Ben,

When I toured the Iowa state flags collection some years ago I saw the US colors that they carried at Fort Donelson in their collections. This flag hung for years behind the rostrum of the Iowa state House of Representatives after the war before being turned over to the Iowa Historical Society in Des Moines.

The flag gained such prominence due to it being the first US colors planted on the outer works at Fort Donelson in the attack of Gen. C.F. Smith's Division on the afternoon of February 15th, 1862. The last color bearer (several others were shot down before him) was Voltaire Paine Twombly and he was awarded the Medal of Honor for doing so in the 1890s. The Fort Donelson National Battlefield has his medal in the park museum.

The 2nd Iowa, while still in St. Louis, did something that angered Henry Halleck and when they marched to the steamboat to carry them to Fort Donelson they were ordered to march with their colors furled. So the regiment was really itching to get some glory and redeem themselves at Donelson.

Greg Biggs