Technically this is a stolen flag from the US government and should be sent to the MOC by Minnesota. It was properly sent to the War Department during the Civil War and it bears today the WD capture number on it. This was "loaned" to a reunion of the 1st Minnesota in the early 1900s and never sent back - hence under its WD listing it states, "loaned and never returned." That makes it stolen by any legal definition. There is even some legal challenges that the then Secretary of War even had the legal right to loan out these flags (there are several that were loaned and not returned).

It would take the Defense Department to go after this to get it back.

The flags sent directly to Minnesota during the war are theirs to keep and do with as they please.

Greg Biggs