Regimental Colors of the 12th O.V.I.

This blue silk flag served as the regimental colors of the 12th 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 seven 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. Thirteen embroidered gold stars and 40 rays are placed above the arms. A cloud is placed among the rays that contains the text: "CARNIFEX FERRY, BULL RUN BRID[...]". Some of the text is no longer legible or intact due to deterioration. The text "Aug. 27th 1862" begins on the left of the arms, near the top of the eagle's wings, and continues to the right of the arms. The text "Presented by the 'Citizens' of Warren County, Ohio" begins on the left of the arms, near the bottom of the eagle's wings, and continues to the right of the arms. The text "TO THE" appears directly below the arms. Below that text, in a gold outlined scroll, is the text "12th REGIMENT O.V.I. U.S.A." The flag's gold-knotted fringe is four centimeters in length. The dimensions of the flag are 185 by 198 cm. 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