I think we emailed some years ago on this topic, i.e. the Cherokee Braves flag. I am looking for primary sources that confirm one of the Cherokee units carried a flag with thw words "Cherokee Braves" on it. Also, I'd like to find a primary source that confirms that any of the Cherokee units used the nickname "Cherokee Braves".
From what I've read, the flag at the Sweeny Museum was supposedly captured at the Battle of Locust Grove. It is often identified with the regiment of Col. Stand Watie, the 1st Cherokee Mounted Volunteers (also known as the 2nd Cherokee Mtd Rifles). However, Watie's Regt was not at Locust Grove -- the forces at Locust Grove were Col. John Drew's 1st Cherokee Mounted Rifles and Clarkson's Battalion of primarily Missourians. It wasn't much of a battle and many of Clarkson's Battalion were captured along with the trains of all three units (Clarkson's, Drew's, and Watie's). The POWs of Drew's Regiment defected and joined the 2nd Indian Home Guard regiment (US) and within a couple of weeks virtually Drew's entire regiment had defected and filled the ranks of the 2nd and 3rd Indian Home Guard regiments.
So, I'm searching for anything that can confirm or correct the 'lore' of this flag. In what little I've found regarding the flags of the Confederate Cherokee or other units in Indian Territory, there is no mention of any wording on the flag. Perhaps the wording was added later(?). The flag given by Brig Gen Albert Pike at Tahlequah was presented to Col. Drew and the 1st Cherokee Mtd Rifles. (At the time, Watie was commanding a battalion raised by the authority of Gen Ben McCulloch in Arkansas which was increased to a regiment and contained many men from the neighboring states.)
If we accept that the flag was captured at Locust Grove, it seems more likely it belonged to Drew's Regiment. It is within the realm of possibility it belonged to Watie's Regiment but his available force was many miles away on Spavinaw Creek dealing with the other wing of the Union invasion and, undoubtedly carrying their regimental flag.
I think I mentioned in an earlier post, Lt Col Parks of Watie's Regt, wrote in early 1863 that their flag was two red bars separated by a white bar "and nothing else". It is possible that this flag was what Parks had at the regimental encampment where he was with about half the regiment -- Watie with about a battalion was scouting though the northern and eastern Cherokee Nation and perhaps had a different flag with him.
Ken