When you get the OoB for both Mansfield and Pleasant Hill you will notice that the Union forces at the two battles are somewhat different. This is because the 13th Corp was so badly mauled at Mansfield that it did not participate in the second battle at all.

The 8th Wisconsin national flag was ordered by the state from the Chicago firm of Gilbert Hubbard & Co. on the 8th of August 1861. Some corrections or changes were needed to the flag and it was re-ordered on 20 August. The flag was finally delivered on the 5th of September and subsequently presented to the regiment.

Like a number of other Hubbard national flags the dark blue canton had 34 gold painted stars arranged in six rows of 5-6-6-6-6-5 stars. The flag did not have any fringes on its outer edges.

The battle honours appear to have been added at several different times, judging from the different styles of the lettering. The first five (FREDERICKTOWN; NEW MADRID 6th - 14th Mar.; ISLAND No 10.; FARMINGTON; SEIGE OF CORINTH.) were probably applied sometime after the capture of Corinth, Mississippi in early June 1862.

The next two honours (IUKA; CORINTH 3rd & 4th Oct.) were likely added in late 1862.

The last four honours (JACKSON, MISS.; SEIGE AND ASSAULT ON VICKBURG MAY 22nd.; PLEASANT HILL.; MANSURA) each have different style of script and may have been added individually at some time after each engagement.

Ryan