Tom,
Thanks for your input. The 2 descriptions I'm looking at are both specifically describing the 2nd National flags made in Mobile for Gibson's Brigade. They have the cut-out cotton red lettering and crossed cannons. The quote request is for a 32nd Alabama, which isn't pictured in the 1976 book but Austin's Bat. and 5th Wash Batt. both are and they look to be generally identical to the 32nd AL. The description Madaus gave is quite specific other than the generic reference to 'red cotton' for the regt. and honors. The confusion came when I found the reference to these same flags on the web site where Madaus describes them as "made of cotton." There's no reference to the fimbration or stars being a different material. The reference to the letters and cannons is again non-specific "cotton letters" with no designation as to whether the cotton was cloth or bunting.

One reason I questioned the accuracy of the 1976 reference is that I recently made a 22nd AL flag for which I was able to obtain something of a fact sheet (not a real conservator's report) from the museum that owns the original. The fact sheet and photograph indicated that the flag was silk but Madaus's description of the flag in the 1976 book stated, "it appears to be made of a cotton cambric." I understand that a lot of information came to light between 1976 and whenever the confederateflags.org site was put together. I inferred that Madaus may have had insufficient information when he wrote the book and am wondering if that might be the case as well with the Gibson flags.