Captured Union Colors

[texaswildcat]

Good news, i have cleaned up my memos and my count is closing in on 200 Federal colors captured during the war. if you wish to see my list, send me an email, only if you promise not to use it as your own presentation. thank you

[cw1865]

Never quite understood their fascination with the colors. Seems that holding the colors was a death sentence.

[Rebel2276]

Gentlemen, after almost a year of not being on here I have found a lot more flags.

Lets take this from the top:

The Iron Brigade lost NO flags.

The 141st Pennsylvania did NOT lose a flag. In the Wheatfield, the 62nd Pa, 4th Michigan and 11th US Regulars lost a flag. The "almost captured" flag was of the 141st Pa. Source: "2 book series on all Pennsylvania regiments and their history".

In the OR report only 2 Union commanders reported a flag missing/captured. That was the 3rd Maine (National) and the 11th US Regulars.

There are many Union reports missing and never have been found, since Gettysburg.

The 75th Ohio lost their National flag in Hay's night attack. That still is the only flag of "4" that I have ever found.

The 26th Wisconsin lost their regimental flag to the 12th Georgia.

The 119th New York lost a flag to the 13th Georgia.

The 157th New York did lose a flag on Culp's Hill on Day 2. The 37th Va captured the flag.

The 154th New York did lose a flag. If you ever read about the 134th New York and the 154th New York at Gettysburg, they will say that the 154th New York saved the 134th New York's flags. The 134th New York saved 1 flag of the 154th New York. The other flag of the 154th New York was captured.

BG.Krynowski's Headquarters flag was captured. A soldier in his brigade wrote how he saw it get captured.

I have been on another Civil War message flag board. These gentlemen are the best in the world on North American flags. I have always wanted us to put our heads together and get a book or many books out on this subject.

To give an estimate on Union flags captured during the Civil War, the lowest count would be 300 flags (this includes Artillery, guidons etc.) and as high has 750 flags.

I am willing to work, trade and help anyone that wishes to know of Union/Confederate flags captured during the war. I have many many lists of both side. I live in Washington Dc and the LOC and National Archives has been a huge help.

Currently my mission is to find captured flags of the 11th Corps at Gettysburg.

Please feel free to send me a PM and I will be most happy to work with anyone, male or female, Union or Confederate, white, black, pink, purple etc.

The time as come to figure this all out and get books out on this subject. To let everyone know, I have no intentions of coming out with any books or anything etc.
I rather leave that with people that have written books already, I have been helping them for the past year.

Shawn

[Pvt. Sam Dile]

Rebel,
What do you have in your archives on the 101st Penna. and the 16th Conn.? If it says they were captured we need to make a few changes to that record!

[whitworth]

the only flag that mattered, was the United States flag, that first flew over the captured Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia.

[Rebel2276]

I dont have anything on the 101st Pa or the 16th Conn. It is not hard finding Union flags captured, the problem is trying to identify them. Who's flag was captured, what type etc? I do hope in the future a book or a series of books come out on Confederate/Union flags captured during the Civil War.

About 95% of my family fought for the Union and the other 5% for the South. The last name is "Prouty" around 178 served on both sides. My father in the early 1960's loaned the Library of Congress many letters and from our family members that fought in all the battles.

Texaswildcat....Charles?? lol!!!!

Little did I know you were on here .

Thanks for serving in Iraq, I am still in the Army behind a desk at the Pentagon for 9 months and in Afghanistan every 3 months.

Charles if you ever come out to Washington Dc, let me know and we will have a field day at the LOC

Shawn Prouty

[Rebel2276]

I was just looking through my files, the 16th Connecticut was at Plymouth, North Carolina on 20 April, 1864. The entire garrison was surrendered. Ironically, I had 1 family member in the 2nd Massachusetts Heavy Artillery that was captured there. He was enlisted but he was not sent to Andersonville and he did live the war out.

His name was Charles Prouty in company "G". His brother Henry H. Prouty was in company "E" and stationed at Fort Totten, Washington City during that time period.

I see the 101st Pennsylvania was also at Plymouth, North Carolina.

Now the 101st Pennsylvania knew they were going to be captured so they tore up their flags and buried them. I dont know if the 16th Connecticut did the same. Probably other regiments tore their flags up as well.

Have a good night,

Shawn Prouty

[Rebel2276]

The 34th Indiana lost the last Union flag near where you live Texaswildcat. I believe a lawyer in New Mexico owns the flag. Sadly nobody knew the war was over at that battle.

[Rebel2276]

Charles, I found that **** Maine flag that nobody knew about. "1st Maine Infantry, 2nd Brigade, 4th Division". Somebody really labeled that wrong. I got a kick out of the Maine flag people "Oh the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery, never lost a flag". lol

It was the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery that lost that flag. Not only did they have that flag captured, but another one also. Found that on OR 40, page 412-413.

I am working on the captured Union flags at the Crater, at least 20 flags were captured. The 16th Virginia had a field day capturing 7 flags. The 61st Virginia captured 5 flags. Even the 22nd South Carolina captured a flag.

I should be done with the OR's by next week, I will total them all up and see what I have. The Union flags in question, I will head over to the Library of Congress and National Archives and look at their regimental histories, brigade histories etc.

Oh Charles, this was so funny. The Union tried to "storm", Fort Sumpter on September 9th, 1863. They actually brought the original flag (April 1861) with them. The yanks were trying to capture Fort Sumpter and put that flag up. The Confederates with no more then 200 men in the fort captured "3 stands of colors", one being "The old Fort Sumpter flag". Union pow's said that was the flag.

Oh lord, I saw this Michigan website on Custer. "Custer never lost a flag or a gun". I laughed, the 7th Michigan lost a guidon at Gettysburg, and even Custer's Headquarter flag was captured....

Shawn Prouty

[Rebel2276]

I found some more Massachusetts flags to add to the list. When you get back from your trip, send me an email and I will let you know the new Union flags that were captured.

Rebel