I also have the 1864 newspaper article. I agree
with you that it could not have been made at two
different times.
However, we know that it wasn't made at two different times.
The ORIGINAL 1907 paperwork was done with the
flag now at the Ala. St. Mus. in plain view and it is
obvious that the writer's at the time were speaking
of that flag and NO other. They simply got their
dates crossed after the 40 or so years had passed.
The simply truth is that there is NO 1863 flag.