"CSA battleflag" Topic

Before this mess gets unfixable my ggrandfather was the flagbearer for the 23rd Virginia Batallion (not regiment) and I would like to kkow the flag he carried (1861-1863)

lobobebo – probably it would have been the First National, which actually is the "Stars and Bars". Some variant like this: link

Edit. Looking up the unit, it appears to have been formed in 1862 in West Virginia. link

The ANV battle flag (which has the neo-witchfinders all in a tizzy) was issued beginning in December of 1861, so odds are he carried the square battle flag like this: link although it may have lacked the central star at that early date.

It could be either, or both, or the State flag. Barring digging up specific written or photographic evidence, you will probably never know for sure.

Up until the summer of 1864 the 23rd Virginia Battalion primarily served in western Virginia and thus would not have carried an ANV pattern flag.

At some time during the war pretty well all Virginia units were provided with a Virginia state flag. Such a flag is exists in the Museum of the Confederacy's collection (War Department Capture # 176). It was captured in September 1864 at the Battle of Winchester and is believed to belong to either the 22nd Virginia Infantry or the 23rd Virginia Battalion.

thanks Do you think the Va state flags would have the unit painted on it

Here are a couple of examples with the honors and unit painted on. link

Ryan T may have found the exact flag for you. It would be worth following up.

I have to say that I read this post with real interest – the possibility that the flag in the museum may be the one your great grandfather carried must be great news for you. This kind of personal connection really puts history into context. The ACW seems a long way back but if you break it down into generations, it's really very close. Thinking about the ages and dates put helped me put my own great grandfather (a two fisted ships engineer, apparently) into a timeline. Hope you get to see it and that it is the one that he carried. If it is that must be worth a free admission!

yes it would I have the book on the 23rd Battalion and he is listed on the roster with the note flag bearer

Hello lobobebo,

Go to the Museum of the Confederacy's PDF catalog of their collection of ACW flags at:

PDF link

War Department Capture #176 can be found towards the bottom of page 62. As you can see it is an unmarked Virginia state flag.

Note that the state flags mentioned above by Intrepide are West Virginia flags.