Alan's reply was for Confederate flags.

As an additional bit of information, in the early war days it was possible that all ten companies of a regiment received flags before leaving for camp from their town of mustering. These were typically huge social events for that community. Not all CS companies got flags however - most did in 1861. This practice fades out by the Spring of 1862 with the standardization of the several CS army battle flags.

A new regiment in 1861 could do one of two things for its colors - either use one that was presented to it or chose one of the company flags. I have accounts of both happening. Once that was done almost all of the company colors were then retired; either sent back home or kept in regimental baggage. Sometimes these company flags would be used to replace lost regimental colors. The 21st Virginia Infantry is a case in point - they lost their First National at Chancellorsville and because of the bunting shortage at the Richmond Depot in June, they did not get a replacement ANV flag in time for the Gettysburg Campaign (and neither did their division - Ed Johnson's). So they pulled out a company flag to use in that battle which they lost at Culp's Hill. It was not until August, 1863 before they got their first ANV battle flag with battle honors through "Gettysburg."

Keep in mind that most CS unit flags did not have either unit markings or battle honors on them. Many of the early war company flags did bear patriotic slogans however.

The Confederate color guard was typically six men by mid-war - one flag bearer and four guards. I do have accounts of combined regiments bearing both flags in battle, as the 15th/37th Tennessee did at Chickamauga, for example. In 1865 after the massive losses and the large number of consolidated regiments, all battle flags not chosen to be the one color for the new formation were to be retired by War Department edict. Another WD edict also did away with the ensign rank for color bearer. What is sometimes confusing is the rank of ensign showing up in 1861; this had nothing to do with carrying a flag. Rather it was a Third Lieutenant rank similar to the rank in the US Navy.

The US Army carried two flags, the basis of which goes back to the "Blue Book" of Baron Von Steuben from the Revolutionary War. Over time various drill books dropped the colors to one flag (based on the French model of the 1840's which made one flag per regiment rather than one per maneuver battalion - European regiments were much larger than their American counterparts). I believe it was Hardee's manual that did this since it was a copy of the then current French manual. (I have copies of all of the manuals but have not looked at them in ages)

In 1861 with the war, Hardee, now being a CS general, found his book copied by Casey for the Union Army and he re-added the two flags per regiment practice. One was the National colors, the Stars and Stripes and the other the regimental colors, which was blue with the national coat of arms on the field and the unit name on a scroll below it. Both flags were 6 by 6 1/2 feet in size, which is a direct copy of British military colors in terms of size dating again back to the "Blue Book."

The Union Army color guard was nine men - two flag bearers and seven color guards.

You might be interested to know that over time what was considered the "national" colors changed. Initially it was a blue flag with the national coat of arms and the unit's name below that with the regimental colors being buff (yellow) bearing only the unit's name on a scroll. Just before the Mexican War, the artillery and infantry branches altered their national colors to the Stars and Stripes and the old national colors became the new regimental colors. The buff flags were retired. In 1862, the cavalry finally received the Stars and Stripes as both national and troop colors replacing the older red over white troop flags. The regiment flag was a smaller version of the infantry banner. So the Mexican War was the first where the US Army used the Stars and Stripes as a battle flag.

Hope this helps.

Greg Biggs