This flag was made by local Franklin citizens Elizabeth Wells, Fannie Wells, Actava? Courtney, Harriette Short in April/May 1861 and presented to the Williamson Grays during a barbecue at McGavock Grove by the Ladies of Franklin on May 10, 1861.  The flag was sent back to Franklin because the regiment chose to carry a different flag after reaching Virginia.  Private James McEwen was discharged in 1861 and returned the flag and buried it in a bottle until the war ended.  It was donated to the Carter House museum and is currently on display there.

The flag in the attached photo is currently in the Tennessee State Museum.  It was donated by Mrs. Franklin C. Goode of Chattanooga on March 13, 1982.  According to her the flag was captured at Cheat Mountain on September 12, 1861 and belonged to the 1st Tennessee Infantry.  The flag was in possession of Captain John Don Pedro Alphonzo Matier Chauncey of Company D of the 13th Indiana Infantry, who was Mrs. Goode’s Grandfather.  Both the 13th Indiana and the 1st Tennessee were involved in the Cheat Mountain Campaign but did not fight each other.  The 1st Tennessee was with Anderson’s Tennessee Brigade that cut the road between Elkwater and Cheat Mountain Summit.  Later in the afternoon on September 12, Companies H, I, and K were sent forward to scout out the road ahead.  This scouting party did not include the color guard.  They went a short distance before running into about 90 men from the 14th Indiana, 24th Ohio, and 25th Ohio that had been sent to scout down the road towards the Confederate position.  After a short clash the Federals withdrew but the 1st Tennessee saw no further action.  The casualty list for the regiment was published in the newspaper and did not include any member of the color guard.  When the 1st Tennessee withdrew from Cheat Mountain, the wounded were loaded in a captured wagon and left at a house where they were later captured by Federal Cavalry.  The 13th Indiana was several miles away at Elkwater and did see action against Virginia and Tennessee Troops that moved against Elkwater.  The flag has a strong possibility of mistaken identity.  There are two bloodstains, and as mentioned before the Color Guard was not part of the scouting party and it would not be logical to send the colors with a scouting party.  If this flag belongs to the 1st Tennessee, where did the bloodstains come from?  The only real case that for this being the 1st Tennessee’s flag is if the colors were loaded on the wagon with the wounded, one of the wounded bled on it, then the colors were left in the wagon, and captured when the Federal Cavalry showed up later.  Assuming these are the colors of the 1st Tennessee Captain Chauncey was not the man who captured them, as he was several miles away from the 1st Tennessee.  Someone would have given it to him later.  There is probably a stronger case that his flag belongs to one of the Virginia or Tennessee units that fought at Elkwater and in passing the flag down through the family it was misidentified as the 1st Tennessee’s flag 120 years later when it was donated to the Tennessee State Museum.  However, no proof that any of these regiments lost their flag has been found either. 

Despite popular belief this flag in all likelihood does not belong to the 1st Tennessee.  While it was captured by the 1st Wisconsin it is believed to have belonged to another regiment and mistaken in identity after the battle by Federal troops.  After the war during a reunion of the 1st Tennessee a member of the 1st Wisconsin sent a letter stating ownership of the flag and his willingness to allow the regiment to borrow it for their reunion.  Members of the regiment responded that they never lost their flag.  There are no accounts from any soldiers in the regiment saying their flag was lost in the battle.  At the 1904 Reunion of the 1st Tennessee they agreed to send letters to the other units in Maney’s Brigade to see if the flag belonged to them.   Another possibility is the flag belonged to the 4th Tennessee, who was sent to reinforce Maney’s Brigade and is documented as losing their flag in the battle.  Captain Bailey P. Steele, wounded in the thigh at the Battle of Perryville, of Company B of the 1st Tennessee recalls in a newspaper article in 1908 referring to losing the flag at Perryville, "I have never believed that our battle flag was lost on that occasion, or in any other battle during the war until the regiment surrendered in April 1865....I have never been able to see any possible chance for the enemy to have captured the flag of the First." The flag is currently being held in Wisconsin.  Since there was a Georgia regiment with Maney’s Brigade at the time, Wisconsin does not have to return the flag unless it is officially identified.  Captain Steele does mention a former color bearer was in possession of the 1st Tennessee’s flag from Perryville. 

Picture is courtesy of the Tennessee State Museum

Picture is courtesy of WisconsinBattleFlags.com

The exact date of this flag's arrival to the regiment is unknown.  The flag is made of wool bunting and the two white "waves" carried the honors Shiloh and Perryville.  On the red cross in the bottom center contained a set of crossed cannons.  It was painted on a white block and sewn to the flag.  A star is believed to be missing on the extreme right side of the flag above the wave.  The white banner across the top containing the regimental name measures 3".  The lettering on the banner was painted on black with a goldish outline around the lettering.  It was attached to the pole using four tie strings.  The dimensions of the flag are 28" x 46".  A streamer is attached to the flag with "FIRST TENNESSEE REGIMENT INFT" painted on with red lettering.  This flag is currently at the Tennessee State Museum.  It was retired in early 1864 because of General Johnston's order to revert the army to the St. Andrews Cross pattern.  Joe Campbell was killed carrying this flag at Chickamauga on September 19 and George Nichols carried into battle the next day on September 20. 

Photo courtesy of the Tennessee State Museum

A photo of our reproduction of the flag. We intentionally modified the flag in some ways so that it would never be mistaken for an original.

Photo courtesy of the Battle of Franklin Trust

After General Joseph E. Johnston took over command of the Army of Tennessee in 1864, he had the army convert to the St. Andrews Cross pattern that was being flown in the Army of Northern Virginia.  The flags of this pattern that were issued to the Army of Tennessee are commonly referred to as the “Dalton Issue” flags since they were issued in Dalton, GA.  Here is a great description of Dalton Issue Flags provided by Greg Biggs from this website:  http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-csah2.html.  “The flags were fairly similar in size with two basic issues - one for infantry and cavalry that averaged 37 by 54 inches overall and one for artillery that averaged 30 by 41 inches overall. The white edging along the cross was about 2 inches wide and was often filled with battle honors. The stars were from 3 1/2 inches to 4 inches across and were set every 8 inches on the 6 inch wide cross. As per Johnston's wishes, there were no color exterior borders and the seams were doubly hemmed to protect the edges from fraying.” The regiment  carried this flag for the rest of the war.  The only knowledge we have of its design is from a sketch of the Battle of the Dead Angle drawn by a participant.  There is a strip across the top “1st Regt. Tenn. Vols.”  About halfway down on the left there is a another strip with “Perryville” painted on it.  In the center on the bottom there is what appears to be a white circular patch with cross cannons.  Shiloh was recorded on the previous Polk’s Corp pattern and it is speculated that it may have been painted on the circular patch or on the white trim on the cross.  It was described as: "so bullet riddled and torn that it was but a few blue and red shreds."  A fragment of the flag belonging to Alexander Brandon of Company H is in a private collection.  The white tape measures 1 13/16” wide which is slightly below 2” meaning it came form a Dalton Issue flag. 

Our representation of what the flag may have looked like.

Company B “Rock City Guards” received two flags before heading off to the war according to two articles written in the Daily Nashville Patriot.  On April 24, 1861, they were presented their first flag which is described as a “beautiful one made of silk” at the residence of Mr. Claiborne.  There is no description of the actual design or dimensions, but it is described as a southern flag through out the article implying that it is the Stars and Bars pattern.  On May 8, 1861, the newspaper informed readers that the Company was being presented with another flag at the residence of Daniel Carter.  There is no description of the flag at all in this article. 

Left: April 24, 1861 Article Right:  May 8, 1861 Article

Sketch drawn by a participant is the only known description of the flag

This piece belonged to Alexander Brandon of Company H.  Its measurements match the description of other Dalton Flags.