Greg,
I understand that Merrifield made the claim (twice) that he found the unmarked and unidentified flag on the field that he claims was the flag of the 1st/4th and that he sent the flag to Chicago where it was burned. Since you doubt the O.R. claims of various sources, it makes it a matter of belief on either side. I prefer to believe Peter Woolf's claim since the flag was seen by various people as marked and identified as belonging to the 1st/4th Missouri.
Glenn