Civil War Flags

Battle flags was a term used for the flags carried by Civil War regiments. Both armies used flags, which they also referred to as colors, to locate their troops on the battlefield, in camp, and while on the march. Battle flags were used to guide soldiers in battle. Wherever the flags went, the soldiers followed. Flags led the charge or led the retreat. A regiment's flag was carried by a color sergeant who was the central man in the color guard. A color guard was composed of six corporals whose job was to protect the color sergeants and the flags of the regiment. The regiment's flag was a great source of pride in each regiment and to lose the flag in battle was a great disgrace. The capture of an opponent's flag was, in turn, a great honor. While infantry regiments had their flags, there were also special flags made for headquarters, the artillery, cavalry, and even the quartermaster and engineers- almost every unit had one! Columns of soldiers marching toward Gettysburg were easily identified by the colorful flags that each unit carried, most having the name of the regiment painted on them.

Confederate regiments usually carried one flag of a particular design depending upon the army they served in. The Army of Northern Virginia battleflag was made of heavy cotton or wool in the shape of a red square with a St. Andrews cross of blue stripes and 13 white stars. The field was usually outlined in white cotton. The flags were marked with the number and state initials of the regiment. Some regiments even went so far as to put the names of battles in which they participated in on their flags, which they called battle honors. More battle honors on the flag meant more prestige for the regiment. Very few of Lee's regiments carried flags from their home state or flags of another design. This standard flag helped indetify friend from foe in teh thick of battle. Confederate armies in the west and deep south had flags with different designs. A common Confederate battle flag seen in the western army was made of blue wool with a white sphere in the center.

Union regiments in The Army of the Potomac were issued two flags, a national flag and a regimental flag. The regimental flag was made of blue silk with a painted eagle and banner on both sides that included the number and state of the regiment. Some regiments, including those from Pennsylvania, carried specially made flags that included the state coat of arms in the blue field and regimental designations painted in gold on the stripes. Smaller flags or guidons were used to designate the flanks or ends of each regiment. Because the flags were made of silk, they wore out very easily from daily use and battle damage. The numbers and stars were painted on the silk and often wore or faded out very rapidly. Worn flags were sometimes replaced and the old flags retired to the states for safe keeping. Some of these old flags, still bearing the scars of battle, survive today in state archives and halls of history.

Battle flag of the 28th North Carolina Infantry

This flag is a true veteran of the Battle of Gettysburg. It was captured by Union troops on July 3 during "Pickett's Charge". Today it resides in the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, Virginia.

(photo courtesy of Museum of the Confederacy)

The first flag of the 11th Pennsylvania Reserves

The regiment was officially designated the 40th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, but was also called the 11th Pennsylvania Reserves, a regiment of the "Pennsylvania Reserve Corps". This flag is in the Pennsylvania state capitol in Harrisburg.

(photo from Dr. Richard Sauers, Advance the Colors!, Pennsylvania Civil War Battle Flags , Capitol Preservation Committee, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA, 1987)

Kids Zone Exhibits
Battle of Gettysburg
Civil War State Battle Maps
Summary of the Civil War
Civil War Cooking
Civil War Exhibits
Women in the War
Civil War Store

American Civil War Young Reader Book Titles
Allen Jay and the Underground Railroad Allen Jay and the Underground Railroad is the retelling of a man's recollections of his first experience helping an escaped slave. The book brings the underground railroad down to the level primary students can comprehend. This book makes for wonderful discussions regarding overcoming one's fears, going against the norm and doing what you believe to be morally correct.	The Glory Cloak: A Novel of Louisa May Alcott and Clara Barton From childhood, Susan Gray and her cousin Louisa May Alcott have shared a safe, insular world of outdoor adventures and grand amateur theater -- a world that begins to evaporate with the outbreak of the Civil War. Frustrated with sewing uniforms and wrapping bandages, the two women journey to Washington, D.C.'s Union Hospital to volunteer as nurses.	The Civil War for Kids History explodes in this activity guide spanning the turmoil preceding secession, the first shots fired at Fort Sumter, the fierce battles on land and sea, and finally the Confederate surrender at Appomattox. Making butternut dye for a Rebel uniform, learning drills and signals with flags, decoding wigwag, baking hardtack, reenacting battles, and making a medicine kit bring this pivotal period in our nation's history to life.	Eye Witness Civil War Eyewitness Civil War includes everything from the issues that divided the country, to the battles that shaped the conflict, to the birth of the reunited states. Rich, full-color photographs of rare documents, powerful weapons, and priceless artifacts plus stunning images of legendary commanders, unsung heroes, and memorable heroines
If You Lived at the Time of the Civil War All of the "If you Lived at the Time of..." books are great for kids, and also a nice, quick read for adults! What I like about them is their layout, which is easy for readers to follow. Each page begins with a question, "Would you have seen a battle in the South?" for example. Nicely drawn illustrations accompany each answer.	Day Of Tears Through flashbacks and flash-forwards, and shifting first-person points of view, readers will travel with Emma and others through time and place, and come to understand that every decision has its consequences, and final judgment is passed down not by man, but by his maker.	Night Boat To Freedom Night Boat to Freedom is a wonderful story about the Underground Railroad, as told from the point of view of two "ordinary" people who made it possible. Beyond that, it is a story about dignity and courage, and a devotion to the ideal of freedom.	Epic Battles of the Civil War Historical Comics Marvel, First Bull Run First major batle of the War. The union army marched from Washington, D.C. with the expectation that following this battle they would proceed to Richmond Virginia, and end the war. Instead, the Union Army was defeated
Turn Homeward, Hannalee During the closing days of the Civil War, plucky 12-year-old Hannalee Reed, sent north to work in a Yankee mill, struggles to return to the family she left behind in war-torn Georgia. "A fast-moving novel based upon an actual historical incident with a spunky heroine and fine historical detail."--School Library Journal.	My Brothers Keeper Virginia Dickens is angry. Her father and brother Jed have left her behind while they go off to Uncle Jack's farm to help him hide his horses from Confederate raiders. It's the summer of 1863 and Pa and Jed believe 9-year-old Virginia will be out of harm's way in the sleepy little town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.	Abe Lincoln: The Boy Who Loved Books Children of all ages will enjoy reading this book and realizing that a love of books, as Abraham Lincoln did, can change a persons life and move him or her to become a great person	The President Is Shot!: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln Grade 6-10 --Description of the violent end to Lincoln's life. Holzer provides the Civil War context of the event and then details April 14 and 15, 1865. Why Murder Lincoln?, to demonstrate that this president was not always the universally beloved icon that students see him as today.
Donnybrook: The Battle of Bull Run, 1861 One of the better overviews of the campaign and battle of First Manassas or Bull Run. The book is very easy to read and is broken down in manageable chunks, with the events before and after the battle.	Drummer Boy at Bull Run You get to know two families during the Civil War. It focuses on the two teens Jeff and Leah who go through struggles with their friendship as Jeff's family joins the confederacy.	The Civil War Songbook This collection of "War Between the States" music has been the standard one in the re-enacting circuit for many years now. The sheet music is published just as it was originally and it contains some of the best known classic songs.	Cherry Ames Boxed Set Student Nurse, Senior Nurse, Army Nurse & Chief Nurse With a heart of pure gold and a true yearning to make a difference in the world, eighteen-year-old Cherry Ames leaves her hometown and enters nursing school, embarking on a lifetime of adventures.

American Civil War DVD Movie Titles
Blue Vs. Gray - Killing Fields Relive the most vicious fighting of the Civil War, in which General Ulysses S. Grant forcibly reversed the tide of the conflict by paying with the blood of thousands. It was a desperate time for the Union	Ride With The Devil The bloody feud among neighbors in the border state of Missouri. In this war zone the destinies of several young Southern bushwhackers as they experience the violence and the seasons	Civil War Journal - The Conflict Begins These four programs from the History Channel series Civil War Journal cover critical aspects of the early days of the war.	The Civil War - A Film by Ken Burns Here is the saga of celebrated generals and ordinary soldiers, a heroic and transcendent president and a country that had to divide itself in two in order to become one
History Channel Presents The Civil War From Harper's Ferry, Fort Sumter, and First Bull Run to Shiloh, Antietam, and Gettysburg. The most legendary Civil War battles in brilliant detail. A selection of the soldiers and legendary leaders.	Brother Against Brother: The American Civil War Fort Sumter, to the Confederate surrender at Appomattox, Features battle reconstructions and depictions of army life, eyewitness accounts, period photographs and engravings, plus commentary and analyses.	Civil War Journal Collector's Edition 4-DVD Set Made exclusively for Books Are Fun. Discs include: · Stonewall Jackson · Sherman and the March to the Sea · West Point Classmates-Civil War Enemies · Robert E. Lee · Battle of 1st Bull Run · The 54th Massachusetts · John Brown s War · Destiny at Fort Sumter	The Blue and the Gray The Complete Miniseries The Civil War proved a backdrop for this 1982 miniseries. Complete and uncut three disc set. Two families divided by the War Between the States. A Southerner caught when he becomes a war correspondent for the Northern newspaper. He finds himself where history's in the making from the Battle of Bull Run to Abraham Lincoln's assassination

National Park Service
Gettysburg National Military Park
97 Taneytown Road
Gettysburg, PA 17325