"What Flag Is That" Topic

I was watching Gods & Generals the other night and had a question about a CSA flag portrayed. At First Bull Run, Sandy Pendelton comments on a regiment that Gen. Jackson is viewing through his field glasses as Barnard Bee's men. The flag being carried has a white cupola or capital dome on a red field. I believe Bee's brigade included regiments from MS, VA, AL, and NC, but I can't find that flag doing a search.

Sounds like the Georgia state flag.

That's my impression also.

Yes, that was a Georgia flag. In fact the current state flag has the same cupola in the canton.

Then it was the wrong flag (What? Shocked, I am shocked that it was an incorrect flag!) since Bee was a South Carolinian and his brigade was:

Third Brigade: Brigadier General Barnard E. Bee (killed), Colonel States Rights Gist

4th Alabama – Colonel Egbert Jones (mortally wounded), Colonel States Rights Gist
2nd Mississippi – Colonel William C. Falkner
11th Mississippi – (Cos. A&F) – Lieutenant Colonel P.F. Liddell
6th North Carolina – Colonel C.F. Fisher (killed)
Staunton [Va] Artillery – Captain John D. Imboden

Jim

Haha, my thoughts exactly, Jim. by the way, I will be watching the Kansas City Royals game tonight with a friend of mine who was a tanker in the 1st Cav.

The 6th NC may have been part of Bee's brigade, but I don't believe it operated with the rest of the brigade at First Manassas.

Jim:

I was so focused on the question that I didn't even think of the error. I am stunned that there was an historical error of such magnitude in Gods and Generals. Next thing you will tell me is that there weren't a bunch of handy planks laid across the canal at Fredericksburg for the Irish Brigade to run over.

Still a bad movie.

Unfortunately, it's probably the best it could have been in light of the overall interest. I question some things about it (i.e. No Antietam – not even Chamberlain sitting on a hill behind Antietam Creek waiting to get in), however I'm thankful Ted Turner gave it a shot. It's just too bad not many people care about the most pivotal period in the history of the United States of America. I will agree that simple things like regimental flag accuracy deserve a little more attention to detail.

I think Gods & Gens ruined prospects for more Civil War movies for at least a generation.

I once emailed Jeff Shaara to ask him if The Last Full Measure would ever be put on the big screen. Several months later I received a response. He said after G&G's performance at the box office, Mr. Turner basically pulled the plug in LFM. I believe the movie could have been historically accurate to the "T" and it would have made little difference. Just not enough interest and our schools (at least in the U.S.) do a great job of picking,choosing, and revising history as a means to an end…but that's just my opinion.

There is an illustration in Battles and Leaders of the Civil War showing Bee's, Bartow's and Evan's brigades attempting to rally behind Henry House Hill that shows the Georgia flag prominently.

[URL=http://s134.photobucket.com/user/Huck1863/media/1st-Battle-of-Manassas-1.jpg.html]

Barlow's Brigade consisted of two Georgia regiments, so the picture makes sense. But identifying them as Bee's Brigade, as was done in the movie, either was an error in the movie or an error on Sandy Pendelton's part.