Garrison Flag

[Custerboy]

Greetings,

I've been researching the correct size for a garrison flag, and I haven't found a definitive standard yet. The last resource described the size as 20'x38', which seems huge, but I'm also noticing that many of the woodcuts of the era show the colors as, well, gigantic. I had always thought that the images were simply a patriotic overstatement, but now I'm starting to wonder.

[ephraim_zook]

Re: Garrison Flag

James, This is from the 1861 US Army Regs, (Revised 1863). This may have been the source you saw. If so, pardon me for being redundant. Given where it comes from, I'd accept it as being definitive.

"1464. The garrison flag is the national flag. It is made of bunting,
thirty-six feet fly, and twenty feet hoist, in thirteen horizontal stripes of
equal breadth, alternately red and white, beginning with the red. In the
upper quarter, next the staff, is the Union, composed of a number of
white stars, equal to the number of States, on a blue field, one-third the
length of the flag, extending to the lower edge of the fourth red stripe
from the top. The storm flag is twenty feet by ten feet; the recruiting
flag, nine feet nine inches by four feet four inches."

regards
Ron Myzie

[jhuether]

Re: Garrison Flag

...the recruiting flag, nine feet nine inches by four feet four inches."

This is certainly a stupid question, but at least it isn't the first one I have asked. What is a recruiting flag? I never heard any reference to this before. Thanks.

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Re: Garrison Flag

Garrison flags were used at installations such as a permanent fortification. While the size of the flag may seem huge, we all know how a 6-ft by 6.5-ft regimental flag seems darned small in the field when there's a lot of smoke. The same logic applies to garrison flags. When one considers that a garrison flag had to be seen from often miles away (for example, from ships, when talking about coastal forts), the size of the thing isn't that large to anyone other than the guys who had to haul it up the pole. :)

In 1994 the US garrison flag was returned to Old Fort Niagara after 180 years in Scotland (captured when the fort was stormed by the British in 1813). The flag was restored and put on display in the fort's museum, and the flag literally occupies an entire, good-sized room.

[ephraim_zook]

Re: Garrison Flag

Jason,

I'll be glad to give you a stupid answer: I don't know, either.

I can speculate. When a recruiting detail opened a recruiting station in a town someplace I'm sure they neither wanted nor needed at 36 foot long flag; a smaller one would have been more appropriate. 9'9" x 4'4" is close to, but not exactly the same aspect ratio as 36 x 20 (9 x 5).

Different from the standard regimental color, almost square at 6'6" fly, 6' 0" hoist.

Ron Myzie

[Custerboy]

Re: Garrison Flag

Great information, and I thank you all.

I have a further question - I am researching garrison flags to also see if individual posts ever had their own designated colors, specific to that post. Not finding anything as of yet, which makes me think that this was not common. Was this ever done within the borders of the USA by the Army?

[jhuether]

Re: Garrison Flag

Ron,

Thanks for the honest answer. I agree with your assuption on the use. Has anyone ever seen an original recruiting flag? I would imagine there would be a number of good examples left from the War. That is if they were actually used.

[Pvt Peck]

Re: Garrison Flag

James:

You may want to contact the Rangers at Ft Point in San Francisco as we are lucky enough to have one of the better preserved 19th century masonry costal forts in the country. They may have some pertinant info as there are period photos of the fort flying its flag and yes its BIG! I do not know and have never heard of there being special flags to identify individual posts/forts.

Edward Parrott
"Humbug"

[jhuether]

Re: Garrison Flag

Alex,

You threw me into a terrible flashback of my E-6 board. I couldn't believe they asked me question about what the colors stood for!

Sorry, completely off-subject.