| 29 STARS IN A SPECTACULAR CROSS OR STARBURST MEDALLION, ONE OF JUST TWO KNOWN EXAMPLES IN THIS STYLE, PRE-CIVIL WAR, 1846-48, MEXICAN WAR PERIOD, REFLECTS THE ADDITION OF IOWA AS THE 29TH STATE; FORMERLY AMONG THE POSSESSIONS OF CORPORAL NATHANIEL POWERS, COLOR BEARER IN THE 10TH MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS, WHO LOST HIS ARM AT THE BATTLE OF FAIR OAKS, VIRGINIA IN 1862; THE FLAG-ITS STAFF WRAPPED IN BLACK CREPE—IS REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO MOURNERS IN THE STREETS OF WASHINGTON, DC, ON |
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| Web ID: | 29j-819 |
| Available: | In Stock |
| Frame Size (H x L): | Approx. 25" x 16.5" |
| Flag Size (H x L): | 5" x 7.5" on a 16" staff |
| Description: | |
| In the world of antique American flags there are nearly countless star patterns, but most have lineal rows or columns. Fewer present circular or oval medallions, comprised of concentric wreaths of stars. Highly coveted, these are followed by something called the Great Star – one large star made out of smaller ones. Much further up the rarity ladder, I have often referred to these as the “Rolls Royce” of geometric patterns on early flags, but there are rarer configurations still. Among these are circles within squares, pentagons, ovals, and completely random patterns. There are flags where the stars actually spell something, in alphabetic or numeric characters, and while some of these styles fall among the scarcest configurations, the rarest and arguably the most beautiful among identified geometric arrangements include diamonds, shields, snowflakes, and starbursts. From a folk art perspective, these can excel beyond all others. Bold and whimsical, this American national parade flag, block-printed on cotton, has 29 stars, arranged in a configuration that constitutes one of the best that one may encounter on a 19th century example. This falls into the general category of what I have termed a “starburst” or "starburst cross" medallions, in which a dynamic pattern seems to spring forth from the center, like a firework. In this particular variety, note the prominent saltire, formed by the two diagonal lines that run corner-to-corner in the ocean blue canton. Commonly known as the Cross of St. Andrew, borrowing the term from the device of Scotland on the British Union Flag (a.k.a., Union Jack), in late 1861 this would become recognized in America as the Southern Cross. 13-14 years prior to the opening year of the Civil War, however, a saltire had not yet been conceptualized to represent the South, and there was no such association. 17 stars form the saltire, the centermost of which is considerably larger. 12 more are placed in triangular groups of 3, situated in the valleys created by the arms of the diagonal crosshatch. Note how the position of each star, on its vertical axis, varies a great deal from one-to-the-next, and how the profile of each likewise varies in size and shape. Both of these elements are a function of the small, hand-carved, wooden blocks, dipped in the required pigments, used to produce the textile. The combination of the star pattern and the flag’s various features results in an example that displays excellent folk qualities in its visual presentation. Iowa entered the Union as the 29th state on December 28th, 1846. The 29 star flag became official on July 4th, 1847 and remained so until July 3rd, 1848. This was the period in which the United States went to war with Mexico, in the wake of the annexation of Mexico and during a heightened state of westward expansion. Because very few flags survive that can be accurately dated to the narrow window of the Mexican War (1846-48), this flag is an exceptional rarity and an excellent addition to any collection. In terms of the production of American flags, this was an extremely early period. The very first, printed parade flags, a.k.a. “hand-wavers,” displayed either 26 or 13 stars. Michigan entered as the 26th state in 1837 and the star count remained accurate until Florida entered in 1845. 13 star examples appeared in the same period, this star count having been employed with an eye to our colonial past, as opposed to representing the number of states at the time. The earliest datable examples were made for the presidential campaign of William Henry Harrison in 1840, just 6 years prior to Iowa’s entry. In a more generalized sense, it is important to understand that examples of the Stars & Stripes made prior to the Civil War (1861-1865) comprise approximately one percent of 19th century flags that have survived into the 21st century. Even the military did not use the flag in a manner that most people might think. While the flag was used to mark ships and garrisons, the flags of ground troops were often limited to the flag of their own regiment, with a design peculiar unto itself, and perhaps a standard that featured the federal arms on a buff yellow or blue ground. Most people would be surprised to learn that ground forces were not authorized to carry the Stars & Stripes until it was assigned to artillery regiments in 1834. Infantry was afforded the privilege in 1841, just prior to the Mexican War (1846-1848), while cavalry regiments were not authorized until the second year of the Civil War, in 1862. Prior to the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter, the Stars & Stripes was simply not used for most of the same purposes we employ it in today. Private individuals did not typically display the flag in their yards and on their porches. Parade flags didn't often fly from carriages and horses. Places of business did not commonly hang flags in their windows. Private use of the national flag rose swiftly during the patriotism that accompanied the Civil War. Among known parade flags with 29 stars specifically, just one other variety is known. Slightly larger, though similar in scale, it instead displays a double-wreath style, circular medallion. The starburst pattern is far-and-away the more rare, not only because of its unusual design, but because there are only two known examples of this flag, of which this one. Among the two, starburst-cross, 29 star parade flags, this is the only one that bears specific history of use. Affixed to a wooden staff, wrapped in black crepe, secured by crude, metal tacks, the flag is reported to have been among those distributed to mourners on the streets of Washington, DC, on the morning of April 15th, 1865, to mourn the loss of President Abraham Lincoln. Remnants of black thread, present near the fly end, along with two faint tracks of needle marks, provide evidence that the flag was once likely adorned with some sort of black fabric, perhaps a hand-made fringe of some nature. The flag is also accompanied by a one-sixth plate tintype photo of a one-armed soldier, a Civil War veteran, wearing a kepi with Grand Army of the Republic lettering and an accompanying badge. Organized in 1866, the G.A.R. was the primary fraternal association for Civil War vets from all branches of service. The group is accompanied by a signed affidavit, (notarized March, 1969), that identifies the subject as Nathaniel P. Powers of the 10th Connecticut Infantry. In the letter, the Lincoln association is stated, as well as the claim that Powers at some point relocated to Pennsylvania, where the articles were acquired by the then-owner. Nathaniel E. A. Powers (prob. first middle name “Emmet”) was born in Worcester Massachusetts in the 1830’s, though he seems to have been uncertain of the precise year. In 1855, he married Mary Ann Hooker, the daughter of Liberty & Mary Hooker of Sowell, Massachusetts. Both Nathaniel and Mary were living in Brookfield, Massachusetts at the time, listing their ages as 23 and 21, respectively, which would place Nathaniel’s birth in or around 1837. At both the time of his marriage, in 1855, and that of his enlistment as a volunteer with the Union Army, on June 14th, 1861 (Flag Day), he listed his employment as “shoemaker.” When he mustered into the 10th Massachusetts Infantry (on the same day as his enlistment), he reported his age as 26, which would instead place his birth around 1835. Assigned to “A” Company and immediately promoted to the rank of corporal, Nathaniel was designated “color corporal.” This meant that he was assigned to the color guard. The clearest description I have encountered of the activities of a Union, Civil War, color guard unit, is reproduced here, in part, from the website of the 3rd Maine Regiment Reenactors: “The honor of escorting a regiment's colors was given to individuals selected from the companies of the regiment as the color bearers and color guard. The color bearers were usually sergeants and the color guard were corporals. This select squad was placed … at the regiment's center when it was in a line of battle. The color squad was composed of a national color [Stars & Stripes] bearer and a regimental color bearer, with seven color guards ... The color guard was a target of enemy fire and it took brave men to volunteer for this job. Capturing the colors was a battle trophy; losing your colors was a dishonor. The casualties in the guard were always high. When the bearer was unable to go on, another member of the guard would move forward to rescue the flag. The flag of the regiment served as a rallying point for the men and often indicated the location of its leaders. The flag and its bearer usually lead the regiment into battle, therefore offering themselves as the first target to the enemy.” The 10th Massachusetts Regt. traveled to Washington, D.C., where, until March of 1862, it served in the defense of the capital, first at Kalorama Heights and then at Camp Brightwood. On March 25th the regiment embarked for the peninsula campaign, engaging the enemy at the Siege of Yorktown, Virginia (April 5-May 4, 1862), then at the Battle of Fair Oaks / Seven Pines (May 31-June 1). Nathaniel Powers was wounded at Fair Oaks and taken prisoner there by the Confederacy. His unit went on to participate in numerous major campaigns, among which was a host of the most auspicious engagements of the war, including Antietam, Fredericksburg, the “Mud March,” Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Spotsylvania, and Cold Harbor. How long Powers remained a P.O.W. remains unknown, but it seems reasonable to expect, with the loss of his left arm, he did not return to the battlefield. He was sischarged as “disabled” on February 17th, 1863. Great surges of emotion took place in April of 1865. The fall of Richmond on April 2nd, 1865, and Robert E. Lee’s subsequent surrender to Ulysses S. Grant on April 9th, were proceeded by celebrations and the ringing of bells across the North. John Wilkes Booth’s shooting of Lincoln at Ford’s Theater on April 14th, followed by Lincoln’s death the next morning, swung spirits of great joy and relief to sorrow overnight. On the streets of D.C. on April 15th, one can scarcely imagine the angst and despair as news spread of the assassination. In modern times, following the events of September 11th, 2001, the entire standing inventory of American flags sold out in three days. Surely the mood bore similarities in Washington that day, in 1865, when every available flag was likely to have been accessed and flown. This would explain how a nearly 20-year-old flag was produced for display, say from within the holdings of a Mexican War veteran’s hall, or from a Sanitary Commission hospital where Powell may have been receiving care, with the black fabric affixed by a member of the women’s auxiliary, a patriotic child, or a nurse. At some point Powers moved to Greenwich, Massachusetts,* where he was listed as a “laborer” in the federal census. Likely unable to reemploy his trade as a cobbler, he apparently sought other work. Mary was still present on the 1860 census, but by 1870 is no longer with Nathaniel, who lists his former spouse as “died” when he re-married Sarah Walker, age 30, daughter of Caleb & Rosetta Walker of Greenwich, on July 22nd, 1882. Here he lists his age at “49,” which suggests his approximate date of birth as 1833. It may be that Sarah was merely a caretaker and that Powers married her in order that she may facilitate his pension, then continue to receive it after he passed. Records indicate that Sarah applied on his behalf on April 27th, 1882, listing him as “invalid.” She reapplied on October 18th, 1892, this time listing him as deceased. Death records show that he passed on August 14th, 1892 at the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers in Los Angeles, California, where he was interred and provided with a government headstone. In summary, this is a terrifically rare, pre-Civil war flag, with a wonderful star pattern, photo, and history of Civil War era use for the mourning of Lincoln in the nation’s capital. *It is of interest to note that the town of Greenwich, Massachusetts no longer exists. Previously located about 40 miles due east of Amherst, and 40 miles north and slightly west of Brimfield (now home to one of America’s largest antique flea markets), it was eliminated to create a reservoir. Founded under the name Quabbin (the Algonquian word for “well-watered”) in 1739, and incorporated as Quabbin Parrish in 1754, this became the town of Greenwich. Though it grew to include 7 schools and was a popular vacation spot, as part of the Swift River basin, with many lakes, ponds, and streams, easily accessed via railroad and Rt. 12, the town was unincorporated in 1938. The majority of the land was seized by the state and was soon afterwards underwater, transformed into the largest inland body of water in Massachusetts, known as the Quabbin Reservoir, which became the primary water source for Boston. Mounting: For 25 years we have maintained our own textile conservation department, led by a master’s degree level graduate from one of the nation’s top programs. We take great care in the mounting and preservation of flags and related textiles and have preserved thousands of examples. The flag has been hand-stitched to the mount. The tintype, in its partial case, has been recessed into the mount. The gilded American molding dates to the period between 1830 and the 1850’s. The background is 100% hemp fabric, ivory in color. The glazing is Optimum Museum Acrylic, (U.V. protective, 90% reduced glare, and scratch resistant). Feel free to contact us for more details. Condition: Misprinting of the stripes occurred at the time of printing, due to folds in the fabric. There is modest to moderate fading of the persimmon red pigment. There is minor to modest soiling in limited areas. There is a vertical tear in the canton near the hoist end, extending downward from the top edge, accompanied by minor fabric breakdown and loss closer to the upper hoist end corner. The great rarity of this example, and its interesting history, warrants all of the above. |
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| Video: | |
| Collector Level: | Advanced Collectors and the Person with Everything |
| Flag Type: | Parade flag |
| Star Count: | 29 |
| Earliest Date of Origin: | 1846 |
| Latest Date of Origin: | 1848 |
| State/Affiliation: | Iowa |
| War Association: | 1777-1860 Pre-Civil War |
| Price: | Please call (717) 676-0545 or (717) 502-1281 |
| E-mail: | info@jeffbridgman.com |
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