6th Alabama Battle Flag
Alabama State Archives Cat. No. 86.3955.1
This is an Army of Northern Virginia, 3rd wool bunting issue. Flags of this issue were manufactured at the Richmond Clothing Depot between July 1862 to May 1864. It was the predominant Confederate Battle Flag at Gettysburg. The large 51" square infantry flags retained the compressed small star pattern of the Second Bunting Issue. It saw service through the rest of the war although in late 1863 and increasingly so in 1864, it saw its own replacement come forth, the fourth bunting issue.
This flag of the 6th Alabama Infantry was captured on the night of May 8, 1864 at Spotsylvania Courthouse (Laurel Hill) by Captain Benjamin F. Davis, of the 22nd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. According to the official records, Davis was killed two days later on May 10th by a sharpshooter. According to a letter from Captain R. G. Carter, dated March 28th, 1905, Davis was killed the following morning (May 9th) as he emerged from the woods with the captured colors.
The flag was forwarded to the U. S. War Department on October 6th, 1864, by G. K. Warren, Major General of Volunteers Commanding of the 5th Army Corps.
The flag was assigned War Department capture number 149.
It was returned to the State of Alabama by the U. S. War Department effective March 25, 1905.
Story and Picture furnished by and
Copyright © Charlie W. Skipper skipp@mail.decatur.public.lib.ga.us
