Several designating flags exist from French’s Division. The first is a dark blue swallow-tail flag with a white Maltese cross identified as the designating flag of French’s Division. This flag, measuring 30.5 x 48 inches, was captured at Fort Blakely on 9 April 1865 by the 97th Illinois Infantry. It is identified as WD 445 in the MOC collection.
What are believed to be two brigade flags exist from the same division, albeit with reversed colours compared to the division flag. The first, also a swallow-tail flag measuring 22.5 x 36 inches, was captured by the 11th Missouri Infantry at Nashville on 16 December 1864. It had a white field with a dark blue Maltese cross. Also in the MOC collection, it is identified as WD 529.
A second similar swallow-tail flag, white with a blue cross and measuring 22.5 x 36 inches, has no know provenance attached to it.
The Headquarters Flag of General John Adams, who commanded a brigade in Loring’s Division, is in the collection of the Tennessee State Museum. This flag is rectangular and appears to measure about 15 x 30 inches. It has a dark blue field and a red Maltese cross. It is believed to have been present at Franklin where Adams was killed in battle.
These four flags thus present some evidence towards determining the pattern of the other designating flags in Stewart’s Corps. Please note the following is only a working hypothesis at this time.
French’s Division, consisting of Ector’s, Cockrell’s, and Sears’ Brigades, used a blue swallow-tail flag with a white cross as its divisional flag and each brigade in turn carried a white swallow-tail flag with a white cross.
Loring’s Division, made up of Featherston's, Adams’, and Scott's Brigades, carried a rectangular red flag with a blue Maltese cross and its constituent brigades used rectangular blue flags with a red Maltese Cross.
By a process of elimination that leaves Walthall's Division using a white flag of unknown shape with a red cross as a divisional flag with each of its brigades of Quarles, Cantey, and Reynolds carrying a red flag of unknown shape which had on it a white Maltese cross.