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The Texas Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (TXUDC) has an extensive collection of original WBTS artifacts that are displayed in the new Texas Civil War Museum located just off Interstate 820 on the west side of Fort Worth, TX.
The TXUDC WBTS collection includes many original Texas Confederate battleflags including one that might be that of the 4th Texas Mounted Volunteers (4TMV) during the New Mexico campaign (fall 1861-summer 1862).
Reference 1 on page 6 shows Flag 25A that is based on an eleven-star 1st National pattern with the citation, "This flag has little known history other than it is said to be one of the 4th Texas." See images 1 and 2 below.
Assuming that, in fact, it is a flag of the 4th Texas it is likely NOT a battle flag of the 4th Texas Volunteer Infantry Regiment of General Lee's ANV because that regiment carried battle flags based on the Cross of St Andrew pattern and, of course, the Texas state standard.
Reference 2 shows on page 100, sketch B, a 1st National pattern flag flying in front of the San Felipe de Neri Church in Albuquerque, NM and the sketch can be interpreted, by visual inspection, as being more than a seven-star 1st National pattern. Now this sketch is NOT in Peticolas' journal, but "was copied from those of a companion" as stated in reference 2.
Reference 3 contains two unpublished sketches from Peticolas' journal that were drawn by Sgt Peticolas. The first drawn (see image 3 below) on either April 11 or 12, 1862 and it clearly shows a 1st National pattern flag flying in front of the San Felipe de Neri Church in Albuquerque, NM. Close inspection of this sketch indicates -- to the webmaster -- that it's canton contains a center star encircled by at least eight stars. The second unpublished sketch was drawn (see image 4 below) by Sgt Peticolas on or about June 1, 1862, and regarding this sketch, Don Alberts states in reference 3, "He later drew the First National flag by itself, which sketch would have been associated with his 1 June 62 diary entry (reference 2, p.142) as the 4TMV was preparing to evacuate Franklin, Texas, for home. That sketch should be pretty accurate. I cannot determine the exact number of small stars with certainty, but there appears to be ten, with the large center star making eleven altogether."
It is the opinion of the webmaster that references 2 & 3, taken together, provide credible -- although perhaps not compelling -- evidence that the 4th Texas Mounted Volunteers carried a 1st National battleflag based on a canton with a center star encircled by several stars and furthermore that the flag's canton contained more than seven stars.
Accordingly, it is possible that TXUDC Flag 25A is that of the 4th Texas Mounted Volunteers. The reader is encouraged to make his-her determination regarding the webmaster's flag conjecture. However, if anybody has information regarding any battle flag carried by any regiment of General Sibley's Confederate Army of New Mexico that is referenced -- please inform the webmaster.
The first image below shows TXUDC Flag 25A before it was conserved and the second image below shows the same flag after it was conserved. Both images are provided by the courtesy of Ms. Cynthia Harriman of the Texas Civil War Museum.
The third and fourth images below show Peticolas' 1st and 2nd unpublished sketches cited in reference 3 -- provided by courtesy of Dr. Don Alberts of Rio Rancho, NM
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