According to the regulations of the United States Army during the Civil War each regiment in Federal service was supposed to carry both a national colour (the Stars and Stripes) and a regimental colour. Infantry and heavy artillery regiments' standards measured 6½ feet on the fly by 6 feet on the hoist. The former bore the arms of the United States on a blue field and the latter had a crossed cannon device on a yellow field. In contrast cavalry regiments were to carry only a regimental standard 2½ feet square in size. This flag, like the infantry colour, bore the arms of the United States on a blue field. As it transpired the various regiments raised in New York did not feel bound by these regulations. Subsequently a variety of designs existed for the regimental flags of the units from the Empire State. At the end of the war most New York regiments presented their surviving colours and standards to the Governor of their state. These flags were then placed on permanent display in the Capitol in Albany, but before they were furled for the last time a record was made of these banners appearance. This record provides the primary source for this article. Accordingly, several points should be noted. The list presented here is not all inclusive; not every unit chose to present its flags to the State. As well, flags which did not survive the war were not listed; thus a unit which is not recorded as having a regimental standard or colour may in fact had such an item. Furthermore, while it can be assumed that each infantry or heavy artillery regiment was issued a national colour cavalry units did not necessarily conform to the regulations denying them a standard of this pattern. Therefore surviving national standards are also noted in the cavalry section of the list. The patterns explained below are for the most part only general guides to the actual appearance of the flags. Variations existed to all of these designs. Where more than one regimental flag was carried the different issues are listed in chronological order. B Only the fact that a blue regimental colour was carried is recorded C (Illustration 1) This flag, 4½ by 5 3/4 feet in size, had the City of New York arms painted on both sides. These arms, placed within a gold scrolled framework surrounding a mid—blue background were coloured as follows: brown beavers, barrels, and windmill sails on a dark blue shield edged in gold, sailor with white trousers and dark blue jacket, Indian with white "skirt", brown and white eagle on a blue globe. Above this device a red banner edged in gold with the unit designation in gold letters. The lower banner light blue, also lettered and edged in gold. These flags had a dark blue field and gold fringes. C/S (Illustration 2) Of similar size to the flag described above, this flag had the City of New York arms painted on the reverse and the State of New York arms painted on the obverse. The State arms appeared as follows: right half of the gold edged shield in red, white and blue, left half with light blue sky, yellow sun, green hills and blue water. Above this shield a brown and white eagle on a blue globe. On the left Justice wearing a white dress and a red robe, to the right Liberty in a yellow dress and purple robe with a red cap on a pole. At the bottom a white banner with "Excelsior" written in black letters. All the other colouration of this flag similar to the flag described for Illustration 1. US (Illustrations 3 and 4) Regulation issue colors supplied from either the Philadelphia Quartermaster (3) or the New York Quartermaster (4). In the list below the Quartermaster source, when known, is indicated by (P) or (NY). These flags painted as follows: brown and white eagle, yellow arrows, green olive branch, red, white, and blue shield; red ribbon in eagle's beak, white stars above the eagle, unit designation in gold letters on a gold edged red banner. These flags had a blue field and gold fringes. S (Illustration 5) Embroidered flag issued by the State of New York. The shield and eagle device colored in the same manner as the shield and eagle in Illustration 2. The unit designation in gold letters on a red banner edged in gold. The field of these flags blue, fringes gold. I (Illustration 6) "Irish" flag with a green field, painted grey clouds, gold harp, shamrocks and sunburst. Unit designation in gold letters on a gold edged red banner. The red lower banner, also edged in gold, inscribed "Faugh-a-Ballagh" (clear the way) in gold Gaelic script. The flag's fringes gold in color. A (Illustration 7) Yellow artillery color with gold crossed cannon and unit designation in gold letters on a gold edged red banner. The arms of the State of New York were painted in the same colors as the arms in Illustration 2. Artillery standards with only crossed cannons indicated by (cc). NS National Standard (Stars and Stripes) carried by cavalry. INFANTRY & ENGINEERS 1st NY — C 1st NY Engineers — C; C/S 3rd NY — S 4th NY — C/s 5th NY — US 5th NY (Veteran) C; S 6th NY — C 7th NY — S 8th NY — C issued 1863 9th NY - C 10th NY — c/S 11th NY — arms of NY City Fire Dept. on white field 12th NY — B 13th NY — blue flag with State of NY arms on one side, US arms on the other side 15th NY Engineers — S 16 NY — S 17th NY — S on white field; C 23rd NY — S 26th USCT — wreath of oak leaves around unit designation 27th NY — from 1861 to 5/1863 may have carried two national colors 29th NY — C 31st NY — B 32nd NY — C 34th NY — US (P) on white field 35th NY — S 37th NY — from 4/1862 to 4/1863 carried red—white—red vertical tri-color with number "1" in white stripe; variation of I issued 2/1863 38th NY — c 39th NY — C 40th NY — US (P) 41st NY — C/S 45th NY —US(P) 46th NY — C 47th NY — C 48th NY — C/S 49th NY — US 51st NY — S issued 4/1862; C; C/S 52nd NY — Liberty in red robe, national colors upheld with left arm, seated on flying eagle on white field 54th NY — C 55th NY — possibly issued S in 1864 58th NY — S 59th NY — carried two national colors unti l7/1863; C issued 10/1863; 5 issued 11/1864 60th NY — S 61st NY — US (N) issued 4/1864 62nd NY — C 63rd NY — C/S; I 64th NY — possibly issued S in 1861; S issued 5/1863; at Gettysburg two national colours were carried in addition to regt. colour 65th NY — US; C issued 4/1864 66th NY — possibly issued S in 1861; C/S 68th NY — B 69th NY — I 75th — 5; US (P) issued 4/1864 76th NY — B 77th NY— S 79th NY — possibly issued S in 1861; C/S 80th NY — S issued 1861; S on gold field issued 10/1861; S with 7 gold battle honours issued 2/1863 82nd NY — possibly issued S in 1861 83rd NY — possibly issued S in 1861; C/s 84th NY — State of NY arms with US flag draped on the right, flag with City of Brooklyn arms draped on the left, blue field, gold fringe 86th NY — US 87th NY — arms of City of Brooklyn on white field; C issued 1862 88th NY — I 92nd NY — S 93rd NY — US (P) 94th NY — US 95th NY — B 97th NY — S 99th NY — C issued 1/1863 100th NY — B 102nd NY — C/S 103rd NY — S issued 3/1862 104th NY — S 105th NY — national colour US arms on blue field on side 106th NY — S 107th NY — US 108th NY — US; blue flag with State of NY arms on one side, US arms on the other side issued 10/1862 109th NY — B 110th NY — B 111th NY — US 112th NY — 5; US (P) 113th NY — 5; US (P) 7th NY Hvy. Art. 114th NY — S 115th NY — US (N) 116th NY — national colour on one side. battle honours on blue field on other on one side, the other redesigna ted 117th NY — US 118th NY — B 119th NY — C; C/S 120th NY — US (P) 124th NY — US (P) 125th NY — US 126th NY — US 128th NYI — B 129th NY — US; redesignated 8th NY Hvy. Art 130th NY — US (P): redesignated 1st NY Dragoons 131st NY — S on red field issued 1861; US (N); US (P); C/S issued late war period 132nd NY — US (P); C issued 5/1863; C/S issued 1864; 133rd NY — eagle with national colour on blue field issued 9/1862; C issued late 1864 134th NY 135th NY Art. 137th NY — US 139th NY — US 140th NY — blue flag with State of NY arms on one side, US arms on the other side 143rd NY — S issued 10/1862; US 144th NY — S 145th NY — B 146th NY — US (N) 148th NY — US (N) 150th NY — US (N) 151st NY — US 152nd NY — B 153rd NY — US 154th NY — S 156th NY — S 157th NY — US (P) 158th NY — C/S 159th NY — US 160th NY — B 161st NY 162ND NY – S issued 1862; US issued 10/1862 164th NY – US (N) 165th NY – C/S; blue flag with State of NJ arms on one side, US arms on the other side 168th NY — US (N) 169th NY — B 173rd NY —C/S 174th NY —US (P); S 175th NY —C; US (P); C/S 176th NY —C/S 177th NY —US 178th NY — B 179th NY — US 184th NY — S 186th NY — US 187th NY — 5; US 188th NY — US (P) 189th NY — B 191st NY — US (P) 192nd NY — S 193rd NY — B HEAVY ARTILLERY 2nd NY Hvy. Art. — A (CC) 4th NY Hvy. Art. — A 5th NY Hvy. Art. US (colour of 134th NY Inf.); C; A (CC); yellow artillery colour with the arms of the City of Brooklyn 6th NY Hvy. Art. — A 7th NY Hvy. Art. — S; US on blue field (colours of 113th NY Inf.); A (CC) (colour of 129th 8th NY Hvy. Art. — US (color of 129th NY inf.) 9th NY Hvy. Art. - A 14th NY Hvy. Art. — A (CC) 16th NY Hvy. Art. — A (CC) CAVALRY 1st NY Cav. — NS; C/S 1st NY Veteran Cav. — NS; C/S 1st NY Dragoons — US (P) (colour of 130th NY Inf.); colour with 20 battle honours on blue field, US arms on the other side 1st NY Mtd. Rifles — image of Liberty on blue field 2nd NY Cav. — NS; likeness of Judge Ira Harris on blue field 2nd NY Mtd. Rifles — NS; US 3rd NY Cav. — C/S 3rd NY Provisional Cav. — City of NY arms on one side, unit designation on other 5th NY Cav. — NS; 5; C/s 6th NY Cav. — NS; C/S 7th NY Cav. — NS 8th NY Cav. — US 9th NY Cav. — S 12th NY Cav. — NS; S 13th NY Cav. — C/S 14th NY Cav. — NS; C/S 15th NY Cav. — US 16th NY Cav. — NS; US 18th NY Cav. — NS; US arms on one side, designation "Corning Light Cavalry 18th Regiment NY Vols. USA" on the other; S 20th NY Cav. — NS: S 22nd NY Cav. — crossed sabres on red field issued 2/1865 25th NY Cav. — US SOURCES William Davis (ed.), The Image of War: 1861—1865, 1981—84. Steven Hill "Flags and Colors at Gettysburg", Gettysburg,1986. Frederick Phisterer, New York in the War of the Rebellion, Vol. I, 1912. Alfred Roe, The Ninth New York Heavy Artillery, 1899. State of New York Bureau of Military Record, Presentation of Flags of New York Volunteer Regiments, 1865. Frederick Todd, American Military Equipage, 1851—1872, 1983. The author wishes to express special thanks for the information provided to him by Steven Hill without whose assistance this article would not have been possible. Back to The Zouave Vol III No. 3 Table of Contents Back to The Zouave List of Issues Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 1989 The American Civil War Society This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com