs