Official Union Company
Battle Flags from the American Civil War are
exceptionally rare in private hands. One can
readily imagine this beautiful flag hanging from the
color bearer's staff within the Union battle lines, with
ranks of deep blue uniformed infantry formed for the
attack. Over many years of collecting, I have seen
several smaller silk swallow-tail cavalry pennants and
perhaps five or fewer company-grade presentation colors
in private collections, but this is the
only full-sized military-grade primary battle flag for a
Civil War Infantry Company that I am aware of outside of
a state collection or institution.
The flag descended
directly in the family of its original owner, Captain
John D. McFarland, company commander of Company F, 13th
Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry (and later re-flagged as
Company L, 102d Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry).
The gold painted Great Star with large central star is a
one of the most highly coveted of all star patterns.
The all-silk construction with blue silk hoist and fine
silk fringe indicates that the flag is of the highest
quality. The fading to the red stripes, apparent
on both sides of the flag, and minor make-do repairs at
stress points indicates that the flag was certainly
flown and subjected
to the elements. The unit mustered into service in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on April 25, 1861, at the very
outset of the war and nearly three months before the
 First Battle of Bull Run. As the founding company
commander, John
McFarland was presented the flag after leaving command
due to illness in
1862. Along with the flag is the original set of
fine braided tassels, which would have hung
down from the flag staff.
The flag is also accompanied by John McFarland's
military commission signed by President Abraham Lincoln
and Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, his Model 1850
Officer's Staff and Field Sword with scabbard inscribed
"Presented to Capt J. D. McFarland by his Friends
1862", and his gold-plated pommel-style Grand Army of
the Republic (GAR) Presentation Cane inscribed
"Presented to Capt. John D. McFarland by Members of Co L
102d Regt P.V.V. July 26, 1891".
On April 25, 1861 at Camp
Curtin in Harrisburg, PA, twenty-five year old John D.
McFarland was commissioned as a Captain in Company F,
13th PA Volunteer Infantry, a three-months regiment. He
served with the unit until his muster out on August 6,
1861. One week later on the 12th, McFarland joined
Company L, 102nd PA Volunteer Infantry as Captain and
served in the unit until he resigned on July 8, 1862 for
disability. From December,1862 to February, 1863,
McFarland served on detached duty at Great Falls,
Maryland. In November, 1863, McFarland again joined the
service, this time as a private and was soon promoted to
Captain and Assistant Adjutant General of US Volunteers
and assigned to the Federal 15th Army Corps in Louisiana
with General US Grant's army. Per orders, McFarland
served with the 4th Division in Mississippi, Alabama and
Tennessee until Dec 1863. During part of 1863, McFarland
was involved in some irregularities regarding recruiting
of substitutes. He was initially indicted but then
cleared of any wrongdoing in February 1864. He was
re-assigned as AAG, US Volunteers in the 2nd Brigade,
1st Division, 5th Army Corps at Petersburg, VA. in
August 1864. McFarland resigned with an honorable
discharge on October 26, 1864 and returned home to
Pittsburg where he married and lived until April 16,
1918 when he passed away. |
