Guidon of the 1st O.V.L.A., Battery H, painting   Save
Ohio Battle Flag Audiovisual Collection
Description: This is a painting of a Guidon of the 1st Ohio Volunteer Light Artillery, Battery H. This swallowtail Stars and Stripes bears stars: 12 in inner circle, 18 in outer circle, and one each in the canton's for corners. Ohio battle flags were on display at the Ohio Statehouse until the 1960s, when the state formed a committee to oversee the efforts to restore the fragile flags. Some of the battle flags were on display on the Plaza Level of the Ohio Historical Society from 1970 until 1989. For conservation reasons, the flags have been in storage since 1989. In the 1960s, the collection was photographed and commercial artist Robert Needham painted illustrations of many Civil War flags. Photographs of the flags and the paintings are now part of the society's archival collections. The regiment was called upon April 21, 1861 in a letter to Colonel James Barnett from the Governor, William Dennison. Each Battery of the 1st has its own history and operated independently in battle. Their initial appointment was for three months, though most served an additional campaign for three to five years. Battery H was quickly appointed to another 3 year campaign at Camp Dennison near Cincinnati and mustered into service November 7,1861. Major engagements in which the battery took part include Port Republic, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, Cold Harbor, and the siege of Petersburg. The battery was mustered out at Camp Cleveland on June 14, 1865. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL02312
Subjects: Ceremonial artifact; Communication artifact; Military flags; Flags--Ohio, Civil War, 1861-1865; 1st Regiment, Battery H, Ohio Volunteer Light Artillery; Statehouse--Ohio; Textile--silk;
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)