Battle Flags of the 19th Alabama

 No original battle flag of the 19th Alabama Infantry Regiment has survived  to our knowledge.  A review of the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion or shows that a flag of the regiment was captured on July 28th, 1864 at the Battle of Ezra Chapel (Lick Skillet Road) by the 48th IL. Infantry Regiment.  Further research discloses that the 48th IL. was on the opposite end of the battle line from where the 19th Ala. was engaged! Appropriate state authorities in Ohio, Michigan and Illinois which had units engaged on that part of the line were contacted but they reported no record of any flag of the 19th Ala. ever being in their possession.  It is, perhaps, a great irony that many of the Confederate battle flags have survived to this day because they fell into the hands of their enemies on the battlefield.  However, such does not appear to be the case in this instance.  We know that Condederate battle flags, particularly in the Army of Tennessee, embraced many different patterns and changed over the course of the war.  what can we learn about these flags that might, and i want to emphasize the speculative nature of the following discussion, be applicable to the 19th Alabama Regiment.

The 19th Regiment of Alabama Volunteers was mustered into service in Aug. 1861. The "Stars and Bars" or the First National Flag, was adopted by the Confederate Congress in March,1861.  It is quite likely that the regiment carried a flag of the "Stars and Bars" design from the time it was mustered into service until, maybe march 1862.  It should be noted that the number of stars in the pattern varied as did the arrangement of stars on the canton.