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COMMEMORATIVE CIVIL WAR 2ND CORPS DESIGNATING FLAG

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:150.00 USD Estimated At:300.00 - 600.00 USD
COMMEMORATIVE CIVIL WAR 2ND CORPS DESIGNATING FLAG

54” x 70” bunting, triangular white field, blue trefoil, red stripe hoist. In 1862, Union General George McClellan developed a system of corps, division, brigade and regimental designating flags to mark unit headquarters both on the battlefield and off. Sadly, the system was far too complicated and by 1863 it was replaced by a much better and easier system of flags proposed by General Daniel Butterfield beginning in February. While not of the Civil War period, this flag is an example of a Butterfield designed designating flag. The central device is a trefoil.
This flag represents the 3rd Brigade of the Second Division of the U.S. Second Corps, Army of the Potomac. The corps was created on March 3, 1862 by President Abraham Lincoln and announced officially via General Order No. 101 on March 13th. It served the Army of the Potomac in most of the famous battles of the Eastern Theater from 1862 into 1865 when it was disbanded on June 28, 1865 via General Order No. 35. Some of the most famous regiments and brigades of this army served in the Second Corps.
The flag of the Third Division, Second Corps, was white with a blue trefoil in the center. Each of the brigade flags were also white with the trefoil also being blue of which there were four. The First Brigade’s flag was all white; Second Brigade added a red bar along the hoist edge; Third Brigade had a red bar around the exterior of the flag and the Fourth Brigade added red colored corners.
The Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of American History holds a number of actual Union Army designating flags plus a number of those made after the war probably for commemorative purposes.
CONDITION: very good to fine. (02-17547-47/JS). $300-600.