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  13 STARS, A COTTON PARADE FLAG, MADE IN THE PERIOD BETWEEN 1850 AND THE CIVIL WAR, LIKELY TAKEN FROM THE BODY OF A UNION SOLDIER BY JOHN S. WHITE OF THE 21ST MISSOURI VOLUNTEERS, COMPANY H

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): 23.5" x 33.75"
Flag Size (H x L): 17" x 26.5"
Description....:
13 STARS, A COTTON PARADE FLAG, MADE IN THE PERIOD BETWEEN 1850 AND THE CIVIL WAR, LIKELY TAKEN FROM THE BODY OF A UNION SOLDIER BY JOHN S. WHITE OF THE 21ST MISSOURI VOLUNTEERS, COMPANY H:

This rare little flag survives as one-of-a-kind among known examples. It was handed down through a family and appears to have been taken by a Confederate soldier by the name of John S. White, who enlisted at Memphis, Missouri and mustered into the service of the 21st Missouri Infantry, Company "H", in February of 1862. White survived the war, mustering out in Alabama in 1864.

Printed on lightweight, gauze-like cotton, the flag was handed down through White's family, to the son of a daughter who married into the name of Clark. Rex Clark was given this flag by his grandfather in 1971, accompanied by a 19th century document from the State of Missouri that details John White's term of service with the Confederate Army. Family legend states that it was a Confederate flag, said to have been carried by White throughout the war. In actuality, it is a Pro-Union flag and was very likely taken from the body of a fallen soldier by White, who carried it through the balance of the war as a trophy.

While it would have been unusual for a soldier to carry a printed parade flag on his person during wartime (such flags were usually tacked to a staff and waved at parades or political events), it may have been picked up at a rally by the Union volunteer.

Of further interest is that among the thousands of antique American flags I have owned, this is the only example among them that I can suggest with some degree of confidence was hit by blood spatter. Logic suggests that this would have either occurred on the battlefield or maybe at a Confederate field hospital. The spray pattern can be seen across the textile and the marks retain the appropriate coloration. They are distinctive because they are so utterly unlike anything that is seen on 99.9% of flags that reach the marketplace, but which I have witnessed occasionally on documented, wartime, battle-carried examples.

13 star flags were used during the Civil War (and sometimes during the Antebellum period) to reference the similarities between the building struggle for freedom over the slavery issue and the struggle faced by patriots for independence during the American Revolution. Small, Civil war period printed examples measuring less than between 4 and 14 inches on the fly can be found on occasion, but much larger examples like this one are extraordinarily rare.

Of the few, large, 13 star parade flags that I have seen in this basic format that date to the Civil war and prior, all but maybe two had evidence of having been used by Politicians seeking the White House (with overprinted names or other political text). The closest example I can recall is a John Bell campaign flag from 1860. Bell was a pro-Union independent from Tennessee, which borders Missouri. The geographic proximity may be merely coincidental, but the cotton that each flag is printed on is unusually lightweight, unglazed, and peculiar compared to most parade flags of the period. I would suggest that both were made in that general region of the country, or at the very least distributed there.

Mounting: The outstanding, early American, rippled profile molding has a gilded liner and dates to the same general era as the textile (1830-1860). The flag has been archivally mounted by my conservation staff.

Condition: There are significant stains, losses, and repairs throughout. These provide visual record that the flag was flown far longer and through much harsher conditions than most surviving cotton parade flags, which were made for very short-term use (typically one to three days at the most). The fact that it was saved and handed down from one family member to the next suggests that it was of some importance to its original owner and his/her descendants. Many of my clients prefer early flags to show their age and history of use.
Collector Level: Flags for the truest Patriots. My best offerings
Flag Type: Parade flag
Star Count: 13
Earliest Date of Origin: 1850
Latest Date of Origin: 1860
State/Affiliation: 13 Original Colonies
War Association: 1861-1865 Civil War
Price: SOLD
 

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