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Spanish-American War and World War I Flags

NOTE: All photographs are by Peter Glendinning. (Dark netting used in earlier conservation of some flags obscures their detail.) The text and images in this exhibit may be used by students, teachers and the public for personal and academic purposes. Any commercial use or publication of them (print or online) is strictly prohibited. Click on the flag to see a larger image.

Thirty-Second Michigan Infantry Regiment, Spanish-American War
The Capitol Battle Flag Collection includes flags of the Spanish-American War. The United States declared war on Spain on 21 April 1898, and Michigan began raising and training regiments to send to Cuba, a Spanish colony. Over 6,500 Michigan men volunteered, but before most could leave the country, the war was over. The armistice was signed on 12 August 1898. The battle flags of the "Volunteers of '98" are almost as intact today as they were 100 years ago. (87.143.90)

126th Michigan Infantry, 32nd Michigan, World War I
This flag was carried by one of the Michigan regiments that fought in the Red Arrow Division--the 126th. When America joined the Great War raging in Europe, Michigan and Wisconsin sent 27,000 National Guardsmen to form the 32nd Division. This was not the first time Michigan and Wisconsin troops had joined forces. During the Civil War, men from the two states fought together in the famed Iron Brigade. As the 32nd Michigan Infantry, the regiment had earlier participated in the Spanish-American War. Battle honors reflect this long history. No longer painted directly on flags, the names of major battles were instead attached to the staff on ribbons or streamers. The flag, never the target of enemy fire as were flags during the Civil War, looks virtually intact. The area of discoloration is the result of years of bleaching light exposure as the flag hung in its case in the Capitol. (87.179.90)

Thirty-Second Division, World War I ("Red Arrow" Division)
The collection includes battle flags carried by Michigan troops during World War I. The Thirty-Second Division, made up of 27,000 Michigan and Wisconsin National Guardsmen, fought in France in 1918 under General Mangin, the Tenth French Army Commander. The members of the Thirty-Second were the first American troops to set foot in Germany. The division earned the nickname "Red Arrow" for its ability to cut through enemy lines. The French admiringly called them "Les Terribles." General Mangin presented this flag to the division in 1918. (87.212.90)