"Confederate Flags in the Western Theatre?" Topic

What battle flags did the armies of the western theatre use?
I am thinking about turning my Rebs into the Army at Franklin for something different but i need to know about the flags.
I know that Cleburne's division used the blue flag with the white circle. What other differences where there? Did the iconic battle flag get used in the west as well?

This is a pretty good place to start:

link

I'm pretty sure the Army of Tennessee switched over to the Stars and Bars just before Franklin. It was then that Cleburnes division was given special permission to retain the Blue flag.

link

The Blue Flag with a while circle is known as the Hardee Flag. Unlike the Eastern Armies, some western Confederate Armies (by Armies I mean some to many units within that Army) made use of the 2nd National Navy Jack, or the rectangle Confederate Battle Flag we see on so many shirts and trucks. Technically, the Rectangular Battle Flags used by the Western Forces would not have been as wide as the Navy Jack, but not square like the Army of Northern Virginia, but somewhere in the middle. Gotta love standards.

Hello Jason,

The aforementioned article on Army of Tennessee flags should be followed up by the 1864-65 sequel at:

link

The main flags used at Franlin were the AoT or flag carried by most of Lee's and Cheatham's Corps (with the exception of Cleburne's Division) and the Dept of Ala, Miss and East La pattern borne by the units of Lee's Corps. Forrest's Cavalry carred smaller sized Dept of Ala, Miss and East La flags. However, there were a number of units scattered throughout the army that did not use flags that fell into these patterns.

What units of the AoT at Franklin are you thinking of doing? I can some additional details, but to do so for the whole army would take a lot of time and effort.

Leonidas Polk's Corps used a blue field,a red St> George cross with the stars inside the cross. Breckenridge's command used another type,not sure which. My reenactment group usually uses the Hardee's Corps flag or the 1st National Flag(the "Stars & Bars")

A mix of Polk's Corps flag, which was a derivative of the Episcopal Church Symbol (Bishop Polk), Hardee's Silver Moon Flag and Johnston's Battle Flags will probably do you well. You may want to mix in some second nationals (stainless banner) if after mid-1863.

B

The Breckenridge flag I am sure of was only used by a very limited command, I believe only the Orphan Brigade. It was a blue field with a red cross filled in with white stars. The Polk and Breckenridge Flag were pretty similar.

Breckenridge (Orphan Brigade)

link

Polk

tmg110.tripod.com/usarmyh10.htm