Rally Round the Flags FAQ
Why were flags important to Civil War soldiers?
- The color bearer carried the flag in the center of the regiment. Soldiers looked to the
flag to maintain their position and to keep from being separated from their regiment.
- The flag bearer(s) and 8 to 10 corporals made up the color guard. The pace of the color
guard set the pace for the entire regiment.
- During battle, the color bearer held the flag aloft to rally the regiment and renew its
spirit.
- Upon capture of an enemy site, the victors raised their flag, as described in General O. B. Willcox's report about the capture of Petersburg in 1865:
At 4.28 one of Ely's flags, that of the 1st Michigan Sharp-shooters, was raised on
the court house, and that of the 2d Michigan on the custom house a few minutes later. (Michigan in the War (Revised Ed.), Jno. Robertson, compiler. Lansing: W.
S. George & Co., 1882. p. 549.)
How did flags make a link between the war and the home front?
Some flags were made by women in the communities. Other communities raised money to buy
a commercially made flag for their volunteers. Sometimes women in the community
embellished the purchased flags with embroidery. If possible, the flag would be presented
to the regiment with great ceremony, including speeches of presentation and of reception.
What was "souveniring?"
After a battle, a tattered flag might be retired and cut apart. The snippets were given
to soldiers who had fought under the flag. The soldier took his piece home as a
remembrance of the battle and of the valor of fellow soldiers who died there.
What are a flag's "battle honors?"
Whenever a regiment fought with distinction, its officers were authorized to have the
name of that battle painted directly on the flag. These battle honors gave the flags
increased significance, making them a record of valorous service as well as symbols of
home and country. Regiments took great pride in their battle honors and often transferred
them to new flags when the old ones were removed from service.
The Battery B flag is called a guidon. What is a guidon?
Guidon is the name given to a small flag or pennant carried as a standard
by a military unit. Guidons in the first group of flags include the flags of the First,
Fifth, and Sixth Michigan Cavalry regiments and the First Michigan Light Artillery,
Battery B. All the guidons in the flag collection were carried by either
cavalry or artillery regiments. In the exhibit you can easily see the difference in size
between the guidons and the other flags.
The name guidon comes from the French Guyd-homme. Historically, the guidon was
borne by the leader of a cavalry regiment. It was carried at the center or right of the
regiment to indicate direction. The Battery B artillery guidon was not use to
mark the line of battle or rally the regiment, but was placed to indicate where the
cannons were located.
Why do some flags have a sideways "V" cut into the edge farthest from the
staff (the fly)?
Cavalry members carried these "swallow-tailed" flags on horseback. With the
"V" of fabric cut away, the flag was lighter to carry. Also, it flew better in
the air as the horseman galloped.
Where have the flags been since the Civil War?
The battle flags have a long and interesting history. Here are some of the
significant events in their existence:
- Civil War flags were exhibited at a "State Sanitary Fair" held in Kalamazoo to
raise funds for the care of sick and wounded soldiers. The Ladies' Soldiers' Aid Society
of Kalamazoo sponsored the fair September 20-24, 1864.
No objects in the "Fair" seemed to excite so much of interest and fix the
attention of the thousands who visited the "Sanitary Hall" as the torn and
battle-scarred banners which had been born by the regiments of Michigan during the war,
and which had been kindly furnished from the Adjutant General's office. As the multitude
gazed on these silent emblems of the brave deeds of the men of Michigan, again and again
was heard from mother and father the exclamation, as the flag of some particular regiment
was noted, "My son fought under that banner!" and not unfrequently the sad,
accompanying remark, "he fell in battle," or "died in hospital." (Michigan in the War (Revised Ed.), Jno. Robertson, compiler. Lansing: W.
S. George & Co., 1882. p. 133.)
- On May 25, 1865, Michigan Civil War veterans carried the battle-worn flags in a Grand
Review in Washington, D.C. (Archives of Michigan
photo)
- Civil War veterans gathered in Detroit on the Fourth of July, 1866, to march behind
their regimental flags for the last time before they presented the flags to the state.
A cordial invitation had been extended by the Governor to all who had served in the
war, and for the purpose of honoring the day, and especially the occasion, as well as
giving the people of the state an opportunity to witness the emblems of State prowess, and
of patriotism, bravery, and gallant services, a procession was arranged and carried into
effect. (The Flags of Michigan, Jno. Robertson, compiler.
Lansing: W. S. George & Co., 1877, p. 83.)
- At the opening of the State Capitol in 1879, the flags were displayed in regimental
order in a large case in the building's Military Museum.
- In 1910, Michigan's Civil War flags were moved to the first floor rotunda of the State
Capitol. Standing upright and loosely furled on their staffs, they were exhibited in
regimental order in eight cases. (The staffs were cut to fit the cases.)
- In the early 1960s, the Michigan War Centennial Observance Committee made preservation
of Michigan's Civil War flags one of its goals. Many flags were sent to be put into
protective netting.
- Save the Flags, a program begun in 1991, raises money to
preserve the flags by permitting individuals, families, organizations and communities to
adopt a flag for $1,000.
- The flags were moved from the State Capitol to modern storage facilities (photo) at the Michigan Historical Museum in 1992. Each
flag was laid on a specially made flat panel that supports its weight evenly. The flags
are stored under proper temperature and humidity conditions.
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