23rd Michigan Volunteer Infantry
SC-81-90: Silk national ▪ Dimensions: 72” x ?” ▪ Fringe
Description:
This silk national is very fragmentary. The entire canton is missing so it is impossible to determine the number of stars. Only a small amount of the red and white stripes along the canton and hoist edge remain as well as a piece from the bottom fly edge. This detached piece was displayed at the Michigan Historical Museum, but now is on the same pallet as the rest of the flag. A small amount of fringe remains on the top edge and on the separate piece. A pole sleeve was fashioned out of a separate, stronger piece of material and the silk was sewn over top.
The staff, which measures 88.5” by 1.25”, has a spade-shaped finial. The staffs of flags returned to the state at the 1866 Detroit ceremony marking the end of the war all bear identical brass plaques. The brass plaque reads in Spencerian script “23rd Mich. Infantry”.
The flag has a 132” blue and white twisted silk cord with two blue and white tassels measuring 1.75” in diameter. The tassels are unraveling.
Adoption:
23rd Michigan Volunteer Infantry
SC-96-90: Silk national ▪ Dimensions: 74” x 75” ▪ Fringe
Description:
This 35-star silk national flag has stars arranged in two concentric ovals with ten stars in the inner oval, twenty stars in the outer oval, one star in the center, and one star in each corner. Two of the stars are missing. The flag is painted with a regimental designation and battle honors on the white stripes. Some of the white stripes are very fragmentary, so it is difficult to read some of these. The regimental designation is on the first white stripe and reads “23rd MICH. INFANTRY.” The second white stripe reads “Campbell’s [Station.] K[noxville.]” The third white stripe reads “Resacca. Dallas. —”. The fourth white stripe reads “Lost Mountain. Kenesaw Mountain. A-”. The fifth white stripe reads “Lovejoy’s Station. Franklin. —”. The sixth white stripe reads “Fort Anderson. Wilmington. —”. A gold-colored fringe is attached to the top, bottom, and fly edge of the flag. The hoist end was fashioned into a sleeve for attachment to the staff.
The staff, which measures 93.25” by 1.25”, is missing a finial, but has a flange where a finial would have attached. There is a marking on the flange “E&H” which indicates it was made by Evans and Hassal, a well-known, Civil-War era, company located in Philadelphia. The staffs of flags returned to the state at the 1866 Detroit ceremony marking the end of the war all bear identical brass plaques. The brass plaque reads in Spencerian script “23rd Mich. Infantry”.
No tassels or cords remain.
In 2021, the flag was conserved by Textile Preservation Associates. The flag was humidified to relax, realign, and flatten the fibers. Once dry, the flag was encapsulated between a layer of organdy on the reverse and Stabiltex on the obverse.
Adoption:
December 2, 1995 - Descendents of Marcellus Bassett, et. al
June 21, 1996 - Descendents of John D. Light
23rd Michigan Volunteer Infantry
SC-97-90: Silk regimental ▪ Dimensions: 71” x 68” ▪ Fringe
Description:
This silk regimental flag is painted with the federal eagle in the middle. Two arcing rows of gold-colored stars are painted above the eagle with twenty-one stars in the top arc and thirteen stars in the lower arc. A red ribbon with the regimental designation is painted below the eagle and reads “23rd REG’T MICHIGAN INFANTRY.” A gold-colored fringe is attached to the bottom, fly, and hoist edge of the flag. The hoist edge was fashioned into a sleeve for attachment to the staff.
The staff, which measures 87.25” by 1.25”, is topped by a spade-shaped finial. A plaque was once attached, but is missing. Instead, the number 23 is penciled on the staff.
No tassels or cords remain.
Adoption:
July 25, 1998 - George W. Anderson Camp No. 58 Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War