All of the regiments of Forrest's Cavalry Corps were issued with 12 star Mobile Depot battle flags in July, 1864 and used them for the rest of the war. This would have included Rucker's Brigade.

I disagree with Mr. Ford as to the ID of his flag. Based on my years of experience, whenever a Union report stated that a flag was a "brigade flag" proved, more often than not, to have been a battle flag of some type. Rucker was with the 12th Tennessee Cavalry (CS) at this time when he was wounded and taken along with this flag, which I believe to have been a Mobile Depot flag that is missing today.

If a general officer was taken with a flag it was sometimes called "his brigade flag" for that reason, but most CS units used national colors as HQ flags. The AOT did develop a system of HQ flags for corps, division and brigade in early 1864 and for Polk's old corps in the Fall of 1864 just prior to the Tennessee Campaign. I have found no evidence at all that Forrest's Corps ever followed suit and that is not surprising as he was not under the auspices of the AOT until right before the Tennessee Campaign.

Just my two cents.

Greg Biggs