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Rare Form, Visually Striking, Very Early Confederate 1st National Flag Accompanied by Complete Authentication and Analysis Doc...
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Description
Rare Form, Visually Striking, Very Early Confederate 1st National Flag Accompanied by Complete Authentication and Analysis Documents from Noted Flag Authority Fonda S. Thomsen. The flag is 67" on the hoist and 95½" on the fly and constructed of wool flannel with twelve wool stars, applied to both sides of the canton. The stars are constructed of the same fabric as the white bar with the center star measuring 12" from point to point and the eleven smaller stars 8". Despite the apparent compression of the stars on the left side of the canton the thread is consistent with the original construction. The flag is hand sewn except for the horizontal seams joining the bars which were sewn with a lock stitch machine. The sewing threads used in the machine were also used in the hand stitching. The top and bottom edges of the flag are bound with white silk ribbon, while the leading edge is turned to the reverse forming a ½" hem. The hem has nine pairs of ties, all constructed of plain woven 5/8" tape except for the second from the top which is a twill tape. The top and bottom pairs of ties are sewn to the hem while the rest have been inserted through a punched hole in the fabric. It is Ms. Thomsen's belief that only the top, bottom, and second from the bottom ties were applied when the flag was constructed. with the others being replaced during what she deems was "a period of use, probably heavy but of short duration, as the fading is not significant," a typical description of a field used flag. It is also Ms. Thomsen's belief that during the period of use the fly of the flag became tattered and was "neatened" and repaired, probably numerous times, so the original length of the flag cannot be determined, but the flag was probably originally at least 5" longer. She dates the flag to the period July through November 1861. The flag is constructed in the pattern of the first flag approved for use by the Confederate Congress in 1861. In July 1861 the flag officially had eleven stars, with the addition of Missouri bringing the number to twelve. With the addition of Kentucky in December, the official pattern would have included thirteen stars, thus very few twelve star flags were constructed, with only a handful of examples remaining. An example carried in the field by Company D, 6th Georgia State Troops, is now in the collection of the Georgia State Museum. The condition of the flag is "as found," with the larger areas of damage visible in the photograph probably caused by rodents, the smaller ones insects. The discolored spots on the blue canton and white bar are, in fact, probably the result of rodent urine. The flag is quite sound and the colors vibrant. A very rare Confederate flag in desirable untouched condition.Auction Info
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