The Civil War Flags Collection
BlogThe Civil War Flags Collection is one of the most popular stops for 30,000 visitors who tour the State Capitol each year. The collection, which began in 1863, is the largest in the world and has more than 2,000 battle flags. Some of them have remarkable stories. There’s the second issued color for a 97th Pennsylvania regiment that shows signs of battle with a bloodstain from a wounded flag-bearer and 107 bullet holes, and a guidon from the 17th Indiana Mounted Infantry that belonged to Colonel John Wilder’s “Lightning Brigade” at the Battle of Chickamauga. Women often commissioned or created unique flags for their local regiments, and the collection has a number of them. They can range from the size of a small pin to a 12 foot naval flag, but most have a story behind them.Find out:ultimateflags.com
Many of the flags in the collection have been damaged by the years. The crowded conditions of their display cases have resulted in dirt build-up, light exposure has caused fibers to deteriorate and gravity stresses the rolled, vertical flags. Several have been professionally conserved.
Remembering the Conflict: Civil War Flags Collection
For Jason Patterson, a 38-year-old visual artist and confessed “flag nerd” (more formally known as a vexillophile), the collection is the source of his fascination with the nation’s tumultuous antebellum and Civil War history. His latest project is a series of paintings that celebrate the history of the states represented in the collection.