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CONFEDERATE BATTLE FLAG, ARMY OF THE MI

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:37,500.00 USD Estimated At:75,000.00 - 105,000.00 USD
CONFEDERATE BATTLE FLAG, ARMY OF THE MI
CONFEDERATE BATTLE FLAG, ARMY OF THE MISSISSIPPI VARIANT OF ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA DESIGN - NEW ORLEANS (HENRY CASSIDY) 1862 CONTRACT - VERY POSSIBLY USED AT THE BATTLE OF SHILOH, TENNESSEE, 6-7 APRIL 1862, AND LATER DISPLAYED AT THE AUGUSTA CLOTHING DEPOT ON 1863. In September of 1861, in conference with General Joseph E. Johnston, General P.G.T. Beauregard suggested the idea of an "Army" battle flag that could not be mistaken from the flags carried by the Union Army. The design selected had been proposed earlier as a national flag by South Carolina Congressman, William P. Miles. After agreeing on the shape and sizes for the various branches, Beauregard's Quartermaster ordered a set of the new "battle flags" to be made in Richmond from silks gathered and purchased there, with several sewing circles effecting the actual construction. These new flags were distributed in November and December of 1861but did not see combat until the following spring. Meanwhile, the basic design (a red field traversed by a dark blue St. Andrew's cross bearing stars equal to the number of Confederate states) was promulgated by Johnston and Beauregard to other Confederate Armies that these generals commanded. Beauregard would be responsible for the dispersal of the design to the Confederate Army of the Mississippi in early 1862, and the flags that resulted would be the first to see combat, in the bloody two days' fight at Shiloh, Tennessee, 6-7 April 1862. Beauregard cemented the Confederate Army of the Mississippi together at Corinth, Mississippi from three diverse elements. Bragg's Corps was drawn from the Gulf Coast, and, as the first to arrive, Beauregard furnished Bragg with 50 battle flags from New Orleans ship's chandler Henry Cassidy after their completion on 25 February. Another set of similar battle flags (numbering 51 flags) was purchased from Cassidy on 6 March for Polk's Corps assembling from the upper Mississippi Confederate defenses. Both these sets were essentially square and were purchased in three sizes for infantry, artillery, and cavalry. Yet a third set of battle flags was delivered by Cassidy on 6 March 1862, probably for the two elements of the forces that had held the "Kentucky Line", now falling back to Corinth under Generals Hardee and Crittenden. These 31 battle flags evidently were for what would become Hardee's Corps and Breckenridge's Reserve Corps, though unbeknown to Beauregard, Hardee's units already had a different distinctive battle flag. The 31 battle flags for Hardee's and Crittenden's forces were only in a single size, and more dramatically were decidedly rectangular in shape. This is one of the eight known surviving Cassidy battle flags from the set of 31 flags delivered on 6 March 1862 and later issued as replacement flags during the Spring and Summer of 1862. Like the others, the flag measures approximately 43-1/2" on its hoist by 71-1/2" on its fly. (The 6" wide pink silk border that circumvents all four sides of the field is deteriorated, precluding exact measuring.) In addition to the pink silk border, the field consists of a red woolen/cotton mixture center rectangle traversed by a dark blue woolen/cotton mixture St. Andrew's cross, 8-1/4" wide, edged with white cotton varying between 2" and 2-1/4" wide, and decorated with twelve, white silk SIX POINTED stars, each 6" to 6-1/4" across their points, appliqued to the obverse side, but with the blue from the cross cut away and underhemmed on the reverse to expose the back of the white stars on the obverse. A 1-1/2' wide (when folded) white cotton strip has been folded over the leading edge and sewn; nine hand whipped button hole eyelets pierce the heading to permit a cord (or cords) to secure the flag to its staff, and confirming that the flag had been issued. (Unissued examples from this set have unpierced headings. This flag is associated with Major Lemuel O. Bridewell, who served as Hardee's Chief Quartermaster at the battle of Shiloh, and later became Chief Quartermaster of the Army of the Mississippi after Hardee was briefly elevated to command the Army from 5 to 17 July of 1862. Bridewell later became quartermaster to Brigadier-General Daniel Govan in 1864, but in 1863 he also served as Quartermaster in charge of the Augusta Clothing Depot. It is fitting to note that Bridewell also briefly commanded the Depot in early 1863, and that the Augusta Daily Constitutionalist for 3 February 1863 mentioned that two battle flags carried at Shiloh decorated the windows of the office of the Depot while Bridewell was in command. This may well be one of those two flags. CONDITION: The pink silk border of this flag suffers from the deterioration of its weft fibers but is otherwise restorable. The red field of the flag also shows some deterioration, and there is some mothing at the junction of the arms of the flag's cross. The stars are in excellent condition. Comes with a letter of authentication by noted Confederate flag authority, Howard Madaus. 8-76160 HMM