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Re: 16th Georgia Flag
In Response To: Re: 18th Georgia Flag ()

Correction... (my mistake) the flag in question was associated to the "16th Georgia", not the 18th Ga. as I originally posted..

As mentioned the flag was reportedly rather large, silk, gold lace fringe, presented on Oct 17th 1861 in Richmond... Mention of the presentation affair was found in both Richmond and Georgia newspapers... Jeff Davis himself was intended to do the presentation but was tied up with other matters and sent a representative with the flag instead. A few days later they departed Richmond enroute to Yorktown area via train.... This flag witnessed to be held outside in the breeze as the train was leaving...

Inscription on the flag reportedly painted in gold by several period accounts stated “Presented by the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States of America, to their Presiding Officer, Col. Howell Cobb.”​... and may have had unit ID on it also... Knowing many of the fancy presentation flags were soon stowed, returned or gifted when other flags were put in service.

At the Battle of Chancellorsville a curious statement was written in the battle report by Col Daniel G Bingham of the 64th NY reported that, during an assault on his works, the flag of the 16th GA was posted 2 rods from my front..... The colors of the Sixteenth Georgia fell twice, and were afterward placed against a tree, when our men ceased to fire upon it. It was the regular Confederate flag – stars and bars.”​ Hence the speculation if this was the same flag or not.... Was the flag thus marked that identification was easily ascertained... or if the unit was simply identified by other means after the fact and the ID reference applied to the observed flag likewise... is not yet known... Georgia Archives has three flags attributed to the 16th Georgia none of which are the presentation FN flag described above...

Frederick

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18th Georgia Flag
Re: 18th Georgia Flag
Re: 16th Georgia Flag
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