Is it the Regimental Colors?

[WinterLeia]

I'm doing research for a fictional novel in which one of the main characters is loosely based on my great great grandfather who was part of the 18th Illinois Regiment. In my research I came across a newspaper dated early June 1861 (I think it was June 3, 1861. But I can't remember offhand), and in it was a news article that while the 18th was still in the training camp at Anna Illinois, women from the nearby town of Carbondale presented the 18th with a silk banner of their regimental colors that the women had sewn themselves. My question is, was that the banner that the color bearers bore into battle. And a related question would be, if any knows where I could find a picture of the banner. I don't even know what it looks like. Thanks.

 

[Manassas 1861]

Well, I'm NO expert on the topic of flags, but I believe the one you mentioned would indeed have carried them in battle. You could also be referring to the regulation infantry flags, the regimental (coat of arms), and the national flags (stars and stripes). According to the regulations each regiment of infantry was to have one of each. But it's possible given the surviving examples, that non-regulation flags could have been carried in the field.

 

[RedRover]

As mentioned, Union Army volunteer regiments like the 18th Illinois had two colors each. A national and a regimental color. The national color was the stars and stripes with regimental markings. Like shown here, with the color guard of the 7th Illinois Volunteers.

The regimental color was blue with the arms of the United States, etc. Like this one...

Both were carried in action by the color guard in the center of the regiment's line of battle.

 

[RaggedAssSecond]

@WinterLeia so far this is the only photo I've been able to locate for the 18th Illinois Infantry. It's a poor photo which doesn't show any details. I will keep looking. Viewing the other flags will give you a better picture of the flags carried by Illinois units in the Civil War.

GAR Flags | <!-- -->Douglas County, IL

Illinois Flags From the Civil War

douglascountyil.gov

"Illinois Flags From the Civil War"

 

[Rhea Cole]

These are the standard regimental flags of the 9th Kentucky U.S. They should give you an idea of the scale. When the wind is blowing like this, it takes some serious muscle to control them.

 

[Library Lady]

You might want to contact the Illinois State Military Museum. It is my understanding that the Civil War regimental flags that had been hanging in the Howlett State Office Building/Centennial Building in Springfield were moved there around 2003 and that there are on-going preservation efforts. They should be able to tell you if they have any flag from the 18th Illinois. The unit was formed in Aurora which is local to me. I'll poke around and see if I can find anything else. I'm a bit surprised that my Round Table wasn't asked to help preserve that regiment's flag if the museum had one. As far as I know, we were only asked to help with the 36th Illinois (Fox Valley Volunteers) flag.

https://militaryaffairs.illinois.gov/ilmilitarymuseum.html

As a note to others who may at some time be looking for an Illinois regimental flag, you're likely to have more luck finding it if your unit was from "downstate" (i.e., anywhere in Illinois that is not Chicago). After the Civil War, the Adjutant General of Illinois told the units to send their flags to Springfield. The Chicago units (Chicago being Chicago even then) pretty much refused and so lost most of their flags in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

Removal of Illinois Battle Flags from the Howlett Building in 2003

The link embedded in the above appears old and is not helpful in terms of what the OP is looking for, but the article gives some background on the regimental flags.

 

[WinterLeia]

Thanks to everyone for their help. The unit in question, I think, was from down state. My great great grandfather was from Franklin County. Although, I believe I've come across at least one company from the Chicago area, the 18th as a whole would be more characterized as representative of Southern Illinois. I don't know a lot about Illinois specifically, because even though I was raised by midwestern Yankees, also having a great great grandfather on the other side of my family that fought for the Union in one of the Missouri regiments, both sides had made their way to California by the time I was born, and I've never even visited my extended family still living in those areas. But newspapers of the time definitely seem to associate the 18th with what they call Egypt, which as far as I can tell is Southern Illinois.

 

[James Brenner]

What rank was the officer who accepted the colors; colonel or captain? The reason I ask is because early on in Ohio it wasn't uncommon for individual companies to receive hand sewn flags. There is a published letter (I have it somewhere) that points out the regulations allow only two flags per regiment and requests that coffee cups and mess utensils be sent to the companies instead.

 

[RaggedAssSecond]

During the Civil War regiments often used small flags called guidons to mark the flanks (ends) of their formations on the battlefield, allowing soldiers to maintain alignment and identify their unit's edges, especially in the chaos of battle; these guidons were typically carried on the left and right sides of the regiment line. These flank guidons should not be confused with company guidons.

Key points about Civil War flags and guidons:

• Function: Guidons were primarily used for unit positioning and maintaining formation, not as a primary rallying point like the larger regimental flag.
  
  
• Placement: They were carried on the outer flanks of the regiment by designated soldiers.
  
  
• Design: These small flags often displayed the unit's number or insignia.