The story of the 32nd NCT flag is pretty well documented in Richard Rollins book on CS flags in the Gettysburg Campaign.

Arriving in Carlisle, PA, the men got some white cloth and sewed it to their ANV flag to make a Second National. There were no Second Nationals in the ANV at this time despite its adoption in May 1863. This had to due with a lack of wool bunting at the Richmond Depot (which prevented Ed Johnson's Division from getting new flags for the campaign). There's a good bit of correspondence on this from posts, depots, etc, writing the Richmond Depot about getting the "new" flag and the depot replying that they are out of bunting. The ANV, based on the late Howard Madaus' research, did not get Second Nationals until the Fall of 1863.

Using an ANV flag as the canton makes for a very large flag if the makers got it anywhere close to a 1 to 2 or 2 to 3 ratio. One of the Union accounts Rollins cites described it as, "the flag with the long white tail," as seen on July 1st in the fighting north of the town. I have not seen in person the ANV flag of the 32nd NCT at the MOC but I have been told (perhaps by Madaus) that it retains parts of the white cloth that was sewn to it.

The story advanced by another source of a Second National flag being presented to Lee and then down through the chain of command to the 32nd NCT just does not hold water with me.

Greg Biggs