1st Texas Infantry Regiment Flag 35;5 Sewn Cotton with Gold Fringe

1st Texas Infantry ; Wigfall FlagMade of Heavy Cotton Fabric and Outlined with Gold FringeHistory of the 1st Texas Infantry Regiment FlagThe 1st Texas Infantry flag is also known as the ;Wigfall Flag; because was presented to the Texas regiment in July 1861 in the name of Lula Wigfall, the 15-year-old daughter of the regiment;s 1st Colonel, Louis T. Wigfall. It was said to have been made by the colonel;s wife, Charlotte using the material from her wedding dress. This may or may not be the case, however, the tilted or ;walking; star on the blue field was likely made from the material of a bridal gown. In any case, the flag was assembled by a skilled seamstress using dress fabrics and sewing methods that were not typical of flags issued during the Civil War. The flag was entirely assembled with two layers of silk. The battle honors, ;Seven Pines; and ;Gaines Farm; were inscribed within the blue canton using white paint, while ;Elthams Landing: and ;Malvern Hill; were in gold and/or possibly red lettering on the white and red fields respectively. The latter two honors are not visible on the flag today as the lettering has worn off over time, however, traces of the lettering can be detected upon close inspection, but the original color is uncertain. The original flag is on display at the Texas Library and Archives Commission in Austin Texas.The 1st Texas fought under this flag throughout the Peninsula Campaign from March ; July of 1862. They carried it through the Second Battle of Bull Run in August 1862 and into Maryland during Lee;s first invasion of the North where they fought at the Battle of Antietam at Sharpsburg Maryland September 17th, 1862. This was the deadliest single-day battle of the entire Civil War with a total of over 22,000 casualties from both sides combined. The battle began at dawn when Joseph Hooker;s 1st Corps attacked Lee;s left flank across Miller;s cornfield. Although badly outnumbered, Hood;s Texas Brigade which consisted of the 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantries along with the 18th Georgia Infantry and Hampton;s Legion of South Carolina mounted a counter-attack driving the Union troops back to their defensive artillery positions, thus preventing Lee;s army from being routed from its flank. They did so, however, at a heavy cost. 186 out of the 226 men in the 1st Texas were killed or wounded. This amounted to more than an 82% casualty rate which was the highest of any unit, North or South for the entire war. Nine brave Texas color bearers were shot down carrying this flag. When the ninth was killed, the flag was finally lost. It was taken from among the dead bodies by a Union private from Pennsylvania.This is a fully sewn, embroidered cotton, indoor flag with a rich-looking, gold fringe border. Cotton flags feature a heavy, luxurious look and feel. They are commonly used indoors because of their old-world, hand-crafted appearance. This flag is intended for indoor display or temporary outdoor special event/parade use only as it is not suitable for prolonged exposure to the outdoor elements. Cotton flags are also perfect for framing and hanging indoors.Heavy, soft cotton fabricSewn panels and fully embroidered letteringAppliqued star with embroidered edgeHeavy cotton sleeve with ties and leather tabs to attach the flag to the poleThe other three sides are bordered with beautiful, gold fringeFlag size: 3; x 5;This is a reproduction of the 1st Texas Infantry Regiment flag. The actual dimensions are not the same as the original flag. The artwork is visible on both sides of the flag. The lettering reads right on one side only.