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A Colonial American French and Indian War Battle Flag, from the 5th Regiment of Foot, Connecticut
Description
The worsted wool standard with a buff field (all colors from natural dyes; fabric analyses available), comprised of 4 joined horizontal bands of cloth sewn with cotton yarn; the white canton bearing a red St. George's cross, the upper left quadrant of the canton affixed with a green Pine Tree emblem, the center of the field embroidered with the inscription "5 Regt." Worn with some loss; some losses evidently due to early clippings of the flag for souvenir purposes. Restored and stabilized in 2002 by Stillwater Textile Conservation Studio, LLC, Bradford, New Hampshire (copies of the Conservation Report are available on request).
Dimensions:
31 ¼ inches (hoist) x 33 ½ inches (fly)
Matted, framed, and glazed.
Condition
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
America's first flag:
One of the earliest surviving flags from British North America, and likely the very earliest known numbered Regimental flag from the American Colonies.
In a very real way, the French and Indian War—which established English dominance over most of the then-occupied territory that now comprises the United States—was the first American War of Independence. And in a very real way, the present Connecticut regimental flag is one of the most significant surviving artifacts from the period of the French and Indian Wars.
Flags have been employed since ancient times for both civil and military purposes. In the American colonies they were especially important as symbols of colonial, regional, and—ultimately—national unity. This flag, for instance, links the St. George's cross with a readily identifiable symbol of North America; the pine tree. Eighteenth-century military forces were especially dependent on flags, not simply because they were powerful badges of honor and sources of unit pride, but because they were a vital part of field communications and organization. The buff field of the flag is particularly appropriate for a military flag, as this color was used on the facings of the uniforms of eighteenth-century Connecticut regiments.
The present flag almost certainly dates to 1755, when a Warrant established a uniform numbering system for regimental units in British America; it was therefore very likely in use during the period of the French and Indian War, 1754-1763, the 250th anniversary of which we are currently observing. Nearly 30,000 militiamen were mustered in Connecticut during the French and Indian War, including those who served in the 5th Regiment.
But vital as the relationship between this flag and the French and Indian War is, the overarching significance of this flag goes far beyond that conflict. This flag is a military adaptation of the "New England Ensign," a design that was in use from the late seventeenth century to the eve of the Revolutionary War, when the St. George's cross was dropped from the canton. It represents as well one of the first metamorphoses of a strictly British design into an American colonial design—and it is the earliest known surviving "Pine Tree: flag; all other recorded examples date from the Revolutionary War or later. The Smithsonian Institution publication So Proudly We Hail: The History of the United States Flag (1981) stresses the significance of the Pine Tree design as among the first truly "American" flags ever designed.
The recent history of the discovery of the flag is as exciting as its early life. The flag was found in a trunk of eighteenth-century textiles purchased at an estate sale in Southold, New York. The house the trunk was purchased from belonged to the Woodward family—and an Ensign Jacob Woodward had served in the 6th Company of the 5th Connecticut Militia Regiment. At that time, one of the responsibilities of an Ensign was to supply regimental flags, and it is very likely that Woodward had this flag made and then kept it after his service as a memento of his time spent under arms. To help allay the cost of supplying flags (among their other duties), Ensigns were relatively very well paid. In 1755, the Connecticut Assembly allowed a monthly salary of 2 pounds, 8 shillings to an Ensign; by contrast, a private was allotted 26 shillings and 8 pence. Moreover, militia regiments such as 5th Connecticut in which Woodward served operated in conjunction with the Regular British military, but they were in fact independent units—American units, operating under their own flags—American flags.
Since its discovery, the flag has been widely studied and featured in many publications, including Early American Life (June 2006), as well as on The History Channel program "This Week in History" (1 July 2002). A clear consensus has developed that this humble bit of homemade cloth is one of the earliest, and certainly one of the most complete, surviving flags from British North America.