[13Stars]

My 6th great grandfather Isreal Pickens fought at the Battle of Cowpens under his 1st cousin Gen.Andrew Pickens and I would like to see a photo of the real Cowpens Flag.
I've search the web and I gave up, they say it's in the State House in Annapolis, MD.
I know the reprodutions has a circle of 13 stars with a star in the middle.

Guy

[NAVA1974]

Here is a pic from the July 1959 National Geographic Magazine showing the so-called Cowpens flag. See page 40 of 80 in the PDF of Grace Cooper's "Thirteen Star Flags - Keys to Identification" where she equates the "Cowpens Flag" to a Mexican War era flag of similar construction:
http://www.sil.si.edu/smithsoniancon.../SSHT-0021.pdf

Cowpens 004.jpg

Maryland subsequently took the flag off display and has placed it in the state archives.

I have a similar flag of wool bunting that dates from the Civil War era:


You can see it, and my other 13-star flags, on Flickr:
13 Star Flags - a set on Flickr
Regards,
Nick

[13Stars]

Thanks Nick for the great information and the photo of it, I got to see the real flag at last !
Seem like every time I would type in "Photo of the real Cowpens Flag" on Goggle, I would get copies of the flag.

You have a very nice flag collection, I wish I had some old flags, all of mine are reprodutions.
I also have the Battle of Guilford Courthouse Flag, which has it's own look.

[NAVA1974]

Originally Posted by 13Stars

Thanks Nick for the great information and the photo of it, I got to see the real flag at last !.

You are welcome!

Originally Posted by 13Stars

Seem like every time I would type in "Photo of the real Cowpens Flag" on Goggle, I would get copies of the flag.
You have a very nice flag collection...

Thank you very much.

Originally Posted by 13Stars

I also have the Battle of Guilford Courthouse Flag, which has it's own look.

Did you see Mrs.Cooper's explanation of why she thought the Guilford Courthouse flag was actually from the War of 1812 era?

It is discussed in that Smithsonian publication I linked in my earlier message.

Nick

[csaanv]

Nick,
You are absolutely correct in pointing out Mrs. Cooper's explanation why the GC flag was not a relic of that battle however in her paper in the Pennsylvania Capitol Preservation Committee Flag Symposium proceedings she goes into further detail about the flag and a drum that was believed to be a relic of the battle or at least of that period. On the drum among other things military there is a flag painted on it with the same color arrangement as the GC flag, Blue stars, white canton and blue and red stripes. Note upper right of drum. GCHflagr.jpg

GUCO349drum3_exh.jpg
I guess my point is while this flag may not be an actual relic of the battle I believe it is possible that the pattern may have existed and been used during the Revolution among the North Carolina milita. I have personal attachment to this flag and drum as I grew up near the battlefield and spent many hours walking over it.

[csaanv]

In this same paper Mrs. Cooper also seems to question the Cowpens flag as a relic of that battle as well.

[13Stars]

Hey CSAANV,

I use to live near the Guildford Courthouse Battlefield also, about 20 min. away, me and a buddy of mine use to go jogging on their paved walking paths every weekend when I lived up there, I'm about a hour drive away now.
It's a very nice historical park, with all of the statues and they have a nice museum.
I believe they had the flag during the battle from my point of view, nobody really know's, we were not there, so how do we know for sure.
But, it's a nice design, diffrent from most of the Revolutionary War flags.

Nice Drum Photo, first time I've ever seen that before, with the flag on it, Nice !

[csaanv]

Yes, Greensboro is a great place. I love going there. Here is a rare photo of the GC flag.
THE GUILFORD COURTHOUSE FLAG.jpg

[13Stars]

Nice Photo of the Guildford Courthouse Flag!

Thanks !