Friends of the 17th MissouriThe Friends of the 17th Missouri has collected copies of the official record books and rosters from the national archives in Washington D.C. and the Missouri State Archives in Jefferson City. In addition to materials related to the regiment abstracted from the 128 volume Official Record of the Civil War several important collections of letters and diaries have been obtained from the Missouri Historical Society at St. Louis, Western Manuscript Collection of the State Historical Society of Missouri at Columbia and private individuals. The Friends of the 17th Missouri intend to compile these materials into a regimental history to be published prior to the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War. A special effort has been undertaken to preserve the 17th Missouri Regimental National Colors. The 17th Missouri's flag along with 128 other regimental flags and banners were collected by the Missouri Adjutant General in 1865. When plans to build a Civil War museum failed to materialize these flags remained furled and had not been seen by the public since the last parade at the end of the Civil War. Today the Missouri State Museum has undertaken
a program to unfurl and preserve these important symbols of Missouri's
participation in the Civil War. Condition reports and treatment
proposals have been prepared for 26 of the regimental flags. The
restoration of many flags has been completed. The cost of these efforts
range from $2,500 to nearly $17,000. Although the 17th Missouri National Colors had
not been included in the restoration program, the Friends of the 17th
Missouri and Haus der Geschichte Baden-Württemburg raised the
funds for the
restoration of the 17th Missouri Flag. The flag was restored and
preserved
in 2002 by Textile Preservation Associates, Inc. The flag measures 55
1/2
inches on the leading edge and 66 inches (estimated) on the fly. The
flag
is constructed of silk in the typical pattern of the U.S. National
Flag,
13 red and white stripes with a blue canton measuring 30 inches on the
hoist
and 36 inches on the fly resting on the eighth (white) stripe. The
stars
are applied to each side with gold pigment and are five pointed
measuring 2 3/4 inch point-to-point with the center star 4 1/2
inches. The precise
number of original stars is unknown due to the poor condition of the
flag
but would have been 33, 34 or 35 depending on the year made. The 17th Missouri National Colors is on loan
to
Haus der Geschichte Baden-Württemburg,
Stuttgart,
Germany until 2011, when it will be returned for
the
Sesquicentennial of the United States Civil War. The whereabouts of the 17th Missouri
Regemental Flag
is unknown. The replica shown here is based on standard U.S. issue
regemental flag design. There is speculation that the 17th Missouri,
nicknamed the Western Turner Rifles, also carried a flag bearing the
insignia of the North American Turnverein. However, there is no
information to confirm the existence of a Western Turner Rifles flag. |
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Currently, the Missouri State Museum, located in the state capitol at Jefferson City contains a collection of Civil War materials including some of the personal affects of Captain John A. Schaub, Company G, 17th Missouri Volunteer Infantry (US). The Missouri State Museum is seeking additional civil war memoralbillia. Potential donors should contact: L. T. Shelton, Curator of Collections |