This significant U.S. Bunting Company, press-dyed, 13-star Navy 'Boat Flag' was once owned by Gettysburg historian John Badger Batchelder.
A U.S. Navy 7-foot Boat Ensign that was once owned by famed Gettysburg historian and monument authority, "Colonel" John Badger Batchelder. This flag now measures 45" on the hoist by 74" on the fly, but originally measured 84" when made.
In 1865, Maj-Gen Benjamin Butler and D.W.C Farrington founded the United States Bunting Company, which was awarded the patents of John Holt of Massachusetts in 1867 and 1870. It is in accordance with those two patents that this flag has been made.
The field consists of two sheets of wool bunting, the upper sheet is 25" wide and imprinted with 7 stripes whilst the lower sheet is 20-1/2" wide and imprinted with 6 stripes, these are jointed horizontally by hand to form a field of thirteen horizontal, alternating red and white stripes. Inset into the upper, hoist corner (primarily by hand but with one vertical machine seam) is a width of wool bunting, 24-1/2" high on the hoist by 37" long on the fly, which has been press-dyed dark blue so as to leave a clear impression of the thirteen (13) white, 5-pointed stars, which are each 5-1/2" across their points and set in five horizontal, staggered rows: 3-2-3-2-3.
A white canvas heading has been hand sewn to the leading edge of the flag and ut bears a brass grommet (7/8" OD, 3/8" ID) at each end designed to affix the flag to a staff or halyard using ties. This heading is marked on the reverse side (first in black but over-printed in blue), "GETTYSBURG 1863". According to the label attached to the box in which this flag was found:
"This flag was carried at Battle of Gettysburg." From Col. John Badger Batchelder, who wrote the history of the Battle of Gettysburg for the U.S. Government, and he also was the man who promoted the marking of the Battlefield and compiles the data regarding the position of the troops during the battle. While Batchelder may have carried this flag with him on one of his numerous post-War trips to the Gettysburg battlefield, it could not have been made prior to 1868. Since Batchelder married Elizabeth Barber Stevens (in 1854), a niece of Benjamin Butler, it is highly likely that the flag was a post-War gift from Butler (who co-owned the U.S. Bunting Company) to the Batchelders. (See Gettysburg magazine, Issue No. 3 (July, 1990), pages 116-127 for an extensive analysis of Batchelder's career).
Dark blue canton is in very good condition with only a few minor holes. Two panels composing the stripes are moth holed in various places, and a 3" cut along the lower edge has been patched with a period material.
Further research is needed to determine if this flag was made by US Bunting Co. as there is evidence to suggest that press-dyed wool flags were made before 1863 by contracted manufacturers then supplying the US Military and Navy. In addition, there are differences between this flag and other Benjamin Butler flags in the ZFC collection, for instance the header on this flag has two grommets whilst the others have three. Also, there is need for a forensic analysis to be performed around the holes on the flag as the damage looks like a puncture mark and not moth damage. The pattern of the holes, such as their grouping, shows suggests symmetry similar to known battle damaged flags such as, the Trafalgar Flag. Further research might support the claim of the former owner and noted Gettysburg Historian John B. Batchelder that this flag was used by Union forces during the Battle of Gettysburg July 1863.
ZFC Significant Flag
Provenance:
• Colonel John Badger Batchelder, until passing 1894.
• By descent in Batchelder family, until 2006.
• Sold via James D. Julia Auction, to the Zaricor Flag Collection, 2006.
Souces:
Cooper, Grace Rogers, Thirteen-Star Flags: Keys to Identification, Smithsonian Institution Press, City of Washington, 1973.
US Navy "Boat" Flag , Dave Martucci's Flag Pages, 7 November 2011, from: http://www.vexman.net/smalboat.htm
John Badger Bachelder, Wikipedia, 7 November 2011, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_B._Bachelder
U. S. Bunting, lowelllandtrust, 7 November 2011, from: http://lowelllandtrust.org/greenwayclassroom/history/USBunting.pdf
Bachelder, John B., The Story of the Battle of Gettysburg, Boston, Historical Art Co., 1904.
Image Credits:
Zaricor Flag Collection
Wikipedia
James D. Julia
