Regimental Colors of the 6th O.V.I.   Save
Ohio Battle Flag Audiovisual Collection
Description: This blue silk flag served as the regimental colors of the 6th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. The flag was manufactured in the United States between 1861 and 1864. The United States arms is positioned in the flag's center. The arms consists of an embroidered, gold-colored bald eagle holding an olive branch in its right talon and a bundle of thirteen arrows in its left talon. The eagle holds in its beak a painted, gold-outlined scroll with the motto "E PLURIBUS UNUM" (Latin for "one out of many"). A shield with red and white stripes and a blue upper portion is positioned on the eagle's breast. A cloud with rays extending above it is painted above the arms. Four gold stars remain between the cloud and the arms. Due to deterioration some stars have been lost. Gold text to the left of the arms reads: "PRESENTED BY THE." Text to the right of the arms is no longer legible or intact due to deterioration. Portions of a gold banner remain below the arms. The flag has gold fringe on its top, right, and bottom sides. 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. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL01876
Subjects: Flags--Ohio; United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Places: Ohio