Frederick Phisterer, New York in the War of the Rebellion, Vol I, (1912), p. 120, lists the following flags of the 75th NY as being preserved in the New York Capitol in Albany:
1. National color, silk; Three-quarters gone; original staff broken by bullets; original cord and tassels.
2. Silk flag, National, in fair condition and mounted on original staff, spearhead and tassels complete. Upon a paper attached to the staff is the following, “75th Regiment N. Y. Vols. Mustered out, August 31, 1865. Lt. Col. Robert P. York, Commanding.”
3. Regimental color, blue silk. Embroidered with coat of arms of the State of New York, and “75th Regiment, N. Y. S. V.”; original staff and tassels. Flag and staff shattered and marked by bullets. Presented to the regiment by the ladies of Auburn.
4. Blue silk regimental banner, in fair condition and mounted on original staff, spearhead missing. Upon each side of the banner appears the arms and motto of the United States and also the inscription, “75th Regiment New York Vols.”, and upon the staff written upon a paper that is pasted thereon, 75th Regiment N. Y. Vols. Mustered out, August 31, 1865. Lt. Col. Robert P. York, Commanding.”
At Port Hudson the gallant color bearer who received the national flag from the ladies of Auburn, was killed, a bullet from the enemy piercing his heart. As he fell the colors were snatched from his death grasp by a corporal, who waved them in defiance.
I suspect that flags 2 and 4 were the last flags issued to the regiment, probably when it re-enlisted for the duration of the war.
Flag 3 was presented to the regiment in the autumn of 1861 and its description appears to identify it as a flag made by Tiffany. An example of a similar flag carried by the 104th NY can be seen on the NY site. Note the embroidered NY arms and the identical pattern of the unit designation.
http://dmna.ny.gov/historic/btlflags/infantry/104thInfReg02.136.htm
Since both a national and regimental flag were said to have been presented by the ladies of Auburn it is probable that Flag 1 had a similar provenance as the regimental colour. An example of a Tiffany national colour borne by the 44th NY can again be seen on the NY site. Note the 34 embroidered white stars in the canton and the lack of any fringe.
http://dmna.ny.gov/historic/btlflags/infantry/44thInfNat02.126.htm
When Tiffany national colours included a unit designation the embroidered lettering usually was done in an elaborate script as can be seen on the colour of the 26th USCT.
http://dmna.ny.gov/historic/btlflags/infantry/26thUSCTNational2005.0076.htm
A stand of Tiffany colours would certainly enhance the appearance of any re-enactment, but I don’t envy anyone who going to undertake all that embroidery work.
Ryan Toews