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I know that each regiment in the union carried two stands of colors, one state, if they are volunteers, and a national colors, the stars and stripes. My question resides on, when I see movies or certain paintings, I only see the stars and strips. Where are the state colors? A flank marker between regiments?
No, they were carried side by side by the Union. CS troops were varied, some carried both a State and National but I believe most carried a National w/ their Unit ID only. As the war progressed many Union Regiments stopped carrying their state colors and carried only the National. At what point and to what extent this happened I don't know. It's a good question I've not thought about.
There was only one color guard of 10-12 NCOs and it was typically in the center of the Regiment. Their sole job was to defend the colors.
Whatever you do; don't take Hollywood as history.
__________________ Shane Christen
American Legion Post 352
SUVCW Camp Abernethy# 48
Lifetime NRA member
3rd MN VI
For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. Eccl 1:18
Shane,
I have to disagree with you on some details. Union Regiments did not carry State Colors as in State Flags. They carried Regimental Colors, which for the most part were standardized in design. Consisting of a silk gold bordered blue field, in the field would be an American Eagle the name of the Regiment would be inscribed on the Colors. Regular Army Regiments also carried Regimental Colors. There was a lot of variation in Regimental Colors as well as uniforms at the beginning of the war, particularly with the three month volunteers but uinon regiments were prettly quickly standardized. There were some exceptions, probabally the most famous being the Greeen Standard with the Golden Irish Harp. Usally assoicated with the Yankee Irish Brigade, it was IIRC the Regimental Colors of the 69th New York. The National Colors were also individualized with the name of the Regiment being sewn on to "stripes" portion of the flag. Battle stripes were also added in the samd manner. Some Regiments having so many that the flag was almost covered. I say Yankee Irish Brigade because there were Confederate units call Irish Brigades, although none were so notable at the Yankees.
The Confederates on the other hand never did standardize regimental colors, although they did adopt the ever controversial Bttle Flag to avoid confusion of the National Colors in the fog of battle.
This is a pretty nice site apropos the Illlinois flags. http://www.civil-war.com/flag.htm
Are there any other sites like this for other states?
The Kansas Historical Society Museum has a pretty good collection of Civil War Colors, including some Ppre-war, Bleeding Kansas period flags and some captured colors. Google the Society and there should be a nice presentation on the web site. I have used the Ill. site, ancester in the 35th. It is one of the best.
One other little interesting tidbit to add is the fact that Tiffany's supplied flags for the Union is untrue. Afew years ago, I did a lot of research about Civil War flags because I wasinvolved in a dispute with the state of New York regarding their care or lack thereof.
In the course of doing this research, I ran across a lot of ancedotal evidence stating that Tiffany's supplied flags for the Union cause. Curious about this, I spoke to the curator of Tiffany records. I was looking for a requisition or an invoice from theirfiles, anything that would point toward the oft quoted statement that Tiffany & Co. supplied flag's.
The curator came back to me and said that he found no evidence whatsoever that Tiffany supplied flags to the Union, no drawings, invoices, requests or anything else in their archives. He did say that theymade an occasional sword but swore that no flags were produced by the company.
Bill
__________________ I've seen these sweat soaked heroes fight, in superheated air,to keep their ship alive and right, though no one knows they're there. And thus they'll fight for ages on, till warships sail no more,amid the boilers mighty heat and turbines hellish roar. So when you see a ship pull out, to meet a warlike foe, remember faintly if you can "the men who sail below"
~ excerpted from "The Men Who sail below", Author unknown.
All of a regiment's colors were carried together, the National and Regimental Colors would be in the same place, usually the center of the line or where the Regimental commander directed they be placed. I can't comment on specific movies or paintings unless I ahve seen them. I will suggest, however, that some movies and artists simply get it wrong.
Regiments in the Civil War didn't have color companies they had Color Guards which had the sole mission of guarding the colors. See Shane's post #2 in this thread. It was a dangerous job as the capture of enemy colors was high on the list of priorties in Civil War Battles. Many a Civil War Color Sergent died defending the colors. Many refused to die although mortaly wounded until they could pass the colors to safety. In the Union Army the successful defense or capture of colors could win you a Medal of Honor. Tom Custer, George's younger brother, won two for the capture of colors. George was jelious, he never won one. The Confederate Goverment didn't award medals, although some of the Confederate States did. I am sure that many Confederate Soldiers committed heroic acts in the defence or capture of colors, they are just harder to find out about.
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