I recently was able to examine the flag staff identified to the 12th Virginia Infantry, that was shot in half at the Battle of the Crater in July 1864 as part of the petersburg campaign.

The length I cannot determine what it originally was since its in two halves and appear that an unknown length segment might be missing. It was "patched" by using a section of a ramrod. What remains is about 6 feet. I could see two other bullet strikes on it, one a graze then another appear to hit it square on. Appears the bullet was dug out of the staff at some point leaving a gaping carved up hole.

The type of wood I could not determine since it appears to have been coated with something at some point in the past. Its diameter was 1.25 inches. The upper 9 inches or so was tapered down to about 1 inch. The bottom had a metalic tapered cup/cone. The top spear of the flag staff is a halebert style . The forward "blade" of which appears to have also recieved a bullet strike and is bent sideways. This attached to another metalic sleeve at the top end of the pole using two pins. The metal type of these is obscured since it appears to have been painted with flat black paint. It appears to be a very well made detailed flag staff. In my opinion it appears a bit delicate in design and nature to have originally been intended for field use, but it obviously was.

Frederick