Greg,

I didn't realize I would stir up such a hornet's nest when I first started this thread with my question of "How the Hardee pattern battle flag came about?" Nonetheless, I, as well as a host of other readers of this message board, have been educated on the "origin" of this flag and am most appreciative of the discourse.

Here's my next question that I hope won't be as adversarial. Is there any evidence as to why Belle Edmondson used the white Latin cross/blue field/red trim for the flags received by Price's infantry division in April 1863? Was this a pattern selected by Price? Was there a reason for the Latin crosses being placed on red fields for the Confederate Missourians at Vicksburg, while the Confederate Missourians in the Trans-Mississippi had the crosses on a blue field?

Your statement regarding the flag that was drawn on a letter from a member in the 27th Arkansas peeked my curiosity. Are you aware of the description of these flags by C.B. Lotspeich, a member of the 16th Missouri Infantry?

Bill