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  VERY RARE CIVIL WAR-PERIOD CONFEDERATE FLAG IN THE THIRD NATIONAL FORMAT, A STYLE ADOPTED JUST 36 DAYS BEFORE THE WAR'S END, MADE OF SILK AND SATIN, WITH BEAUTIFUL COLORATION RED SILK TIES

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): 45.5" x 68.75
Flag Size (H x L): 34.25" x 58.25"
Description....:
VERY RARE CIVIL WAR-PERIOD CONFEDERATE FLAG IN THE THIRD NATIONAL FORMAT, A STYLE ADOPTED JUST 36 DAYS BEFORE THE WAR'S END, MADE OF SILK AND SATIN, WITH BEAUTIFUL COLORATION RED SILK TIES:

This very unusual and particularly beautiful Confederate flag is pieced and sewn of scarlet red, crinkle chiffon silk and silk ribbon, white silk charmeuse, and light blue satin. The Confederacy had three successive national designs and this is the third and final, in official use for just 36 days before Lee's surrender at Appomattox.

The first Confederate national flag looked much like the Stars & Stripes. Also known as "The Stars & Bars," it initially consisted of 7 white stars arranged on a blue canton and three linear stripes, which were instead termed "bars" (2 red with 1 white in-between). As more states seceded, more stars were added, growing to 11 "officially," but sometimes with 13 stars to include Missouri and Kentucky or with a greater number to include more Border States.

Use of the Stars & Stripes and the Stars & Bars on the same battlefield created great confusion. For this reason, the second national Confederate flag was adopted on May 26th, 1863. Known as the Stainless Banner, it was white in color, with the Southern Cross (a.k.a. the Confederate Battle Flag) serving as its canton. Soldiers and officers alike disliked this design because it looked too much like a flag of truce, especially if a unit that was carrying it was headed straight at you and there was no cross wind. If given the opportunity, soldiers would dip the fly end of the flag in blood.

Near the war's end, a red vertical bar was added at the fly end and the result became the third national design. Nicknamed the "blood stained banner," the red did not officially represent blood, according to the Confederate legislature, but rather paid homage to the French, who lent aid to the South during the war. If one were to replace the first two third of the third Confederate national flag, adjacent to the hoist end, with a blue vertical bar, the result would be the French tri-color (the national flag of France). Major Arthur Rogers, however, who redesigned the flag, noted the inadequacies of the Stainless Banner as a military signal and described this new version as having "as little as possible of the Yankee blue."

Because the third national pattern was so short-lived, there was no chance for it to be produced in any quantity. Regimental battle colors were not made in this style and nearly nothing that is war period survives in this interesting design. While the flag has experienced significant soiling, as well as breakdown of the silk fabrics, it was probably not carried in the field. The losses are primarily a result of weighting agents added by silk merchants to increase its value. The purpose of the flag was more likely for general patriotic purpose or as a gift to a significant Confederate military or governmental figure. The use of expensive fabrics supports this theory.

The flag was found with a note, typewritten on ruled paper, that read: "Grandpa Loveland got this rebel flag in Georgia and brought it home when he got discharged from the army. / The quilts were made by aunt Anna / Please keep them in a safe place." Sadly, Loveland's first name and identity remain unknown. Interestingly enough, there was a man by the name of Loveland who fought with the Michigan regiment that captured Jefferson Davis in Georgia, along with his family and a large contingent of his staff, but good records exist regarding their movements and roster and Loveland was not present with the unit in Georgia, nor in the months that immediately preceded the historic event.

Because the lifespan of the 3rd national pattern flag was so short, the most interesting thing about this particular flag is the extreme scarcity of war era examples. Unlike the North, where victory was celebrated and Union veterans' groups organized almost immediately, resulting in the demand for Stars & Stripes flags and lots of patriotic regalia, defeat and the illegality of the organized gathering of military men in the South delayed the production of pro-Confederate flags and banners after the war. It wasn't until well after the end of Reconstruction in 1876 that Southern counterparts to the Grand Army of the Republic, the Union Army's primary veteran's organization, and the Women's Relief Corps, its female contingent, came forth to celebrate their own military brotherhood and Southern heritage. The United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC), established in 1884, actually pre-dating the organizations populated by men. The United Confederate Veterans (UCV), formed in 1889 and served as the primary post-war organization for Confederate soldiers. The women came first because it was safer for them to organize.

Poverty in the South following the war also contributed to a lack of veteran's material and Confederate reunion flags don't appear to have been produced in any great quantity until the 20th century. This is another reason why there is but a very scant number of Confederate flags that survive that date between the tail end of the Civil War and 1865. Almost all flags in the 3rd national pattern specifically are post-1890.

The combination of the bold visual presence of this flag, fine, expensive fabrics, and scarcity provide for a wonderful example.

Construction: The canton of the flag is made of red, crinkle chiffon silk, with appliqued blue satin and white sait stars that are double-appliqued (applied to both sides). The white field is made of plain weave silk charmeuse and the red bar is of the same red fabric used in the canton. There are three ties along the hoist, made of made of red silk ribbon, and the perimeter was bound in the same white silk that was used in the field. The entire flag was pieced and appliqued with treadle stitching.

Mounting: This is a pressure-mount between U.V. protective acrylic and 100% cotton twill, black in color, which was washed to reduce excess dye. An acid-free agent was added to the wash to further set the dye and the fabric was heat-treated for the same purpose.

Condition: There is substantial breakdown in the silk fabric throughout, caused by the addition of weighting agents in the silk fabric. This is common in silk flags of the Civil war period and after, through the 1st quarter of the 20th century. 100% natural fabrics of similar coloration were placed behind the flag for masking purposes. There is minor water staining throughout. many of my clients prefer early flags to show their age and history of use.
Collector Level: Advanced Collectors and the Person with Everything
Flag Type: Sewn flag
Star Count:
Earliest Date of Origin: 1865
Latest Date of Origin: 1865
State/Affiliation: The Confederacy
War Association: 1861-1865 Civil War
Price: SOLD
 

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