U.S. Antebellum Sling, State Vols. 1840-1850
The Howard Michael Madaus sub-collection of Civil War Military Flags was assembled from a variety of sources over a thirty year period of collecting (1970-2000) before being acquired by the Zaricor Collection in the year 2000. The Madaus sub-collection attempts to present an example of each of the major types of depot contractor regulation flags and colors carried by Union forces at the basic unit levels, i.e. regiment, battalion, company, and battery, as well as several types of general military flags.
This sub-collection is the largest and, while not complete, the most comprehensive collection of military flags carried by the Union Army during the Civil War outside of state repositories designated by the War Department for the disposition of these flags after the War and, also, discounting public museum collections. Though, in fact, this private collection is larger and more comprehensive than many of the public museum collections in the United States.
These are accessories for a "Stand of Colors". The Madaus collection of American Civil War Flags also includes flag staffs, cords & tassels, and flag slings. The collection includes six flag staffs identified from the Civil War period, six sets of cords & tassels- four of Civil War vintage and two from a later period, as well as twenty variations of flag slings and belts, dating from before the war, through the Civil War and on into the first two decades of the twentieth century.
ZFC Significant Flag
Sources:
Madaus, Howard M., The Accessories for a "Stand of Colors" The Madaus Collection of Staffs, Cords & Tassels and Flag Slings, research for Ben Zaricor, September 2001, Zaricor Flag Collection Archives.
Image Credits:
Zaricor Flag Collection
