U.S. Army 9th Army Corps, 2nd Division HQ Flag

U.S. Army Division Headquarters Flag, 2nd Div., 9th Army Corps, 1864-1865.
This flag was part of the first set of headquarters flags that General Burnside ordered in the Spring of 1864 for the four divisions and the eight brigades of his 9th Army Corps Division. The badge in the flag's center identifies it as belonging to the 9th Army Corps, while the color of the field (white) identifies it as that of the headquarters of the 2nd Division of that corps. This flag was present in five major Civil War battles: The Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, Cold Harbor, and the siege of Petersburg, including the infamous battle of the Crater. It is one of the best documented designation flags of the Union Army and is one of the few specimens of this caliber still in private hands. Documented not only with historical records but also two photos of the period (1864) showing this flag with two of the Union Generals it served with at the time.



Brigadier General Robert B. Potter with the 9th Army Corps 2nd Division flag behind him. Of special note: The figure of Matthew Brady is visible in the uncropped image of this photograph


The field consists of a white wool/bunting rectangle with a dark blue bunting border on all four sides. In the center of the field is a medium blue cotton shield bearing an appliquéd red cotton anchor. The shield with crossed anchor and cannon were adopted in April of 1864 as the corps badge of the Union 9th Army Corps. A white canvas heading, 1.25 inches wide, finishes the staff edge, and serves as a sleeve for a single piece of rope that passes through the heading and is looped into the eyelet at each end where a pair of ties can pass through the looped eyelets for securing the flag to its staff.

Publication History
Wright, Horatio, editor, Flags of the Army of the United States Carried During The War of the Rebellion 1861-1865, To Designate the Headquarters of the different Armies, Army Corps, Divisions and Brigades, or "Designating Flags of the United States Army, 1861-1865", Philadelphia, Burk & McFetridge, 1887/1888, P. 9th Corps. (NOTE: The actual surviving flag differs from the illustration,)

Provenance:
• 2nd Division, 9th Army Corps used by General Potter, 1864
• Retained by General Potter as a memento of service until passing,1887
• By descent in the Potter family.
• Acquired by Paul Millikan, Mattenoon, Mich from the Potter Family.
• Sold to Bob Walter, Arlington, Ill; by Paul Millikan.
• Acquired through purchase by Courtney Wilson, Baltimore, MD.
• Acquired by Barry Strohm, Washington, D.C. from Courtney Wilson.
• Offered through James D. Julia Auction and acquired by ZFC in 1998.
Deaccessed Heritage Auctions - 13 November 2023 - Auction 6276




Sources:

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Madaus, Howard M.- Whitney Smith, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict, VZ Publications, Santa Cruz, 2006.

Madaus, Howard M., correspondence to Ben Zaricor, 1 May 1998, Zaricor Flag Collection Archives.

Wright, Horatio, editor, Flags of the Army of the United States Carried During The War of the Rebellion 1861-1865, To Designate the Headquarters of the different Armies, Army Corps, Divisions and Brigades, or "Designating Flags of the United States Army, 1861-1865", Philadelphia, Burk & McFetridge, 1887/1888

Todd, Frederick P., American Military Equipage 1851-1872, Volume 2, Providence, The Company of Military Historians, 1977.

Woodhead, Henry, ed., Flags, Echoes of Glory: Arms and Equipment of The Union, New York, Time Life Books, 1998.

Katcher, Phillip, Flags of the American Civil War, 2: Union, London, Osprey, 1993.

Courtney Wilson, Curator of the B&O Railroad Museum, Baltimore, MD, Conversation with Ben Zaricor, 29 April 1998, Zaricor Flag Collection Archives.

IX Corps (Ninth Army Corps), Wikipedia, 13 November 2100, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IX_Corps_%28Union_Army%29

Image Credits:
Zaricor Flag Collection


(Formerly in the U.S. Military Sub-collection.)

Hoist & Fly
Width of Hoist	45
Length of Fly	59.5

Frame
Is it framed?	yes
Frame Height	48.5
Frame Length	68.5

Stars
Are there stars on obverse?	no
Are there stars on reverse?	no

Stripes
Has a Blood Stripe?	no

Nationality
Nation Represented	United States

Fabric
Fabric	Wool

Stitching
Stitching	Hand

Weave
Type of Weave	Plain

Attachment
Comments on Method of Attachmen	Rope through header
Method of Attachment	Roped-header

Applica
Applique Sides	Single Faced = Mirror Image Reverse

Documentation
Documents	All original documents and drawings are held in the Zaricor Flag Collection Archives.
Drawings
Research Documents
Public Copy & Signs

Condition
Condition	Fair
Damage	Used, Worn, Torn
Displayable	yes

Date
Date	1864

Exhibits

Exhibition Copy

Exhibition History First Presidio Exhibit (ZFC0416) CIVIL WAR DIVISION HEADQUARTERS FLAG, 2ND DIVISION, 9TH ARMY CORPS Date: 1864 Media: Wool bunting and cotton; all hand sewn Comment: During the Civil War, a tremendous number of state volunteers were federalized into the U.S. Army. The smaller volunteer units were organized into companies, ten of which formed a regiment the basic fighting unit of the War. Where regiments were concentrated, brigades of two or (usually) more regiments were formed. In turn brigades were joined to form divisions, while two or more divisions formed an army corps. The 9th Army Corps was established in 1862 and, after service in five Southern states in 1862 and 1863, it returned to Virginia in 1864 under General Ambrose Burnside to assist in General Grants Overland Campaign toward Richmond. During the early months of 1864, the 9th Army Corps fought in the devastating Battles of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, Cold Harbor, and finally at Petersburg. On 30 July, 1864, the 9th Corps was the main Union component in the bloody fiasco of The Crater. During all these actions the 2nd Division of the 9th Army Corps was commanded by Brigadier General Robert B. Potter. This flag followed Potter in camp and in battle, marking the location of his headquarters. It bears the distinctive insignia of the 9th Army Corps crossed cannon barrel and anchor on a shield to symbolize the Corps amphibious service in North Carolina in 1862. This badge is set on a white field, the distinctive color of 2nd Divisions of Army Corps. It was bordered in blue, presumably to set the flag off when displayed against a cloudy sky. After the Battles of Petersburg in July and August 1864, the battered 9th Army Corps was reorganized and this flag was retired, becoming a personal possession of the Potter family. Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection (ZFC0416) in 1998 through the Julia Auction House of Portland, ME, previously part of the Robert Walters Collection. Second Presidio Exhibit, 2003 - Gallery IV (ZFC0416) Civil War Division Headquarters Flag, 2nd Division, 9th Army Corps Date: 1864 Media: Wool bunting and cotton; all hand-sewn Comment: During the Civil War tremendous numbers of state volunteers were incorporated into the U.S. Army. The smaller volunteer units were organized into companies, ten of which formed a regimentthe basic fighting unit of the War. Where regiments were concentrated, brigades of two or (usually) more regiments were formed. In turn brigades were joined to form divisions, while two or more divisions formed an army corps. The 9th Army Corps was established in 1862 and, after service in five Southern states in 1862 and 1863, it returned to Virginia in 1864 under General Ambrose Burnside to assist in General Grants Overland Campaign toward Richmond. During the early months of 1864, the 9th Army Corps fought in the devastating Battles of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, Cold Harbor, and finally at Petersburg. On July 30, 1864, the 9th Corps was the main Union component in the bloody fiasco of "The Crater." During all these actions the 2nd Division of the 9th Army Corps was commanded by Brigadier General Robert B. Potter. This flag followed Potter in camp and in battle, marking the location of his headquarters. It bears the distinctive insignia of the 9th Army Corpsa crossed cannon barrel and anchor on a shieldto symbolize the Corps amphibious service in North Carolina in 1862. Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection (ZFC0416) in 1998 through the Julia Auction House of Portland, ME Madaus, Howard M., Dr, Whitney Smith, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict. Santa Cruz: VZ Publications, 2006, p. 77. Civil War Division Headquarters Flag 2nd Division, 9th Army Corps During the Civil War thousands of state volunteers were incorporated into the U.S. Army. The smaller volunteer units were organized into companies, ten of which formed a regimentthe basic fighting unit of the War. Where regiments were concentrated, brigades of two more regiments were formed. In turn brigades were joined to form divisions, while two or more divisions formed an army corps. The 9th Army Corps was established in 1862. After service in five Southern states in 1862 and 1863, it returned to Virginia in 1864 under General Ambrose Burnside. During the early months of 1864, the 9th Army Corps fought in the devastating Battles of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, Cold Harbor, and finally at Petersburg. On July 30, 1864, the 9th Corps was the main Union component in the bloody fiasco of The Crater. During all these actions the 2nd Division of the 9th Army Corps was commanded by Brigadier General Robert B. Potter. Date: 1864 Size: 45" hoist x 59.5" fly Media: Wool bunting and cotton; all hand-sewn Provenance: Acquired from the descendants of General Potter by Paul Milikan, Mattenoon, Mich.; sold to Bob Walter of Arlington, Ill; sold to Courtney Wilson, Baltimore, MD; sold to Barry Strohm, Washington, D.C.; who offered it through J.D. Julia Auction House where it was acquired in 1998 by the Zaricor Flag Collection. ZFC0416

Publications
Publication Images	Cover Frontispiece datail Frontispiece Gen. Sheridan's Battle Flags Gen. Custer's Flags Artillery Regimental Infantry Regimental Cavalry & Light Artillery 9th Army Corps 15th Army Corps Cavalry corps