Hello,

I want to mention that in the letter that I did for this flag that it was possible that the 10th Illinois got the flag from New Madrid, Island Number Ten itself, etc. but then I kept coming back to the two newspaper sources that mentioned the fight with Jeff Thompson and the taking of a flag from his force near Sikeston, MO. If this was a flag found in a house or fort in New Madrid why didn't the newspapers say so? Hans Heg, colonel of the 15th Wisconsin, in a letter to his wife mentioned three flags found in a chair on Island Number Ten. A 51st Illinois article in a newspaper of the time mentioned them taking a flag in the campaign but without specifics. The two 10th Illinois articles were very specific. Union City is out as the 10th Illinois was not involved there.

While not 100 per cent conclusive, it would still have me leaning heavily on the flag being offered as coming from Thompson's command.

Greg Biggs