On the same token Ive found a few that regardless of the condition just didnt want to give up the older flag. Another particular item of interest is the flags issued to Picketts Division thoughout the war. Majority already had the RD 2nd Buntings in hand when they were all brigaded together... May or so of 1863 they all got new flags.. the 3rd Buntings that I refer to as the "Pickett Style" with the white painted unit ID in the hoist and fly quadrants... Out of the 3 brigades (15 Regiments) of Picketts Division present at Gettysburg.. Ive found that four regiments were still using the older 2nd buntings... They had the new ones, just werent using them... In the case of the 14th Virginia of Armisteads brigade.. After the Battle of Malvern Hill in 1862 it was reported that their flag was quite tattered and 42 bullet holes could be counted in it... Either quite tattered and/or lots of repair work.. This was the same flag still carried a year later at Gettysburg and lost there... They immediately pulled out the stowed new one they had gotten and used that one the rest of the war till it was lost at Five Forks... as well as the other three units that did the same lost at Five Forks or Saylers Creek... all the other units had gotten replacement unmarked 3rd buntings.. Some had replaced with the new.. some didnt except after completely losing the old....
Another similar case is the flag of the 21st Virginia.. their first and only battle flag recieved in Sept 63... One witness account after the Battle of Third Winchester in Sept64 stated the old flag had three cannon shots and about 80 bullet holes in it.. Seems like a good candidate for replacement.. but the veterans claim they continued to use the same tattered flag till it was destroyed at their own hands on the eve of surrender at Appomattox... I guess to some the worse the flag looks the better the "veteran" status of a unit may be percieved..
Frederick