Osprey Men-at-Arms 265 : Flags of the American Civil War (3) : State and Volunteer

Most Civil War soldiers, although they served in a national Union or Confederate Army, fought under a state designation and often felt that they were representing their state as much as their country. So it was only natural that many carried state flags, or national flags with state seals and mottos, as their regimental colours. Indeed, for a time many Confederate troops were ordered to carry state flags since the Confederate first national flag was so like the US national flag that commanders were often confused by the two in the smoke of battle. A number of units, especially in the more well-to-do Union Army where time and money was available for special extras, carried unique flags which violated their army regulations: The historian of the 9th Ohio Infantry Regiment reported: 'On May 10 a number of men from Cincinnati, on behalf of Cincinnati's German women, had come to give us a flag. Thirteen gold stars rode in a field of blue silk above a pennant inscribed, on one side, 'To Cincinnati's first German regiment', and on the other, 'Fight bravely for Freedom and Justice.'.'. Philip Katcher explores the flags of the State and Volunteer troops of the American Civil War complemented by many photographs and illustrations, including eight full page colour plates by Rick Scollins and Gerry Embleton

Contents

• Introduction
• US Army Brigade Flags
• US Artillery Battery Flags
• Flags of the US Coloured Troops
• The Plates