The 3rd Pattern ANV you have interest in was drawn by the 23rd GA Infantry a short time after the Sharpsburg Campaign, I believe October of 1862; the 23rd was in D. H. Hill's Division and the Division drew unadorned 3rd Pattern buntings. The 23rd carried this flag, the flag you are inquiring about, at the battle of Fredericksburg ONLY! The 23rd was in line of battle, but saw little or no combat at Fredericksburg. Typically, ere long D. H. Hills Division entire, drew new flags around March of 1863. These colours had factory stencilled blue battle honours, including FREDERICKSBURG. Reference the flag of the 5th Alabama with its 8 battle honours. The flag that was carried by the 23rd at Chancellorsville in May of 1863 was the flag with battle honours and regimentally marked. The flag you are seeking information on was certainly retired prior to Chancellorsville. The much maligned Colonel Emory Best retained this flag, in fact, the flag was sold within the past decade by his decedents living in California. At one time there was a letter from Howard Madaus accompanying this flag, but someone made it disappear prior to my acquiring this pristine specimen. Luckily I knew Mr. Madaus since 1970 so we spoke at length about this piece. I believe that a well known dealer in Gettysburg may still have a copy of this Madaus letter as they were considering purchasing the flag several years ago or had it consigned? (I spoke to them about it also) . Only after the flag left their hands, did the Madaus info disappeared. So, the flag under discussion is a great flag, but its exposure on the battlefield of Virginia was limited and there is no objective reason to believe that this flag was the flag involved in the controversial and heroic episodes of the battle of Chancellorsville.
_________________
David Upton