NJ Civil War Flag Rotation
Historic New Jersey Civil War Flags on Display At
The State Museum In Trenton Until December 2022
Personal Items of General Robert McAllister of the 11th NJVI Exhibit Extended
New
Jersey
contributed
over
80,000
men
to
the
Civil
War
and
the
New
Jersey
State
Museum
has
over
100
flags
carried
by
New
Jersey’s
troops
in
the
war
in
its
collection.
Five
of
these
historic
flags
will
be
unveiled
in
specially
designed
exhibit
cases
at
the
New
Jersey
State
Museum
located
at
205
West
State
Street
in
Trenton
at
10
AM
on
Saturday,
July
16,
2022.
The
flags
gallery
exhibit
area
is
located
at
the
right
rear
of
the
main
first
floor
of the museum.
This
is
the
second
flags
unveiling
in
the
past
three
years.
Unveilings
were
suspended
from
2019
to
mid-
2021
because
of
the
Covid-19
pandemic.
Current
museum
policy
is
that
face
masks
are
optional
but
suggested in close contact situations.
As
an
added
bonus
to
this
new
rotation
within
the
Flag
Gallery,
the
personal
items
that
belonged
to
Gen.
Robert
McAllister
of
Belvidere
which
he
carried
into
the
field
during
the
Civil
War
will
remain
on
display.
McAllister
is
most
known
for
commanding
the
11th
New
Jersey
Infantry
in
1862-1864
and
for
leading
the
old
Second
New
Jersey
Brigade
in
the
last
year
of
the
war.
Items
on
display
include
McAllister’s
sword,
scabbard,
sash,
gloves
and
belt
plate,
which
were
recently
donated
to
the
State
Museum,
and
also
his
kepi
and
a
piece
of
shrapnel
that
was
fired
into
the
11th’s
line
at
Chancellorsville, which are on loan.
In
honor
of
General
McAllister,
two
of
the
flags
will
be
the
national
colors
of
the
11th
Infantry
and
his
personal
headquarters
flag
in
1864-1865, which was flown at his funeral
Another
battle
worn
flag
in
this
group
is
the
national
flag
of
the
7th
NJ
Regiment
Infantry,
which
saw
heavy
action
at
2nd
Bull
Run
and
Gettysburg.
Also
in
this
group
is
the
national
flag
carried
by
the
22nd
NJ
Volunteer
Infantry
in
1862-1863.
This
regiment
was
recruited out of Bergen County.
The
fifth
flag
in
this
unveiling
is
one
of
the
most
controversial
flags
in
the
collection.
Nicknamed
“the
flag
with
the
big
red
3,”
it
served
as
a
regimental
designating
flag
in
1862
and
then
was
probably
recycled
as
the
headquarters
flag
of
the
Second
New
Jersey
Brigade, Army of the Potomac, in 1863-64.
Organized
by
the
New
Jersey
State
Museum
and
the
New
Jersey
Civil
War
Heritage
Association
,
the
unveiling
event
will
feature
an
educational
gallery
walk
by
flag
historian
Dr.
David
Martin.
He
is
currently
preparing
a
detailed
history
of
the
State’s
Civil
War
flags
for
publication.
The
exhibit
was
prepared
by
Nicholas
Ciotola,
Curator
of
Cultural
History
at
the
New Jersey State Museum.
These flags will be shown until late December 2022, when a
new group of flags will be put on display.
What:
New Jersey Civil War Flag Exhibition Unveiling and Flag Lecture
Where:
NJ State Museum, Main Building, South Gallery, 2-5 West State Street, Trenton, NJ
Cost:
FREE, Open to the Public, No Reservations Needed
