Flags
Spanish-American War Era Battalion Pattern "8-7-8-7-8-7" Massive 45-Star American Flag of Sewn Wool and Cotton
c. 1896 Spanish-American War Era, Massive 45-Star American Flag, Sewn Wool and Cotton, with 45 Sewn Stars, made in New York, Choice Very Fine.
This mammoth oversized 45-Star American Flag measures about 225" x 109" (18.75' x 9'). Its 45 Sewn Cotton Stars are in a Battalion Pattern "8-7-8-7-8-7" on a rich blue canton. A heavy canvas hoist with metal rings is mounted at top and bottom. The hoist is stamped "Andrew Mills Maker 53 South St NY" along with the number "20" and a geometric symbol. Separately also stamped, "USQMD" on the hoist (United States Quartermaster Department). Most likely, this huge American Flag was flown over the Federal building housing the Quartermaster Department, or the Quartermaster Supply Depot at Philadelphia, the First home of the Quartermaster School.
Officers and NCOs were assigned to the Quartermaster Department for extended periods of time, often for the duration of their careers. Unlike today, the Quartermasters of that era relied upon civilian labor or detailed Soldiers to perform the actual labor. Finding teamsters to drive the wagons proved to be one of the greatest challenges in keeping the widely dispersed Army properly supplied. The Quartermaster Department continued to manage a wide variety of commodities ranging from getting food for the horses, procurement of uniforms, construction of quarters (where feasible), plus tents and field equipment. Various Indian campaigns, including the Seminole Wars, kept the Quartermaster Department fully engaged. From 1846 to 1848 the Mexican War provided the U.S. Army's first experience at major overseas campaigning. The Quartermaster Department kept the Army supplied in this challenging environment, often relying upon local agents to purchase supplies.
The lapse in logistical expertise proved to be a serious deficiency once the United States entered war with Spain in 1898. Once again, purchasing practices created a climate for waste, fraud, and abuse. The temporary camps created to hold the rapidly expanding Army were so poorly designed that Soldiers died from disease in shocking numbers. For the U.S. Army this was the first overseas deployment since the Mexican War; but as of this time the Quartermaster Department had no organized military units. The support structure was still supported by contracted labor, which did not work well outside the United States. The Army had no knowledge of how to load or unload the ships used for the invasion of Cuba. Resupply operations in Cuba were plagued with difficulties, especially for medical supplies. Spain surrendered before the logistical deficiencies created even more problems