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Friends,
I am sad to report that our beloved Howard M. Madaus, the foremost aurthority on Civil War flags died of liver failure and Parkinson's Disease just before 9:00 PM on Saturday July 21 at his home in Cody, Wyoming. Pat and one of their daughters were at his side when he passed away. I worked with Howie at the Milwaukee Public Museum for several years during the 1980s. He was a history curator and I was the museum's registrar. We produced an exhibit together in 1985 on Milwaukee's own Company F of the 29th USCT at the Battle of the Crater. We used the two brigade flags of the black 4th Division of the 9th Corps for the exhibit, one being from the Museum's own collection and the other on loan from West Point. Working with Howie was a sheer pleasure, and I considered it an honor to learn from one of the brightest stars in the profession. I remember his Wisconsin license plate, "6th WIS" attached to his old blue Ford van in the staff parking lot at MPM. Howie was a great friend and colleague with a phenomenal memory and an outgoing jovial personality. He made our after hours staff social gatherings legendary.
Howie was one of the world's best resources on practically anything involving the Civil War and historic weaponry, but his forte was flags. He authored the well known Flags of the Army of Tennessee and had been working on another book when his health began to fail some months ago. He was a great contributor to the History Channel's "Civil War Journal," "Tales of the Gun," "Real West," and other television and film projects. He was also instrumental in helping artists like Don Trioni create magnificently accurate scenes. Almost every one of Trioni's paintings that featured a flag had Howie's seal of approval. One of his most recent contributions was to Bob Mayberry's Flags of Texas for which Howie was an indespensible wealth of information. Many of those flags are now on exhibit at Ray Richie's Texas Civil War Museum in Fort Worth. I was visiting with Ray at his museum about three weeks ago when he told me of Howie's rapidly deterioriating condition.
Howie was a scholar's scholar, but he was also perhaps the original "stitch-counting" reenactor. He had the distinction of having participated in the Civil War Centennial reenactments of 1961-1965. He was instrumental in helping several Civil War reenactment groups get started and sustain themselves, and helped many groups and individuals, myself included, maintain the highest standards of dress and equipment. He will be sorely missed by all of us whom he touched.
I am sorry to go on and on about this man, but please understand, Howie was a fine example of material culture scholarship, friendliness and generosity. He was all of those things, and many other fine qualities too numerous to list here. Howie was also my friend. Pat, his widow asked me to pass this news on to those of you who knew and knew of Howie. Please keep Pat and their three daughters in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.
Thanks,
Henry B. Crawford
Co. F 29th USCT
I am sad to report that our beloved Howard M. Madaus, the foremost aurthority on Civil War flags died of liver failure and Parkinson's Disease just before 9:00 PM on Saturday July 21 at his home in Cody, Wyoming. Pat and one of their daughters were at his side when he passed away. I worked with Howie at the Milwaukee Public Museum for several years during the 1980s. He was a history curator and I was the museum's registrar. We produced an exhibit together in 1985 on Milwaukee's own Company F of the 29th USCT at the Battle of the Crater. We used the two brigade flags of the black 4th Division of the 9th Corps for the exhibit, one being from the Museum's own collection and the other on loan from West Point. Working with Howie was a sheer pleasure, and I considered it an honor to learn from one of the brightest stars in the profession. I remember his Wisconsin license plate, "6th WIS" attached to his old blue Ford van in the staff parking lot at MPM. Howie was a great friend and colleague with a phenomenal memory and an outgoing jovial personality. He made our after hours staff social gatherings legendary.
Howie was one of the world's best resources on practically anything involving the Civil War and historic weaponry, but his forte was flags. He authored the well known Flags of the Army of Tennessee and had been working on another book when his health began to fail some months ago. He was a great contributor to the History Channel's "Civil War Journal," "Tales of the Gun," "Real West," and other television and film projects. He was also instrumental in helping artists like Don Trioni create magnificently accurate scenes. Almost every one of Trioni's paintings that featured a flag had Howie's seal of approval. One of his most recent contributions was to Bob Mayberry's Flags of Texas for which Howie was an indespensible wealth of information. Many of those flags are now on exhibit at Ray Richie's Texas Civil War Museum in Fort Worth. I was visiting with Ray at his museum about three weeks ago when he told me of Howie's rapidly deterioriating condition.
Howie was a scholar's scholar, but he was also perhaps the original "stitch-counting" reenactor. He had the distinction of having participated in the Civil War Centennial reenactments of 1961-1965. He was instrumental in helping several Civil War reenactment groups get started and sustain themselves, and helped many groups and individuals, myself included, maintain the highest standards of dress and equipment. He will be sorely missed by all of us whom he touched.
I am sorry to go on and on about this man, but please understand, Howie was a fine example of material culture scholarship, friendliness and generosity. He was all of those things, and many other fine qualities too numerous to list here. Howie was also my friend. Pat, his widow asked me to pass this news on to those of you who knew and knew of Howie. Please keep Pat and their three daughters in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.
Thanks,
Henry B. Crawford
Co. F 29th USCT
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