RARE 13th MISSISSIPPI 1st PATTERN ANV BATTLEFLAG

RARE 13th MISSISSIPPI 1st PATTERN ANV BATTLEFLAG

02-23882

This battle worn flag has descended in the family of 13th Mississippi Adjutant Edwin P. Harman and never left till today. Flag is still in 1900 vintage frame with photo of Harman in uniform and tells the history of flag in battle and its presentation at Leesburg, VA December 10, 1861 after Battle of Balls Bluff. A newspaper account tells of presentation “At that moment, as for the first time the beautiful southern cross floated above their heads and unfurled its silken folds, with glittering stars, upon the soft air of that bright day, vow of manly devotion and support went up warm from a thousand consecrated hearts….”. ANV (Army of Northern Virginia) 1st issue battleflags from 1861 are exceedingly rare. There are 2 types, one with painted gold stars, and second like this with white silk stars. They are the first official Southern cross flags and made from silk, later issues are wool bunting and survive in much higher percentages. There were 120 issued, and only 13 survivors with white silk stars. First issue flags such as this had pink or rose colored fields and only 12 stars, no central star, instead of 13 on later issues. This is the only documented privately owned example. An excellent article published online on EmergingCivilWar.com titled “The Pink Confederate Battleflags” by Bryan Cheeseboro is well researched and shows the best surviving flags, the 6th SC’s pink field has faded to white like this example. This flag shows at least 3 distinct bullet holes and its history shows it was carried during The Peninsula Campaign in 1862, Seven Days battles around Richmond, Battle of Antietam, and first Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862 when this battle worn flag was retired and replaced with new issue.

Lt. Edwin P. Harman (1834-1909) who retained this flag and returned it home when on furlough early in 1863, returned to his regiment and was wounded during Battle of the Peach Orchard, July 2, 1863 where the 13th Mississippi’s and brigade commander General William Barksdale was killed. Harman returned to service but his wound lead to complications that forced his retirement in January 1865. He returned home but was captured in Memphis and held as prisoner of war. He survived war to become prominent jurist in Mississippi till moving to Denver Colorado and being noted as among the most prominent attorneys there. In 1893 he was appointed by President Cleveland as registrar of the US Land Office. The Cherry Hills section of Denver was once known as Harmon, Colorado founded by Edwin Harmon’s widow. The Harmon City Hall built in 1891 is now the most prominent mansion of Cherry Hills known as Harmon Hall.

UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: copy of “The Pink Confederate Battleflags” by Bryan Cheeseboro from EmergingCivilWar.com, biographic research of Lt. E P Harman, 66 pages from National Archives on Lt. Harman.

STATUS: NON-GUN