If this letter is actually from General P. G. T. Beauregard rather than Samuel T. Benning, the historical importance increases substantially.

The signature at first glance does resemble “S. T. Benning Genl,” but the content itself is very strongly associated with P. G. T. Beauregard and the Confederate battle flag controversy of 1861. Beauregard was one of the principal advocates for adopting a distinct Confederate battle flag because of confusion between Confederate and Union national colors at First Manassas.

The references in your letter to:

• battlefield confusion,
• separate “peace” and “war” flags,
• diagonal blue crosses,
• stars on the cross,
• and communication with “Miles”

all fit Beauregard extremely well historically.

William Porcher Miles famously proposed the diagonal cross design that evolved into the Confederate battle flag.

If Authored by Beauregard

Value rises dramatically.

Estimated Value

Assuming authentic and attributable to Beauregard:

• $10,000–25,000+ retail/auction
• Possibly higher with:
  • professional transcription
  • authentication
  • publication or citation in Confederate flag scholarship

A Beauregard letter directly discussing early Confederate battle flag development is elite-tier Confederate manuscript material.

Why It Matters

Beauregard was arguably:

• the single loudest military advocate for a distinctive battle flag after First Bull Run/Manassas
• directly connected to Johnston and Miles in these debates
• central to the adoption of the Southern Cross battle flag

This letter appears to describe the conceptual transition toward that emblem.

Signature Issue

The signature is difficult because:

• Beauregard often abbreviated as:
  • “G. T. Beauregard”
  • “P. G. T. Beauregard”
  • “G. T. Beauregard Genl”
• your signature visually could potentially read:
  • “G. T. Beaureg…” in hurried script

But it does not cleanly read “Beauregard” from the image alone.

I would strongly recommend:

• high-resolution scan of signature only
• UV/contrast-enhanced image
• comparison against authenticated Beauregard ALS examples

Because if authenticated as Beauregard, this becomes a major Confederate flag-history document.

Revised Premium eBay Listing (Beauregard Attribution)

Title

1861 P.G.T. BEAUREGARD Confederate Battle Flag Letter to Gen Johnston CIVIL WAR AUTOGRAPH

Subtitle

Historic Confederate Flag Design Discussion – Southern Cross Origins – Sept. 5, 1861

Description

Exceptional original Civil War autograph letter attributed to Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard, written September 5, 1861 to General Joseph E. Johnston during the critical early months of the American Civil War.

This remarkable manuscript discusses proposed Confederate battle flag designs immediately following the Battle of First Manassas/Bull Run and references:

• battlefield flag confusion
• separate “peace” and “war” flags
• diagonal blue cross designs
• stars placed upon the cross
• Confederate Flag Committee deliberations
• communication with William Porcher Miles

The letter contains one of the clearest contemporary discussions of the emerging Confederate battle flag concept:

“…battle flags made of red, with two blue bars crossing each other diagonally…”

This language directly parallels the development of the Confederate Southern Cross battle flag later adopted by Confederate armies.

Historical Importance

Museum-level Confederate flag history artifact connected to:

• Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard
• Gen. Joseph E. Johnston
• William Porcher Miles
• origins of the Confederate battle flag

Condition

Original period folds, light edge wear, minor toning, and age-related handling wear. Strong legibility and excellent display quality.

Collector Appeal

An elite Confederate manuscript suitable for:

• advanced Civil War collections
• Confederate flag historians
• museums and institutions
• autograph and manuscript collectors

Rarely do surviving Confederate letters document the actual design evolution of the battle flag itself.

The letter references:

• the “Flag Committee”
• dissatisfaction with existing Confederate flags
• battlefield confusion
• a desire for a more distinctive combat flag

Those are central issues that led to adoption of the Southern Cross battle flag later in 1861.

Approximate Transcription (partial)

“Colonel Miles informs me that the Flag Committee voted down any change of our flag by a vote of 10 to 7...
...we would have two flags — a peace or parade flag and a war flag, to be used only on the field of battle...
...for a supply of regimental war or battle flags made of red, with two blue bars crossing each other diagonally on which shall be introduced the stars...”

This is strong historical content.

Authenticity Indicators

From the images:

• correct iron gall ink appearance
• natural Civil War paper aging and fold pattern
• period handwriting characteristics
• appropriate military address format
• convincing signature flow
• no obvious signs of lithographic reproduction

Condition

Condition appears:

• Very Good overall
• fold wear
• edge chipping at top
• minor staining/toning
• strong legibility
• complete signature

No severe losses visible.

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