General Braxton Bragg's headquarters flag, captured by Union soldier Anton Helmert of Company "D," 27th Illinois Infantry during the 1863 Battle of Missionary Ridge, Tennessee. This well-documented flag was later auctioned at the "Soldiers' Home Fair" held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the summer of 1865 to raise funds for wounded veterans. Accounts of this flag’s capture can be found in multiple period newspapers, and support an accompanying handwritten period tag that comes with this flag that was at one time affixed to the flag itself (top left corner). 

According to this tag, the flag was procured for the Fair by prominent Milwaukee architect Victor Schulte (1811-1890). Schulte designed that city’s original city hall, first draw bridge, and several cathedrals. A staunch supporter of the Union cause, Schulte’s oldest son Adolph served in the 17th Wisconsin Infantry. Schulte likely knew Anton Helmert or his family since they were both part of the patriotic German immigrant community in Milwaukee.  

The Battle of Missionary Ridge was fought on November 25, 1863 as part of the General Ulysses S. Grant’s Chattanooga Campaign. Following a Union victory at the Battle of Lookout Mountain the previous day, Union forces in the Military Division of the Mississippi assaulted Missionary Ridge and defeated General Braxton Bragg’s Confederate Army of Tennessee, forcing it to retreat to Georgia. The victory contributed to Union hegemony in the Western Theatre, which ultimately forced an end to the war.

Playing a small but key role in these events was Anton Helmert, the Union soldier who captured this flag. His regiment was commanded by Colonel Charles G. Harker, whose men reached the summit of Missionary Ridge (the location of General Bragg’s headquarters) during the fight. Colonel Harker’s account of the battle reads in part:

“Though officers and men were constantly falling, the command moved steadily forward…thus, foot by foot and pace by pace, the crest was being reached to the admiration of all who witnessed it.  My right and Colonel Sherman’s left interlocked as we approached the summit, and it was near this point that I saw the first part of my line gain the crest…driving the enemy from his entrenchments…

…The gap thus opened, our men rushed rapidly in, and the enemy, loath to give up their position, still remained, firing at my command toward the left; and the battery in front of the house known as General Bragg’s headquarters was still firing at the troops, and was captured by our men while the gunners were still at their posts.”

Harker’s report is crucial to the provenance of the flag, as it explicitly mentions the the capture of General Bragg’s headquarters by in his brigade, which included the 27th Illinois.

As with many wartime accounts, the author of the Soldier’s Home Fair tag mistakenly confused the battles of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge.  This was a common error, as the two battles occurred on consecutive dates in 1863 just 8 miles apart. Luckily, the official catalog of items for sale at the fair (as well as the newspaper notice) also lists it as captured at Lookout Mountain, leaving absolutely no doubt this is the very flag that was sold there. In addition, the flag's captor is noted as belonging to company "D" of the 22nd Illinois Infantry, when he was actually in company "D" of the 27th Illinois Infantry. The 27th Illinois Infantry is well documented to have been in the area of Bragg’s headquarters during the battle, and Helmert was present with his regiment during that time. The two units were brigaded together during the battle, which likely caused the confusion. Regardless, newspaper accounts from that time also support the story. Helmert’s capture of Bragg’s flag was newsworthy in the midwest, and it is no surprise the trophy was later auctioned for the benefit of the Union fighting man - a common practice at the time.   

Several national experts have studied and authenticated this flag, including the late renowned flag expert/author Howard Madaus and historic textile conservator Fonda Thompson. A textile analysis and authentication prepared by Thomsen is included with the flag. Thomsen began working as a conservator in 1968, first at the Smithsonian Institution and then at the National Park Service. After years of study in internatinal institutions, she focused her work on American historic textiles and modern fiber art. Thomsen is best known in the Civil War collecting community for her conservation work on the suit President Abraham Lincoln was wearing the night he was assassinated.  

This is an exceedingly scarce opportunity to acquire a genuine, unpublished Confederate First National Flag that is well-documented to be a Union war trophy taken from one of the more prominent Confederate generals of the Civil War. 

Special thanks are owed to the Milwaukee Historical Society and flag expert Greg Biggs, whose report on the provenance of this flag is included. Shipment will need to be arranged with Fleischer’s Auctions for this lot. Serious parties are strongly encouraged to request a scanned copy of the flag’s provenance, which is extensive.

The flag itself measures 33 ½ inches on the hoist by 56 ¼ inches on the fly. Its canton measures 22 ¼ inches on the hoist by 21 ¾ inches on the fly. It features seven white cotton stars applied to the flag on the obverse side and cut away on the reverse. The flag’s hoist edge is doubled over to form a reinforced hoist edge, ¾ inches wide.  Attached are 9 ties for attachment to a staff. The flag is made of cotton as are the stars, it ties are red silk ribbons, its threads are both cotton and silk. The flag is entirely hand sewn.



[Abraham Lincoln, Civil War, Union Confederate, Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, Abolition, Emancipation, 13th Amendment, Revolutionary War, Founding Fathers, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin]