Mention the Texas Brigade and there is not a wargamer of the Civil War who does not know of what you are talking about. Indeed, it is the rare gaming table that has not seen this gallant band fielded at one time or the other. Unfortunately, little information has been available on the most visible symbol of these regiments - their flags.

This article is therefore, an attempt to illustrate the varied regimental colors the brigade carried into battle during the few brief years of its existence.

The Texas brigade was created on October 22, 1861, under the command of Brigadier General Louis Wigfall, drawing together the 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry. Shortly afterwards, the 18th Georgia was added to the brigade. Little is known of the regimental flags carried at this time; but, in all likelihood each regiment had adopted one of the numerous colors carried by their various companies.

1st Texas

Only the 1st Texas had already been issued a regimental color, presented at some point in early September. This Texas state flag was made by Louise Wigfall while her father was still colonel of the regiment 1 (Figure 1.)

This flag measured 60 inches on the hoist and 74 inches on the fly and was made of blue, white and red silk of which the last two colors rapidly faded to shades of pale yellow and purple. Three of the borders were decorated with a gold fringe while the leading edge had six blue ties with which the flag was affixed to its staff. When the flag was first sewn no battle honors were yet present, but at some time after the Seven Days Battles, the illustrated honors were applied to the obverse side in white paint. 2

Not long after the 1st Texas took possession of its state color, the 4th and 5th Texas were also provided with new regimental flags made by Louise and Fannie Wigfall from their mother's silk wedding dress. The 5th Texas was presented with its flag in January of 1862. The 4th Texas received its flag the following month. No details are known about the flag of the 5th Texas, but it is the flag of the 4th Texas that presents the greater problem.

A flag exists in the collection of the Texas United Daughters of the Confederacy which has been identified as the Wigfall flag of the 4th Texas (Figure 2). It is 47 inches square with a red field, faded to pink, a blue saltire with white fimbriation, 13 white stars, a yellow border on three sides, and a white heading which forms a sleeve for the flag's attachment to its staff.3

There is, however, another flag which is also connected to the 4th Texas which is given the same "Wigfall" provenance. Nicholas A Davis was the chaplain of the 4th Texas from its conception. In early 1863, he published a history of the Texas Brigade through the end of 1862. Included in his book was an illustration of the flag of the 4th Texas purported to have been made by Louise Wigfall and carried until after Sharpsburg (Figure 3.) 4

This flag has been dealt with in several ways. The apparent reversed coloration has been dismissed as artistic license or has been interpreted as a white flag with red distinctions. 5 Comparison with the UDC 4th Texas flag would seem to favor the first explanation, but for a comment by Thomas Inglesby of the Hampton Legion. In his 1891 history of Company A of the Legion he wrote, "With the exception of the 4th Texas flag I believe ours was the most conspicuous in the army of No. Va." 6

This statement would appear to lend credence to the Davis flag; it is doubtful Inglesby would have singled out the 4th Texas flag as being so distinctive if it were not out of the ordinary. Furthermore, the flag the 4th Texas retired in October 1862 was described as being too tattered for further use, a description which seems to fit the Davis flag, but is less appropriate for the UDC flag. The Davis flag nevertheless need not necessarily be interpreted as a white and red flag. The slight shading of the field suggests that it may have been red or pink in color and only the saltire and stars, fimbriation and border in reversed color, being white and possibly blue respectively.

If this entire line of argument has any validity, the one question that arises is as to what provenance the UDC flag then has. It may in fact be the missing 5th Texas flag, but this is purely speculation. At this point all that can be said is that hopefully future research will eventually solve this problem.

In early 1862, Whiting's Division, of which the Texas Brigade was part, was partially issued with cotton battle flags. This variant of the early more common silk battle flag was necessitated when the Richmond Clothing Depot's supply of silk was depleted during the winter of 1861-62. Both the 1st Texas and the 18th Georgia were issued such a color. That of the 1st Texas was 41 inches square with a bright red field, white stars and a blue saltire which soon faded to a greenish hue (Figure 4.) The border was edged in orange, and the leading edge was tacked to its staff by 37 nails. The flag of the Georgians was similarly colored, but measured 40 inches on the hoist and 42 inches on the fly (Figure 5.) The method of attachment of this flag to its staff is not known. 7 The 1st Texas carried both its battle flag and its state flag until both were lost at Sharpsburg. The 18th Georgia fought under only its single color.

Personal Distinction

George Branard, the principal color bearer of the 1st Texas, at some time in mid-1862 added a personal distinction to the regiment's colors when he was presented with a small flag by several young Houston women. Measuring 13 1/4 inches by 7 inches this variation of the Confederate national flag had a light blue canton with a single white star and was attached to to the staff by four ties (Figure 6.) Branard is reported to have borne this personal flag for the rest of the war, carrying it just below the regimental state flag. At the time of Sharpsburg, Branard was on the sick list, thus preventing the loss of his personal banner when the other two 1st Texas flags were captured. 8 As mentioned before, the 5th Texas used only their Wigfall flag until after the Seven Days Battles.

At some time during the winter of 1861-62, the officers of the 5th had purchased a silk Texas state color for the regiment. Denied its use by regulations prohibiting state regimental colors, the state flag of the 1st Texas notwithstanding, the regimental adjutant hatched a scheme to make use of this flag when the unit's "Wigfall" flag was retired and replaced by a new battle flag obtained from Texas in July of 1862. When this new battle flag was returned from divisional headquarters, where it had been painted with battle honors, it conveniently was misappropriated by "persons unknown," leaving the state flag as the sole regimental color borne by the 5th Texas until after Sharpsburg, at which time it was retired and sent home.

Unfortunately, apart from knowing this flag had a silver fringe, further description of its exact appearance is impossible as the flag was destroyed in 1865, to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Federals. 9

In June of 1862, the Texas Brigade was strengthened by the addition of the infantry component of the Hampton Legion. The Legion appears to have had two flags at this time. As part of Whiting's Division it is likely the South Carolinians were issued a cotton flag of the type received by the 1st Texas and the 18th Georgia. What is known for certain, however, is that the Legion possessed one of the Army of Northern Virginia's most distinctive flags throughout its tenure as part of the Texas Brigade (Figure 7.)

Presented to the Legion in July of 1861 by President Jefferson Davis, this silk flag, approximately 6 feet square, had an obverse solferino, or reddish purple, field with a silver embroidered palmetto and crescent. On the reverse blue field the unit designation was set inside a wreath. Note, though, that unlike the other flags illustrated here, the color illustrated by Figure 7 is reconstructed from written descriptions. 10

Reorganization

Following the return to Virginia after the campaign in Maryland, the Army of Northern Virginia underwent a period of extensive reorganization. As part of this process most of the Texas Brigade, now under the command of Brigadier General Jerome Robertson, was issued new flags, probably sometime in late October or early November.

These new flags were of the Third Bunting Issue, which were distinguished by their red field surrounded by a white border, blue saltire with white fimbriation and 13 white stars. The heading had three holes by which the flag was attached to its staff. It is unknown how many of the brigade's flags had a unit designation or battle honors present because the only color to survive was that of the 18th Georgia (Figure 8.) Apart from being only 45 1/2 inches on the hoist, instead of the regulation 48 inches square, this color is otherwise typical of the aforementioned pattern. 11

Yet not all of the brigade conformed to regulations. The 1st and 4th Texas probably carried the new Third Bunting Issue flags but the 1st supplemented it with a newly acquired Texas state flag. Made by Louis Wigfall's wife, Varina Davis, and a Mrs. Kent, this flag was of a similar pattern to the 1st Texas' earlier state flag but was further differentiated by a border of black crepe in honor of the casualties suffered at Sharpsburg. 12

The 5th Texas in turn took the opportunity presented by the retirement of its state flag to bring back the previously "misplaced" flag sent from Texas earlier in the year (Figure 9.) This color, made by Mary Young of Texas, was of cotton construction, 37 inches on the hoist and 42 inches on the fly. It had a red field, blue saltire, white stars and yellow battle honors. The unit designation, as with the battle honors, only appeared on the obverse side, and was painted in black on a separately attached strip of white cloth. The flag was accompanied by a 57 inch long dark blue streamer with white lettering. 13 This flag was subsequently used as the regimental color until at least the summer of 1864.

3rd Arkansas "Art"

Then in November of 1862, as part of the reorganization of the Army of Northern Virginia, the Hampton Legion and the 18th Georgia were transferred out of the Texas Brigade and replaced by the 3rd Arkansas. The Arkansans were too late to receive one of the new Third Bunting Issue flags, and so continued to carry a color that was not strictly regulation (Figure 10.)

Earlier in the year it appears that someone in the Quartermaster Department misread "Ark." as "Art." and issued the regiment an artillery standard instead of the regulation infantry color. This flag conformed to the size, being 35 1/2 inches square, for an artillery standard of the Second Bunting Issue, having that issuance's characteristic orange border on all but the white colored staff edge. 14 The 3rd continued to use this flag until it was replaced following the Battle of Fredericksburg.

While posted near the town of Fredericksburg, the Arkansans were struck by the plight of the displaced civilians in their midst and organized to obtain shelter and food for them.

In return, the women of the town made the regiment a new color (Figure 11.) Closely following the Third Bunting pattern, this flag was slightly smaller than regulation, measuring only 47 inches on the hoist and 46 inches on the fly. The unit designation, identical in style to that on the flag of the 5th Texas, obscured the center star on the reverse side. 15

Only two flags of the Texas Brigade dating from the later war period exist. The first to have been issued was the flag of the 3rd Arkansas (Figure 12.) Of the pattern associated with the Fourth Bunting Issue, a variant first introduced in June of 1864, its dimensions were 50 inches on the fly and 51 1/2 inches on the hoist. Other details, including coloration were similar to that of the flags of the earlier Third Bunting Issue. The 3rd's flag was surrendered at Appomattox.

It is possible that the rest of the brigade also received flags of this pattern in the summer of 1864. 16 The other late war color was that of the 1st Texas (Figure 13.) Issued in the fall of 1864, it has only 12 stars, a fly of 66 inches and a hoist of 65 inches. Its colors, however, are the same as those of the Fourth Bunting Issue. The record indicates that this flag was captured at Appomattox Station on April 8, 1865. 17

Cut into Pieces

The rest of the brigade's flags were reported to have been cut into pieces and distributed to the surviving members of each regiment prior to the final surrender at Appomattox.

The gamer who desires to provide his Texans with appropriate colors is reasonably well served by the preprinted flag market. Prairie Products, whose flags are available from Stone Mountain, produces a set of flags for Hood's Texas Brigade that primarily depict the brigade's colors as they appeared in 1862. The inaccuracies on this sheet are for the most part problems with missing or incorrect battle honors and unit designations; these details are easily correctable. Unfortunately, the small personal flag of George Branard is in error. The Hampton Legion's state flag is missing from this sheet and instead appears in a set of South Carolina flags. Regrettably, the Legion's flag is portrayed with the solferino and blue coloration reversed.

The Texans' flags carried in the later part of the war are best covered by the Texas Brigade flag sheet offered by Signifer. The flags in this set appear to be somewhat on the small side for use with many of the figures claimed to be 15mm in scale; the fact is that most figures are too big. Signifier's flags are correct in scale. Again, how-ever, some small errors will have to be changed in order to have completely accurate colors. Nevertheless, both companies give you a solid start towards bringing to life the colors of Lee's Grenadier Guard - Hood's Texas Brigade.

Illustrations