Brent, The mistake is not yours. What you stated is what is said by the museum.

What I said is mearly based on recorded events in the saga of the CSS Arkansas. And the very serious question of where did they get this flag? To me the story they tell is suspect, because there are only two case where a union sailor could have taken the flag.

One is the Vicksburg fight, which is the story that the museum says happened. But there is no recorded confirmation of such an incident happening. And if it had happened like they say the sailor would have surely, and rightly, won the Congressional Medal of Honor.

The fact the their story says the flag was found after the fight in a barrel of (I believe) potatoes tells me that this flag was not captured in such a manner, or it would have been considered a honored Battle Trophy.

The second in my option is when the "Arkansas" was scuddled. The Flag may have remained flag as the Arkansas was sunk, Which would have been a normal honor for a fighting ship to go down with her Flag flying. But the "Queen of the West" was no where near the "Arkansas" for anyone of it crew to take the flag from the "Arkansas" burning hulk, at that time.

Personally I believe that the flag was one of those taken fron one of the several Confederate Vessels that were captured at the Battle of Memphis in June 1862. Or maybe a non combatant vessel like the capture of the "Fairplay" transporting supplys across the Mississippi River.

I am assuming that the Museum accepts the story is because of the fame of the "CSS Arkansas" would add to the prestige of their museum.