How to decorate flag.

[ngairish]

Hello everyone,
I have found a reproduction Hardee flag, which is what my regiment used in the war. Just wanted to pick yall's brains and see if anyone knows how they decorated them then. I would like to do it as authentically as possible. This flag even has the ties on it instead of the grommets. I was just wondering how they put their regt. name and battle honors on their flags. If anyone could help me it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Adam

[Trooper Graham]

Hello everyone,
I have found a reproduction Hardee flag, which is what my regiment used in the war. Just wanted to pick yall's brains and see if anyone knows how they decorated them then. I would like to do it as authentically as possible. This flag even has the ties on it instead of the grommets. I was just wondering how they put their regt. name and battle honors on their flags. If anyone could help me it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Adam

May I suggest that you contact Steve Hill at http://www.dupagemilitaryflag.com

[ngairish]

Thanks Sarge,
I'll contact them soon. Appreciate your feedback.

Thanks,

Adam

[terry sorchy]

Theyre is also a book called Flags of the Army of Tennessee, which includes VanDorn flags etc.. by Howard Madus. It is an excellent book on the subject.
Terry Sorchy

[paul hadley]

Just a consideration -- putting the battle honors/legends on a flag necessarily "dates" it, in that if a particular unit put the battle of "Pea Ridge" on its flag, it of course would be out of place to carry that flag at a living history or reenactment supposedly taking place before then or at the battle of Pea Ridge.
Regards,
Paul Hadley

[terry sorchy]

Good point Paul:rolleyes:
Cheers
Terry Sorchy

[Ohioreb1861]

I would suggest calling Ben Anderson at the MoC. He would know better than probably enyone else.

[Ohioreb1861]

Just wondering,

How did I go from 62 posts to 54?

[Frenchie]

The Mod Squad blew away that interesting little tête-a-tête we were having about the Suave Zouaves. Did you have a few posts in that?

[sigsaye]

I believe that the battle honors and such were painted on.

Steve Hesson

[NC5thcav]

I believe that the battle honors and such were painted on.

Steve Hesson

Some were applied using sewn on letters as well. It really depends on when, where, and who. Like Paul said, remember honors date a flag.

[ngairish]

Thanks guys for the responses. Thanks for pointing out about dating it, but I'm just going to be using it for decoration in my library at home. I may even fly it on special occasions at home or when we're drilling. The unit already has a battle flag, so it won't get used at events. Thanks for the advice though.

Adam

:D

[brown30741]

If you want to decorate it, pick a specific date to focus on (ie. the winter at Dalton, or just before a battle close to your home, or the end of the war, etc).

The best thing to do is to dig around and see if ANY details of that unit's flag can be found. There may not be a surviving original, but what about descriptions, etc. If not, then what about other regiments in the brigade (obviously that shifts over time, but there are some patterns and orders of battle for specific dates, esp if you've pick a specific time period).

Also, a number of flags were left without decoration (although from surviving examples of Hardee patterns I've seen, it does not look like very many).

Remember that late in the war, consolidation added multiple units' names to many flags, and along with battle names, crossed cannons were a honor bestowed, not just a decoration chosen by the men.

One note on battle names: not all Confederates used the name Pittsburg Landing and not all Federals used Shiloh; it seems to be based, at least in part, where on the field they fought. Try to find references from that regiment or their brigade (of the time) to the names used for the "two name" engagements.

Hope my thoughts are of value to you.

[ngairish]

Thanks. I have a picture of the original battle flag, it has five of their battle honors on it. It's the flag I use for my avatar I'm just going to be using it for decoration and maybe company drills when we meet.:D

[captain_kirk]

The Army of Northern Virginia either painted their battle honors on the flag usually in white or black, or they were painted in black on a white rectangle of cloth and sewn to the red field. All battle honors that I have seen on ANV flags denote Confederate victories. I have seen very few AOT battle flags with honors painted on them,(possible due to the lack of clear cut victories,excluding Chickamauga), however I have seen some refering to Perryville, and Stones River.
The book "The **** Red Flags of the Rebellion" contains photographs of over 40 battle flags, most however are silk, wool or cotton ANV buntings. The Confederate Battle Flag was designed by P.G.T. Beaureguard, possibly his greatest contribution to the cause. "No one holds Gen. Beauregard in higher regard than Gen. Beauregard."

[GaWildcat]

The Army of Northern Virginia either painted their battle honors on the flag usually in white or black, or they were painted in black on a white rectangle of cloth and sewn to the red field. All battle honors that I have seen on ANV flags denote Confederate victories.

Not only were checks in the W column recorded as battle honors. At least one ANV artillery color has GETTYSBURG as an honor, as do a few Western flags bear SHILOH, and a few bear Sharpsburg. A perusal of EOG, The Confederacy will show flags of both ANV and AOT

The colors of the 2nd Battalion, Georgia Sharpshooters bear the honors

Murfreesboro
Chickamauga
Dallas
Pine Mountain
Kennesaw
Atlanta
Jonesboro
Franklin

quite a few checks in the L column on that one.

ANV colors with painted honors usually were in blue or white, according to research done by Don Troiani.

[ngairish]

Ours actually has Shiloh on it. It also has Chickamauga, Ringgold, Mrfreesboro, and Richmond Kentucky. The picture I use for my avatar is the actual battle flag of my regiment.

[NC5thcav]

All battle honors that I have seen on ANV flags denote Confederate victories. I have seen very few AOT battle flags with honors painted on them,(possible due to the lack of clear cut victories,excluding Chickamauga), however I have seen some refering to Perryville, and Stones River.


There are at least 7 surviving North Carolina ANV flags with Gettysburg as one of their battle honors, at least 20 surviving North Carolina ANV flags with Sharpsburg as one of the battle honors, and at least one surviving North Carolina AoT battle flag with Murfreesboro as a battle honor. The idea of only listing battles where the Confederates were the victors doesn't really stand up to research. That was the original idea, but it didn't hold.

[5TH.NYSV]

I believe that the battle honors and such were painted on.

Steve Hesson

Now what the heck does the NAVY know about battle flags!!!LOL

Hey Steve, Long time!

Cheers
-Karl F.

[NC1862]

There are at least 7 surviving North Carolina ANV flags with Gettysburg as one of their battle honors, at least 20 surviving North Carolina ANV flags with Sharpsburg as one of the battle honors, and at least one surviving North Carolina AoT battle flag with Murfreesboro as a battle honor. The idea of only listing battles where the Confederates were the victors doesn't really stand up to research. That was the original idea, but it didn't hold.

1st NCST- Gettysburg & Sharpsburg
2nd NCST- Sharpsburg
7th NCST- Sharpsburg
13th NCST- Gettysburg & Sharpsburg
Co. F 13th Battalion NC Artillery- Gettysburg
16th NCST- Sharpsburg
18th NCST- Sharpsburg
22nd NCST- Sharpsburg
23rd NCST- Sharpsburg
28th NCST- Sharpsburg
30th NCST- Sharpsburg
33rd NCST- Sharpsburg
34th NCST- Sharpsburg
38th NCST- Sharpsburg
39th NCST- Murfreesboro, Jackson, & Chickamauga
48th NCST- Sharpsburg

This is just what I found in "The Flags of Civil War North Carolina" by Glenn Dedmondt