This group consists of four famed items relating to the 91^st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry.

The first item is a hand sewn 34 star US flag. The flag is made of cotton and meas. approx. 17.00 inches on the hoist and 32.00 inches on the fly. The blue canton meas. approx. 9.50 inches on the hoist and 11.75 inches on the fly. Each white 5-pointed star is hand sewn to the flag and meas. approx. 1.50 to 1.75 inches wide. The overall condition of the flag is good. The red and blue colors are strong. The cotton does show stress separations in numerous areas and there is some moth damage that ranges from minor to heavy. The mothing seems to be in bunches arranged in three vertical lines approx. 8.50 inches apart. These lines of damage were no doubt caused by the moths eating the cloth while the flag was folded and stored. The areas unaffected by the moths does show some light to moderate surface dirt and staining which adds to the authenticity of the piece being that the item is a textile that is over a 150 years old. The flag comes well mounted and housed in a modern wooden frame painted gold. The frame has an off-white backing that matches the white cloth used to form the stripes of the flag. Frame meas. approx. 22.00 inches by 37.50 inches. The back of the frame is covered in thin black paper which has developed several punctures from handling but none of this affects the item.

The next item in the group is a framed pair of documents. The first one is an old handwritten in period ink label for the flag described above. Label meas. approx. 6.00 x 4.00 inches. It has some staining throughout and residue from a rusty paperclip that probably held it to the flag. The label reads “THIS FLAG WAS MADE BY MARY EYRE SISTER OF LT. GEORGE W. EYRE, BENJ. B. EYRE & ROBERT W. EYRE AND WAS ATTACHED TO THE TENT FLAP OF TENT OF LT. GEORGE W. EYRE QUARTERMASTER OF 91^ST REG. PA. VOL. DURING CIVIL WAR OF 1861-1865.” The other document framed with this label is a 5.00 x 7.75 sheet of paper on which is typed the birth and death dates of 16 members of the Eyre family who are buried in West Laurel Hill Cemetery. The list includes the three soldiers named in the above label as well as the sister that made the flag offered here. These are housed in a 10.50 x 18.00 inch wooden frame painted gold to match the flag frame. Items are double matted in blue and red.

The third item in the group is a framed 8 x 10 inch albumen of 1^st Lieutenant George W. Eyre, 91^st Pennsylvania Volunteers. Image is a beautiful crystal clear view of George in uniform. He is posed with his arms folded across his chest standing by a column. He wears a dark frock coat adorned with Lieutenants shoulder straps. He also wears matching dark trousers and around his waist is his sword belt, sash and Model 1850 Foot Officer’s sword. Image is housed in a modern wood frame with a raised acorn and scroll decoration. Frame is gold to match others in the collection. Image is single matted with a blue mat.

The fourth and last item in the group is a framed 8 x 10 inch albumen of 2^nd Lieutenant Benjamin B. Eyre, 91^st Pennsylvania Volunteers. Image is a beautiful crystal clear view of Benjamin in uniform. He is posed with his arms folded across his chest similar to his brother’s image described above. He also stands by the same column as his brother but only the edge of it is visible. He wears a dark frock coat adorned with Lieutenants shoulder straps. He also wears matching dark trousers and around his waist is his sword belt, sash and Model 1850 Foot Officer’s sword. Image is housed in a modern wood frame with a raised acorn and scroll decoration. Frame is gold to match others in the collection. Image is single matted with a blue mat.

The 91^st Pennsylvania was mustered in December 4, 1861 for three years. The regiment was assigned to the Army of the Potomac in August of 1862 and served with that army’s 5^th Corps throughout the war. The regiment saw its first action at Fredericksburg in December of 1862 and was in a total of 41 engagements including Gettysburg and all the big battles in the eastern theater. The regiment suffered 300 men killed, died of wounds and died of disease not to mention hundreds wounded. The regiment was mustered out on July 10, 1865.

George W. Eyre was born in Philadelphia in 1832. By 1860 he was working in Philadelphia as an importer. He enlisted as a Private in Company A of the 91^st on August 20, 1861. Later that year he was commissioned 1^st Lieutenant and Quartermaster of the 91^st. In a letter home a soldier in the 91^st stated that Eyre “possesses the confidence of the entire regiment.” By late 1862 George was serving as Quartermaster for his brigade. On December 1, 1862 he became sick with diarrhea and on the 27^th he was sent home on a surgeon’s certificate. Lt. Eyre died at his mother’s home on December 31, 1862 of enteritis, super-induced upon diarrhea. He was buried on January 4, 1863 in West Laurel Hill Cemetery.

Benjamin B. Eyre was born in Philadelphia in 1837. By the outbreak of the Civil War he was working as a clerk in Philadelphia. With his older brother George he enlisted as a Private in Company A of the 91^st on August 20, 1861. In December of that year he was commissioned a 2^nd Lieutenant and transferred to Company I. He served with his Company until August of 1862 when he was sent to Philadelphia on recruiting duty returning to the regiment sometime in the fall. He was discharged on a surgeon’s certificate of disability on February 2, 1863. After his service Benjamin continued to live in Philadelphia where he married and worked in several businesses to include salesman, insurance and real estate. At some point he moved to Erie, Pennsylvania where he died on January 23, 1916 and is buried in West Laurel Hill Cemetery with the rest of his family.

This is a museum quality group nicely framed and ready for display.  [ad]

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