Hello,

I went online and bought a copy of the book "The Custer Story: The Life and Letters of General George A. Custer and His Wife Elizabeth" by Marguerite Merington. I was hoping to find any more details about the flag he took at Williamsburg and thankfully he book also included some letters to his sister Lydia-Ann and they do. The book's editor knew Libby Custer and helped her with many things in her late life.

On Page 29 we have - Custer to Reed (Lydia-Ann now married), May 15, 1862, from Headquarters, Smith's Division, White House, Virginia:

You have heard long since of our battle at Willamsburg on the 5th of this month...I was glad to aid Genl. Hancock on that day, and was in the thick of the fight from morning till dark. Genl. Hancock's brigade was charged by two rebel brigades with bayonets...Genl. Hancock gave orders to advance at a charge of bayonets...They did so, putting the enemy to a complete rout, killing and capturing a large number. I captured a Captain and five men without any assistance, and a large rebel flag. It was afterwards sent up by McClellan to the President at Washington."

Merington then incorrectly as it turns out, states that this was the first Confederate flag taken by the Army of the Potomac. I have found that Berdan's Sharpshooters got a flag a few days earlier at Yorktown, VA. And since they later became the Army of the Potomac, the Union troops at First Manassas captured at least one CS flag that I keep seeing pop up here and there.

This letter in the book makes no mention of the flag's description other than its size. The flag of the 5th NCST taken there by the 5th Wisconsin, and mistakenly attributed to being the flag that Custer took, is 48 inches by 48 inches - not really that large. This will tie into the flag that was really captured by Custer that came from one of the VA regiments at Williamsburg which is much larger.

Greg Biggs