This is an extremely rare embroidered cloth and bullion patch for wear by a regimental color bearer, who was normally a sergeant, and would be worn in the angle of his sergeant’s chevrons. For a similar example still set in its chevron stripes and worn by a member of the 42^nd Massachusetts, see Troiani’s Military and Historical Image Bank. The color-bearer was chosen by the Colonel and since a regimental flag was large, it required a soldier of some physical strength, and since it would serve also to guide an advance or rally a shaken line, while also the focus of enemy riflemen, it required someone of some moral strength and nerve as well.

This is in excellent condition with no moth damage, all the bullion embroidery and stitching in place and strong color to the red, white and blue, silver stars, gold pikes and cords, and beaded wire edging to the curling flags.

The color-sergeant would carry the national, stars-and-stripes, flag of the regiment. If an additional flag was carried another sergeant might do so, but the usual arrangement was for the colorguard to be formed of eight corporals. The insignia was not uniformly adopted.  Period photos also show the use of a star, sometimes mistaken for an ordnance-sergeant’s insignia. Corporals are occasionally photographed with a star and chevrons, pretty clearly indicating a member of a colorguard, but the crossed flags seem to have been reserved for sergeants, the occasional misidentified photograph of a member of the signal corps notwithstanding.  [sr][ph:L]

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