Description:

This flag is a silk national flag with gold painted stars.  Only 22 of the original stars remain.  The stars were arranged in two concentric circles with 10 stars in the inner circle, more stars in the outer circle, and one star in each corner.  With the amount of loss to the flag is it impossible to determine if this was originally a 34- or 35-star flag.   There is also a lot of loss in the white stripes on the flag, likely due to the fabric being bleached.  The red stripes are more intact, but there is some loss along the fly end.  A gold-colored cotton fringe surrounds the top, bottom, and fly edge of the flag and is remarkably intact.  The hoist end was fashioned into a sleeve for attachment to a staff.

The staff, which measures 96” by 1.25” is topped by a spade finial made by Evans and Hassal.  Attached to the staff are two plaques.  One is a plaque that was attached to the flags after they were handed over to the care of the state.  This plaque reads “7th. Mich. Infantry”.  The other is an oval plaque that reads “7th. Mich. V.V. Inf Col. G. W. LaPoint”.

The flag has a 108” blue and white cord with two blue and white tassels measuring 2” in diameter.  The tassels are wrapped on a wooden core.

The flag was netted (sewn between layers of dyed net) in the 1960s in an early attempt at conservation.