From the reports from Union officers, the 33rd states they captured 2 colors from Bell. The 33rd MO captured one and a letter from LTC Heath discusses its capture. Also, in town where the MO troops were hemmed in, a capture of 2 flags are mentioned. The information that accompanied these flags states:

These flags were captured by union soldiers of the 33rd Iowa Infantry Regiment under lt. Col. C. H. Mackey, shortly before noon, July 4, 1963. On the Northwestern slope of Hindman Hill near the present Arkansas Street in the Park Hill area. When approximately 200 men, with their Colonel S. S. Bell, failed to receive the order to retreat and were surrounded by Union Troops. The flags were taken by Col. Mackey to his house in Sigourney, Iowa and later placed in the Iowa State Museum.

These flags were loaned to Helena, Arkansas on June 7th 1963 for the Civil War Centennial celebration.

The Polk flag is complete and in good condition. The presence of a small blood stain is noted on the center of the field. Size: 51 ¾ by 72 inches.

The 2nd National CSA is a modified form of the flag or local construction. (Note here the reference to LOCAL CONSTRUCTION. A> RUSHING) The white field is composed of three stripes of white silk and the canton is a blue silk square with a red –St. Andrews-cross sewn over it. Upon this is applied the star pattern which is in the form of a circle. Only five of the 5” stars remain. The hoist end and canton is greatly decreased in an irregular pattern from what appears to be souveniring or early attempts to conserve the flag. True size is undetermined but reaming fragments are 65 1/8 by 32 inches.

The two Civil War flags of the 37th Arkansas Infantry, CSA which are in our possession were presented by Col. Mackey and the Adjutant General of Iowa. The records of them are not real precise but I hope I can provide some information for you.

They were presented formally in 1894 to the State Historical Department here Des Moines. Apparently one by the Adjutant General of Iowa and our 2nd Biennial report list one as a presentation by Col. MacKey (1894). This would be after the 1894 reunion of the 33rd Iowa and about the time the Iowa regimental flags were placed in the capitol.