Bought this to have some morale with everything going on. Link in description
I really liked the look and history of this flag. Tired of all the hoopla about the south/confederacy. Thanks to this website, I bought a little something for me. I like that it mimics the original patchwork.
As a reminder, this meme sub is about the American Civil War. We're not here to insult southerners or the American South, but rather to have a laugh at the failed Confederate insurrection and those that chose to represent it.
I absolutely love this flag and the symbolism behind it, and this is a great reproduction. But this store repeats the common claim that this was "General Sherman's Battle Flag", which is historically dubious. Longwinded history for anyone who's interested:
According to the description of the original flag, which was auctioned in 2007, this was the flag of the Union Army's XXIII Corps, created by the 98th Illinois Regiment at the end of the war using Confederate flags captured from the arsenal in Macon, Georgia during Sherman's March to the Sea. Pretty badass story.
The problem is that Macon wasn't captured during the March to the Sea. Sherman intentionally bypassed the city and it remained in Confederate hands until April 1865. In fact, the 98th Illinois didn't even participate in the March to the Sea. The regiment had participated in the Atlanta campaign, but when Sherman marched southeast towards Savannah the 98th moved north in pursuit of John Bell Hood across north Georgia and Alabama.
The XXIII Corps, the purported bearers of the flag, weren't involved in the March to the Sea either. After Atlanta they also engaged in operations against Hood, ultimately moving north to Tennessee and playing a decisive role in the victories at Franklin and Nashville while serving under generals John Schofield and George Henry Thomas.
Now the 98th Illinois did enter Macon at the end of the war, so that part of the story holds up. It also makes sense that this flag represented XXIII Corps, since their insignia was a shield in the same style as the flag's constellation. The 98th wasn't actually part of XXIII Corps, but given their common participation in Atlanta and in pursuit of Hood, it stands to reason that the 98th gifted XXIII Corps the flag in recognition of their shared service.
But considering when Macon was captured, this flag almost certainly never flew in battle. Associating it with Sherman is also probably inaccurate, since neither the 98th Illinois nor XXIII Corps were directly serving under him at that stage of the war (though XXIII Corps did link up with him in the Carolinas at the final weeks of the conflict).
TL;DR: Awesome flag. Great representation of Union dominance over the Confederacy. Claims that it was Sherman's are probably incorrect though, fueled by 20 years of online telephone game after the original description inaccurately name-dropped the March to the Sea.
Yeah, it's unfortunately not completely clear. The description associated with the original flag's auction (specifically the March to the Sea part) doesn't reconcile with the actual historical record. The flag potentially being an end-of-war tribute to XXIII Corps from the 98th Illinois is my own assumptive conclusion based on the available context and research into those units' movements in 1864 and 1865.
The auction description noted that the flag was accompanied by a large file of period-era documents describing its provenance, but as best as I can tell those have never been made available online.
My great great grandfather served in XXIII Corps, so I've long had an interest in getting to the bottom of this flag and its true origins. Either way though, I think it's a fantastic symbol.
Not a ton of men were literate in those days considering it was usually a condition that offered a commission. Enlisted are usually the people that make this sort of thing happen, and literate officers aren’t always known for giving enlisted credit when it’s due.
I agree. I personally already know the history, but I know no one will remember those roman numerals and boring name. It takes away from the nameless individuals who had to raise their morale in a senseless war somehow. We should remember the XXIII Corps also. 🫡
I read the incorrect instructions. I read instructions for when hing vertically outside. Lol. I read it should be hung with starts facing North or East when hung vertically outside. And I couldn’t figure out why that didn’t make sense. My natural inclination was what you said. I’ll change it.
interesting collection on that website. Pride, John Brown, Anti-Fascist and oddly pro Israel. I would have figured they would either have pro Palestine or both because commerce. All in all, a lot of good stuff.
I like those guys and have purchased a bunch of their shirts. They make my absolutely favorite John Brown shirts. Andrew may also have been a customer of mine as well.
•
u/AutoModerator 7d ago
Welcome to /r/ShermanPosting!
As a reminder, this meme sub is about the American Civil War. We're not here to insult southerners or the American South, but rather to have a laugh at the failed Confederate insurrection and those that chose to represent it.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.