The "Flag Day: The Bidding On A Piece Of United States History Begins" Story

It was an ordinary day.  June 13, 2019 and I'm observing the online bidding for a piece of our country's history.  

The flag and several other items being
offered for bid at Morphy Auctions.
Click on images to enlarge them.

On sale today at Morphy Auctions in nearby Denver, Pennsylvania is a Civil War battle flag that flew alongside a Pennsylvania regiment of black troops.  The 127th Regiment of the U.S. Colored Troops flag is being sold by the Grand Army of the Republic Museum that is located in Philadelphia, PA.  They are offering it at auction to try and bolster their museum's finances.  I'm sure they must hate to auction the flag, but the sale of the flag may help to keep their museum solvent.  The flag, which was painted on silk by prominent 19th century black artist David Bustill Bowser, features a black soldier waving to Columbia, the Goddess of Liberty and features the inscription  "We will prove ourselves men."  Mr. Bowser was born in Philadelphia January 16, 1820 to fugitive slave Jeremiah Bowser who had married into the prominent Bustill family, whose patriarch was himself born a slave, but purchased his own freedom.  The Union League of Philadelphia commissioned Mr. Bowser to paint a few flags for the state's USCT (United States Colored Troops).  

The 127th U.S. Colored Troop flag.

The flag, which has a minimum bid of $75,000, is the only flag that remains; the others were destroyed at West Point in the 1940s.  I have not been able to find why or how the other flags were destroyed other than they were discarded near the beginning of WWII in 1942.  The United States Army began a War Department General Order 143 to organize African Americans into regimental units known as USTC in 1863.  The enlistment of free blacks and slaves was considered one of the big reasons that the North won the war.  The USCT included cavalry, artillery and infantry soldiers.  Approximately 186,000 African Americans served in the USCT.  Their service records are available from the National Archives.  

Part of the 127th Regiment.

The 127th Regiment was formed from enlisted and drafted African-American males from the State of Pennsyl- vania and recruited primarily in the Delaware Valley of Philadel- phia and surrounding regions and trained at Camp William Penn in Chelten Hills or Camptown, Pennsylvania which is northwest of Philadelphia.  This took place between August 23 and September 10, 1864.  Colonel Benjamin F. Tracy was the Commanding Officer.  This Pennsylvania camp was the only camp for African Americans.  The official Army register of Colored Troops shows that the only battle in which this regiment participated was Deep Bottom, Virginia.  Only one black soldier was killed in this battle.  The regiment was moved from one location to another and was present at the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865.  The flag that is being auctioned is deep indigo blue silk with approximately 90% of the field in place.  A military camp with breaking clouds appears in the background.  The motto on the scroll above the painting reads "WE WILL PROVE OURSELVES MEN" and links with 24 gold leaves, 12 on each side, to the bottom scroll registering "127.TH REGT. U.S. COLORED TROOPS".  The flag has a horizontal length of 72 inches and a width of 55 1/4 inches", excluding the fringe.  The gold silk fringe, which is along the top and bottom horizontal length and the fly width, is slightly under 2" in width.  Any Civil War collector would love to have this flag in their collection.  Being that is the last of its kind makes it a valuable piece of United States history.  This battle flag that flew alongside the Pennsylvania regiment of black troops is a piece of history that will draw a high bid.  At least it should!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

PS - As of the time of this post, I was not able to find if the bidding had stopped and what the final bid might have been.