Jim Martin
26th (O'Neal's) Flags
Tue Jan 16 09:38:40 2001


I'm curious about the location of two (2) flags of the 26th Alabama which preceded the one shown in the ADAH collection.

On April 20, 1863, Colonel Edward Asbury O'Neal, 26th Alabama Infantry forwarded the regiment's old battle flag to the Governor of Alabama stating "The government having issued to this Regiment a new flag, we respectfully ask that the old one may be deposited in Archives of the State."
This flag is apparently, no longer in the inventory of the state archives. What happened to this flag?

The flag mentioned above was replaced by a third issue bunting flag which was captured at Gettysburg. In looking at the flags of the 5th and 6th Alabama, of the same brigade, one captured at Chancellorsville and the other at Spotsylvania, these were plain flags bearing no unit identification or battle honors. Since the captured Gettysburg flags were so highly prized by the Union and displayed throughout the North, it must have been in a state or organization collection. Does anyone know of the whereabouts of this flag?

• 26th Ala. Flag @ ADAH — DABF, Sat Jan 20 16:59
• Flags of the 26th — Dave Neel, Thu Jan 18 03:15
• Wilson's thieving hord. — Hayes Lowe, Thu Jan 18 14:08