Flags Late 1800s Reunion Flag - Help Needed!

[GettysburgHistorian]

Hey everyone! I picked up this flag recently and it was labeled as "Designating Flag - 3rd Division, 3rd Corps AotP." It has the following in the header:

3rd Div. 3rd Army Corps
R. C. Toy No. 47 N. 9th Phila.

It appears to be made of wool (body) & cotton (header), and is rectangular. I confirmed through researching that rectangle designating flags are for Division commanders, while pennants are for Brigade commanders. I also know the symbol is correct for the Division/Corps, but what I'm struggling to find is info on "R. C. Toy". I did find other flags he made… that reside with the Smithsonian. Seems odd if it's just a reunion flag to be in such a prestigious collection. In fact, his flags even have a date range (1890-1897) listed, and the collection confirms his first name was Robert. That said, other than a possible FindAGrave hit (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/147985087/robert-c-toy), I can't locate anything on him. I emailed the Smithsonian to see where they got the date range and if they had any more info on him, and they responded that they will get back to me. In the meantime, here are some other examples:

1) 1st Brig, 2nd Div, 6th Corps: https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1367219 (made by Toy)

2) 2nd Brig, 2nd Div, 1st Corps: https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1379227 (made by Toy)

3) 2nd Div, 1st Corps: https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1362445 (made by William Horstmann & Sons)

#1 and #2 above (the Toy ones) are both dated 1890-1897, but #3 (Horstmann) is dated 1860-1865. They look very similar to me, so it makes me wonder if the Toy date range is incorrect. Or maybe there's another R. C. Toy…

Curious as to your thoughts! Either way it's a nice piece that is (at worst) a unique reunion flag relating to Phil Kearny's old division. Here's photos:

 

[Championhilz]

This is from "Directory of American Military Goods Dealers & Makers 1785-1915" by Bruce S. Bazelon & William F. McGuinn:

 

[GettysburgHistorian]

This is from "Directory of American Military Goods Dealers & Makers 1785-1915" by Bruce S. Bazelon & William F. McGuinn:

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Ah this is awesome! Amazing what's out there if you just know who to ask. Many thanks!

 

[Flag Guy]

The Smithsonian has a bunch of the flags Toy made on their web site as part of their collections. Very nice find!

 

[GettysburgHistorian]

The Smithsonian has a bunch of the flags Toy made on their web site as part of their collections. Very nice find!

They sure do - and thank you!

 

[RedRover]

By the maker/date my first thought was Third Corps from the War with Spain...

the Third Division, Third Army Corps, was posted for a time on the Chickamauga Battlefield, or Camp George H. Thomas.

However, I see that the General Orders of May, 1898 required of the third corps a three tooth clutch for insignia...after late July:

However, the third Corps was organized in April-May, 1898, and the new flag/insignia was only adopted in mid-July. I wonder if it is possible the corps procured division colors of the old pattern previous to the three-tooth clutch type.

 

[GettysburgHistorian]

Perhaps from the War with Spain?

the Third Division, Third Army Corps, was posted for a time on the Chickamauga Battlefield, or Camp George H. Thomas.

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This came out of a prestigious CW collection, so I doubt it would be anything other than CW. Also, Toy was contracted for GAR Post flags only, from what I can tell.

 

[RedRover]

I yet suspect it is a pre-June/July '98 third division, third corps flag. Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 27, '98:

Fromt the Army and Navy Journal, July 16, 1898, a complaint of the new corps insigias:

The Fifth Army Corps, under General Shafter, employed the civil war V Corps Flag. From the landing in Cuba on June 16-17, '98:

while the new Fifth corps insignia, adopted later in the month to replace the civil war corps insignia was the five-bastioned fort.

 

[GettysburgHistorian]

@RedRover

Again though, Robert C. Toy (the maker) was contracted for G.A.R. flags only, and only in 1890 and 1897. Unless he had telepathy, how would he have known what symbols the soldiers would prefer a year or years before they would use it in the Span-Am War?

Toy's flags are in the Smithsonian as part of a post-CW G.A.R. collection. He may indeed have made Span-Am War flags, but this isn't one of them. I appreciate the research you did though.

 

[RedRover]

@RedRover

Again though, Robert C. Toy (the maker) was contracted for G.A.R. flags only, and only in 1890 and 1897. Unless he had telepathy, how would he have known what symbols the soldiers would prefer a year or years before they would use it in the Span-Am War?

Toy's flags are in the Smithsonian as part of a post-CW G.A.R. collection. He may indeed have made Span-Am War flags, but this isn't one of them. I appreciate the research you did though.

The "post" flags referenced in the clip above, which Toy made, were not for GAR posts, but for the US Military posts in 1890 and 97.

National Archives Record Group 92 is the

 

[GettysburgHistorian]

Thanks for your time, @RedRover.