Dennis,

US Grant reported some 85 flags taken at Vicksburg so I highly doubt - and frankly have never heard of - colors being paroled with the troops. Some CS flags got smuggled out - that of the 39th Georgia being one. With the large issue of replacement flags coming after the Vicksburg parolees being exchanged also argues against them getting to keep the flags.

The very bad new is this - NONE of these flags ever made it to the War Department. This creates a huge hole in understanding the types of flags carried by the Vicksburg garrison. From flags taken at Big Black River and Champion's Hill, however, we can get into the ballpark of what was carried. Lots of First Nationals still; the Bowen/Missouri pattern flags in both red and blue fields with white Latin crosses; 15 star variants of ANV battle flags (at least four flags of this type survive all with Vicksburg Campaign connections).

Two Vicksburg captured flags turned up at the Cincinnati Sanitary Fair of December 1863 (along with flags taken at Missionary Ridge). Gen. Frank Blair loaned a Louisiana and Texas unit flags to the fair. This was mentioned in a Cincinnati newspaper which is how I found out about it. They are missing today - probably in the Blair family.

Hope this helps.

Greg Biggs