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    This extraordinary artifact, the most desirable of all historical artifacts, of the War Between the States was discovered in a Pennsylvania antique store in 1978 by a prominent Confederate collector.

     The most widely recognized Confederate flag is the battle flag.  It was the most treasured flag to the men who followed it.  To today's collector, it is the most admired and sought after Confederate flag.  Following its folds, several hundred thousand men died, and hundreds of thousands more were maimed and crippled. The battle flag evoked such pride and emotion in the men who followed it that frequently when one color bearer was shot down, another would take up the flag, though it meant almost certain death.  In June of 1862, Mrs. Young of Houston, Texas presented a battle flag to the men of the Fifth Texas Infantry.  After the flag was carried through many storms of shot and shell, it became a torn and tattered remnant of its former self.  The flag was retired and returned to Mrs. Young in 1864.  In November of that year, she penned an eloquent response to the regiment:

My Dear Brothers,

I received from Capt. Farmer the letter and the worn and battle-torn flag you did me the honor to send. Words are totally inadequate to express my feelings. The 8th of October will ever be remembered by me as the proudest of my life, yet mingled with the deepest sadness; for more eloquent than speech, more powerful than Caesar’s  gaping wounds, was the story told by its bloodstained, weather-beaten, and bullet-scarred folds. The weary march, the aching feet and throbbing brow, the cold bivouac, the lonely picket, the perilous scout, the gloomy hospital, the pride and pomp of battle array, the shock of arms, the victory, and, 0h, those silent, nameless grass-grown mounds, strewn from Richmond to Gettysburg, from Chickamauga and Knoxville to the Wilderness and Petersburg - mounds whose shadows rest cold and dark upon a thousand hearts and homes in our once bright and happy Texas.

All these came rushing thick and trooping over heart and brain; and, clasping the blood-banner to my heart, with a burst of tearful anguish, I could not but exclaim: '0 that my eyes were a fountain of tears, that I might weep over the slain of my people!' It shall be preserved as long as one of my name or blood exists. And when my son and younger brother gird themselves for the strife, I shall place the Bible and the flag before them, and on those, swear them to fidelity to God and our Confederacy, to Liberty and Truth; invoking the benediction and guardianship of Heaven. You bid me 'hang the flag upon the outer walls, ' to strike terror to the hearts of the cowards skulking at home. Ah! my noble brothers of the Fifth, if the sable-clad forms of the sable clad women and children, if the numberless maimed soldiers who greet us at every turn, if the cold contempt of proud beauty’s eye, the averted faces of our gray-haired sires, if the form of the Confederacy, beleaguered, bleeding at every vein, strike no remorse and inspire no patriotic deeds, think you this flag will? Me thinks in ages to come, should our beloved land be called to pass through another long and bloody struggle this, that the old, worn, and tattered banner of the Fifth will be taken like the "heart of Bruce " along to the  field, and when numbers overwhelm, and all seems lost, they will fling it to the breeze, knowing that power almost to waken the dead, lives in its heart-stirring folds, and that its faded cross and bloodstained stars will call them like a clarion to rise and strike, to be worthy of being the countrymen and descendants of the old Texas Brigade.  You ask that I shall, with it, wave you a welcome when you return.  Ah! The very thought of that return thrills me with emotion. I weep for joy. The day so long looked for, so long delayed, so sought for at God's throne, day and night, by a thousand grief worn, anxious hearts. In that day how doubly sacred shall this flag seem, when, with tearful eyes, we shall speak of the noble dead who fell bearing it ... In the name of the God of Israel, they will bless you, Matrons, feeling nobler than the grandest old Roman mothers will hail you as sons. Young men will say, 'They are my countrymen and will grow braver, purer and nobler with the thought. Young maidens, blushing at the very excess of their enthusiasm and will wave you a loving welcome of smiles and tears. Your mothers, wives, sisters - ah! I cannot proceed, my feelings overwhelm me. God hasten the day - hasten the day! With deep gratitude and affection, Fifth Regiment, I remain ever your friend and proud countrywoman."

     The flag is the Fifth Bunting Pattern, adopted in September, 1864, at the same time that Mrs. Young’s moving letter was penned.  The Fifth Pattern was only made for a short period, and only five examples are known to exist.  With the exception of the one issued to Cobb’s Legion, these were only made to replace those captured in September of 1864. 

     The standard 48 inch square flag obviously saw much service after its issue.  Some of the holes in it are obviously moth holes, but some are obviously battle damage.  The flag also exhibits obvious signs of exposure to smoke which has darkened the white border.  The flag was captured and souvenirs removed or the Confederates removed them prior to surrendering their flag.  The two upper right stars and their blue background, as well as a section of the red in the upper center quadrant was (neatly relative to tearing) removed for souvenirs.  This area has had matching material inserted to fill the flag out before it was framed.  The framing is nicely done and it looks like it was done using ultraviolet protective plexiglass.

     The flag is very, very reasonably priced at $95,000.00.  At this price, shipping costs will have to be borne by the purchaser.