| EXCEPTIONAL 34 STAR ANTIQUE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR FLAG WITH A CORNFLOWER BLUE CANTON, HOMEMADE & ENTIRELY HAND-SEWN ca 1861-63, WITH STRIPES THAT BEGIN & END ON WHITE, IN A COUNT OF 9 TO OMIT THE 4 SECEDED STATES FROM AMONG THE ORIGINAL 13 COLONIES, AND WITH APPLIED PANELS THAT READ: “PEACE & LIBERTY”; GIVEN TO DAVIS CAMRON OF “D” Co., 38th OH VOL. BY THE FAMILY OF ORRIN TAYLOR OF “D” & “F” Co.'s, 67th OH INFT'Y, MORTALLY WOUNDED AT APPOMATTOX ON THE VERY DAY OF LEE'S SURRENDER |
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| Web ID: | 34j-1030 |
| Available: | In Stock |
| Frame Size (H x L): | 77.75" x 103.25" |
| Flag Size (H x L): | 64.75" x 89" [approx. 117" unfurled] |
| Description: | |
| 34 star antique American flag with a host of exceptional features that set it apart as one of the best I have ever encountered, and with intriguing history from two families of Ohio soldiers. Homemade and entirely hand-sewn, the stars of the flag, made of cotton, are carefully and expertly appliquéd on a beautiful, cornflower blue canton that is near-to-square in profile. These are configured about a large center star, which the maker(s) then neatly encircled with a ring of 8 stars. Although there is a single star positioned in each corner, which seems purposeful, the remainder appear to have just tumbled in as they may. The overall appearance has endearing folk impact, as if the smaller stars were just randomly scattered. The stripes of the flag appear here in a count of 9, likely to reflect the omission of North & South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia, the 4 Slave States from among the original 13 that seceded from the Union. Though Lincoln made a case for not removing the Southern States from the flag, with his goal of trying to keep the Union together, flag-making was personal, there were no ‘flag police,’ and there was very little legislation whatsoever before 1912. Federal guidelines concerning flag etiquette were not addressed until the United States Congress adopted the Flag Code in 1923. Prior to this time, the design of the American National Flag was left to the whims of the maker, with all aspects thereof subject to both emotion and artist's liberty. Though the use of 9 stripes is extremely scarce, much more rare is the fact that they start and end on white. Though defined in the original Flag Act of June 14th, 1777 as “13 stripes, alternate red and white,” the entire act was but a single sentence and the opposite can be seen, though it tends to be associated with much earlier flags and primarily exists in 18th century illustrations, as opposed to surviving examples. The characteristic may actually have been quite common in the 18th century, but certainly was not at any point thereafter. More extraordinary than all of the above, however, is the applied, plain weave cotton panel, appliquéd over a portion of the white stripe below the canton, that reads: “Peace & Liberty!” Patriotic verbiage of this sort—exceptionally rare—is among the most desirable features in Stars & Stripes of the 19th century, elevating this flag to an even higher level of admiration among collectors. The appealing statement adds its own layer of graphic and emotional impact and is particularly poignant in a Civil War period example. The flag was presented to Davis Camron (Feb. 10, 1838 – May 17, 1913) of Freedom Township, Henry County, Ohio, who mustered into “D” Co. of the 38th Ohio Infantry on Feb. 22nd, 1864, at the rank of Private. Serving the remainder of the war, Davis mustered out at Louisville, KY on Jul. 12th, 1865. Handed down through Davis's descendants, the flag is said to have been given to him by the family of a Fulton County, Ohio soldier by the name of Orrin O. Taylor (Nov. 17, 1842 – Approx. Apr. 9, 1865), a close friend of Davis, who served in both “F” and “D” Companies of the 67th Ohio Volunteers. Although Orrin’s muster date is unknown, he would have entered the service of his country in 1861 or the early part of 1862. Captured on June 19th, 1862 near Bedford Station, Virginia, he was quickly exchanged and paroled, as evidenced by a surviving, August 28th, 1862 letter he penned home to his aunt & uncle from Camp Chase in Columbus, OH, in which he describes his ill-favored treatment for two weeks in rebel hands and seems restless, wishing for return to his regiment. Though he does not speak of any injuries at the time, by June of 1863 he appears on a draft record for Pike Township, Fulton County, as having been discharged as an invalid (circumstances unknown/unrecorded). On March 1st, 1864, Orrin’s mother, Susannah Mall Ozmun Taylor (Mar. 1, 1815 – Jan. 30, 1892) applied for a pension in Orrin’s name, with his disposition recorded in the same manner. This was still being drawn as late as January 29th, 1912, by Orrin’s father, Lucius Palmer Taylor (Aug. 15, 1817 – Dec. 21, 1920), who passed at the notable age of 103. The Taylors were farmers who would lose two of their three sons to the horrors of war. Such a serious blow to the number of capable hands on a farm no-doubt dealt a striking blow to the Taylor household. Apparently, Orrin proved too restless to remain kept from the Union cause. Though once again unrecorded, it seems likely that he reenlisted when his younger brother, Jesse, mustered into his old unit on February 29th, 1864 (Leap Year), just one day before his mother filed for Orrin’s pension. Although this does not explain why his original, early-war muster date remains unrecorded, it probably explains why it remained so the second time, allowing his mother to file for the pension, instead of Orrin himself receiving pay and sending it home, while at the same time agreeing to watch over his brother, and simply sharing income with Jesse, if need be. Favors and rule-bending were likely to have been commonplace in a rural area, where everyone knew everyone and relations often lived in close proximity. Orrin’s letter from Camp Chase shed light on this subject, in which he states: “I wish that I was back and with the Regiment and then I could see George Conklin and other boys from our neighborhood…But thare [sic] is plenty of fam. here.” Orrin’s uncle, James A. Taylor, who served in “I” Company of the 38th Ohio, had been captured, as well, in July of 1862 near Decatur, Alabama. Paroled to Camp Chase at the same time as Orrin, he is mentioned in his nephew’s letter. There is likewise a surviving letter from James, penned home on the same day as Orrin’s to unspecified “friends.” Sadly, Orrin’s second tour with the 67th Ohio would not end in safe return. He was mortally wounded at Appomattox Station, Virginia on April 9th, 1865, in what his father’s obituary would many years later describe as having occurred “about ten minutes before the surrender of Lee ended the war.” Buried for the first of three times at Appomattox, Orrin was moved to Poplar Grove Cemetery in Petersburg, VA sometime thereafter. A military style marker still stands upon his grave, typical of Civil War headstones. He is listed on an original ledger from Poplar Grove with a death date of April 11th, 1865, and a type-written War Department internment card (Q.M.C. Form No. 14, Revised Oct. 6, 1928) corresponds, though another document listing all Civil War soldiers buried at Popular Grove, entitled “U.S. Civil War Roll of Honor, 1861-1865” instead lists his date of death as April 9th, 1865. Plausible, verbal family history states that Davis Camron, Orrin’s close friend, who served in the 38th Ohio with his uncle, James A. Taylor, traveled to Petersburg at the bequest of the Taylor family, to oversee the retrieval of Orrin’s body and its return to Ohio. Orrin now bears a second headstone at Winameg Cemetery (a.k.a., Aetna Cemetery) in Winameg, Fulton County. His name was boldly added above that of his sister, Charlotte, misspelled "Charlott," who passed in 1853. As if in keeping of the spirit of error, the memorial incorrectly records Orrin’s year of death as 1875, the engraver evidently having chiseled in the current year by mistake, that being the one in which he was being re-buried. This is accompanied by the month and day of April 9th, which, interestingly enough, may also be incorrect if Orrin did not immediately pass from his wounds received that day, and instead succumb to his injuries on April 11th. The flag, it is said, was hung on the exterior wall of a cabin during the funeral, then presented to Davis by the Taylors with solemn appreciation for bringing Orrin home. According to observations made by curatorial staff at Sauder Village Living History Museum, the style of the stitching in the flag may provide clues to its origin, attributing it a circle of quilters possibly led by Orrin’s grandmother, Connecticut-born Anna Street Hall Taylor (Jan. 29, 1794 – Jan. 27, 1882). Anna’s husband, Orrin T. Taylor (Sep. 3, 1789 – Feb. 25, 1876), his grandson’s namesake, born in Massachusetts, became a farmer when granted land in Fulton County from the federal government in 1835. Relocating his family from New England, the Taylors would have encountered an extensive Mennonite community in the region, with lots of quilting, which likely exposed Anna to that particular life skill and social pastime. This is presumed to have led to the making of the flag for one, or perhaps all, of Anna’s children and grandchildren who served the Union Army, which, in addition to her son, James and grandsons, Orrin O. and Jesse, included another of her sons, Corporal Luther H. Taylor of “D” Co., 10th Ohio Cavalry. Some of the stars on the reverse of the flag are what I call ‘pie-cut,’ meaning that they are individually assembled from five, separate, diamond-shaped pieces of fabric. Although this is something one will almost never see in appliqued stars on early American flags, this method of construction is extremely prevalent in quilt-making—so much so, in fact, that the trait provides clear evidence that the sewer(s) of the flag were most definitely experienced quilters. At approx. 65” x 117” (unfurled), the flag is theoretically much too long on the fly measurement to have been hand-carried, though the makers of presentation flags didn’t often take this into account. I would suggest that the flag were made for general patriotism if not for the 11 hand-sewn, applied cotton tabs, stitched along the narrow cotton binding, through which 11 fire red, wool, herringbone, twill-woven ties were threaded along the hoist end. This strongly suggests that someone intended it to be hand-carried. With an early war star count, it may be that the original use of the flag was to help raise troops in the small community, before being presented to someone and/or packed away for safekeeping. In either instance, the flag was probably brought out and displayed on special occasions and, though well-attended, was obviously flown as evidenced by several factors. Though cotton was a poor fabric for flag-making, when long-term outdoor use was the goal, it was nonetheless economical and widely available, while wool bunting, a specialty fabric and the choice of commercial flag-makers for flags of this size, was not well-known or so easily acquired. Numerous flags survive in a similar size and nature, homemade and constructed of cotton by local woman, though not with such a plethora of amazing characteristics as those displayed here. In summary, this is an exceptional, 34 star, Civil War period flag, with a very desirable and attractive, cornflower blue canton, homemade and entirely hand-sewn circa 1861-1863, with stripes that begin and end on white, in a count of 9 to reflect the omission of the seceded Southern States from the original 13, and with an applied banner that features the extraordinary slogan: “Peace & Liberty.” Given to Davis Camron of “D” Co., 38th Ohio Infantry, by the family of Orrin Taylor of “F” Co., 67th Ohio Volunteers, the latter mortally wounded at Appomattox on the very day the war ended and at the location of Robert E. Lee’s surrender, and whose body Davis retrieved from Virginia for return to Ohio, the flags combination of spectacular features and endearing history results in one of the best 19th century examples that one could ever hope to acquire. Measurements: Frame: 77.75" x 103.25", Flag - 64.75" x 89" [approx. 117" unfurled] Names and dispositions of Orrin T. & Anna Street Hall Taylor’s children and grandchildren who served in the Union Army: (1) Son: Luther H. Taylor, Corporal, Co. D 10th Ohio Cavalry. Conflicting records have him enlisting as at the rank of Private, date unknown, possibly into the 10th OH Cav. (National Park Service records), or as a corporal on 11/04/1862, but mustering into Co. D of the 10th OH Cav. on 03/03/1863. Luther succumb to illness at Murfreesboro, TN on 04/18/1863 and was interred there at Stones River National Cemetery. (2) Son: James A. Taylor, Co. I, 38th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, enlisted 08/28/61; Captured in July of 1862 near Decatur, Alabama; Paroled to Camp Chase in Columbus, OH, where he wrote a letter home on 02/28/1862; method and date of discharge unknown; survived the war. (3) Grandson: Jesse T. Taylor (Orrin’s brother), Co. F, 67th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, enlisted 02/29/64; transferred to Co. A on 09/01/1865; mustered out on 12/07/1865; Jesse is said to have lost his sanity, was recorded as “insane” in the 1880 census, living at home with his parents, and died in a veterans hospital in 1903. (4) Grandson: Orrin O. Taylor, 67th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, date of enlistment unknown, possibly first serving in “D” Company; Captured June 19th, 1862 near Bedford Station, VA; Paroled to Camp Chase in Columbus, OH, where he wrote a letter home on 02/28/1862; Discharged as “invalid” sometime prior to June, 1863 as evidenced by draft records for Pike Township, Fulton County; Mortally wounded at Appomattox VA immediately before Lee’s surrender on April 9th, 1865, passing either that day or April 11th; Buried at Appomattox, then at Poplar Grove National Cemetery, Petersburg, VA, then Winameg (Aetna) Cemetery, Fulton County, OH. Provenance: Family of Orrin Taylor of Pike Township, Fulton Co., Ohio (1842-1865) to Davis Camron of Freedom Township, Henry Co., Ohio (1838-1913) to his daughter, Nora (Camron) Siegel (1887-1982), to her son Glen Seigel (1918-2004) and his wife, Ethel (Eager) Seigel (1919-1992), to their daughter Sandra J. (Siegel) Baque (1943-2024). Exhibited at Sauder Village Living History Museum (Approx. 2013). Mounting: For 25 years we have maintained a specialized department for this purpose. Our lead conservator holds a master's degree in textile conservation from one of the nation’s top university programs. We take great care in the mounting and preservation of flags and related textiles and have preserved thousands of examples. The exaggerated length of the striped field allowed the flag to be folded back and forth to create an interesting presentation. This was executed in a three-dimensional manner, through the use of archival materials. The background fabric is 100% cotton twill, black in color, that has been washed and treated for colorfastness. The black-painted and hand-gilded molding, with it’s wide, shaped profile, is Italian. This was modified to create a deep shadowbox to accommodate the folds. The glazing is U.V. protective acrylic (Plexiglas). Feel free to contact us for more details. Condition: There is very minor to modest staining in limited areas throughout, the most significant of which occurs near the fly end of the 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th white stripes, and along the lower edge of the last white stripe, near the hoist end, and in the lower, fly-end corner of the canton. There is minor fabric loss with associated fraying in the upper fly end corner of the top stripe. Many of my clients prefer early flags to show their age and history of use. |
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| Collector Level: | Flags for the truest Patriots. My best offerings |
| Flag Type: | Sewn flag |
| Star Count: | 34 |
| Earliest Date of Origin: | 1861 |
| Latest Date of Origin: | 1862 |
| State/Affiliation: | Ohio |
| War Association: | 1861-1865 Civil War |
| Price: | Please call (717) 676-0545 or (717) 502-1281 |
| E-mail: | info@jeffbridgman.com |
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