"Springfield Flag inspired Kansas Troops in the Civil War"

A Moment in Time

Kansas Historical Society

A monthly series from the Kansas Historical Society

A flag is, and has been, a powerful symbol. It can be an emblem of the nation it represents. When scarred by war, it can be a powerful reminder to those who serve under it of the action they have seen, and of those no longer with them. It can be an extraordinary bond between soldiers and the people back home.

In 1861 Kansas, the thirty-fourth state in the Union was less than six months old, yet it was going to war. The call for volunteers had gone out in the spring, and Kansans were answering the call. The region had been in the center of the conflict over slavery since its formation as a territory seven years earlier. Now its citizens would play their part in settling the question.

One of the places the call would be answered was Emporia. The men who enlisted there would form Company H of the Second Kansas Infantry, a regiment recruited to serve ninety days, which many hoped would be the duration of the war. Once the ranks were filled, the company would leave for Lawrence, where the regiment would organize.

The ladies of Emporia felt their soldiers should have a flag to carry with them during their service. Red and white challis, or wool, was purchased from a local store or ordered from Lawrence. Having no blue for the field, one woman offered some blue cashmere from a dress pattern her mother had sent her. White silk was found to create the stars.

The day before the company departed for Lawrence, the ladies presented the flag to the troops. One of the ladies, Fannie Yeakley, delivered a patiotic speech as she presented the flag to the standard bearer. Father Fairchild, a Methodist minister, offered an eloquent sermon and a prayer for the safety of the company.

Company H would see little action in the field, and it appeared it would survive the ninety days without seeing a major battle. That would change on August 10, 1861, southwest of Springfield, Missouri, along a stream known as Wilson's Creek. The Union army led by Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon attempted to defeat a Confederate army led by Brigadier General Ben McCulloch. Through much of the five hour battle, the Second Kansas would be held in reserve.

The flag the ladies of Emporia made was now not just the company flag but was the only set of national colors carried by the Second Kansas that day. At the moment General Lyon ordered regiment into the battle he was shot and killed, the first Union general to die in the war. This made Lyon a martyr, and the Second Kansas flag achieved a certain status among the soldiers. Some said it was the only Federal flag on the field when Lyon died.

The Union did not win that day. What happened to Company H is best described by Lieutenant C.S. Hills, who wrote home to Emporia: "Our company suffered more severely than any other of the Second Kansas Regiment, as we carried the only flag in the regiment. . .Thomas Miller, our Ensign (the flag bearer), is dead--shot through the kidney." Hills would add that the little flag the ladies gave was completely riddled with shot and shell.

In October Company H came home to Emporia. By order of General John C. Fremont, the flag now had the battle name "Springfield" on it, an honor for the service given at what eventually was referred to as the Battle of Wilson's Creek. The Emporia News wrote that when the company arrived, the flag was immediately hoisted in front of the Emporia House for all to see.

Another ceremony was held. As Anna Watson Randolph would later recall, the company was greeted by Father Fairchild, in whose hands the flag was placed. As he unrolled it, bullet holes became apparent; dark stains on the staff showed the loss of Thomas Miller's blood. Sobs broke from the crowd. It was, as Mrs. Randolph said, their first experience of the horrors of war.

The service of the Second Kansas Infantry was over. A few days later, the newspaper would print a notice calling for new recruits to serve under the "Old Flag," and many would re-enlist in the newly formed Second Kansas Cavalry. But the flag the ladies made was not going back to war. Instead it would serve as a symbol for enlistment drives for the remainder of the war. On July 4, 1866, it would be presented to the state with the other battle flags of Kansas regiments in a grand ceremony in Topeka.

Today this flag can be seen in the gallery of the Kansas Museum of History, one of eight-one battle flags of the Civil and Spanish-American Wars in the collections of the Kansas Historical Society. Many of these flags have become brittle with age and are in need of conservation work to stabilize them and stem their decay. The "Save The Flags" project is currently raising fund for this work. If you would like to make a contribution, adopt a flag, share information or photos of the flags, or ask questions, please contact either Marjorie Schnacke, 913-272-8681, ext. 232, or Blair Tarr, 913-272-8681, ext. 427, at the Kansas Historical Society, 6425 SW Sixth Avenue, Topeka, KS 66615-1099; 913-272-8681; TTY 913-272-8683.