Nicole Bengiveno/The New York Times
Posted on 11/11/2005 3:27:44 AM PST by Pharmboy
Nicole Bengiveno/The New York Times
At Sotheby's on Tuesday, Terry McAllister, left, and James Parker moved the Connecticut regimental battle flag.
Sotheby's
One of the Virginia infantry flags believed to have been captured by a British
commander, Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton, in a bloody battle in the Carolinas
in May 1780.
The war veterans who once revered them and followed them - and then lost them - are all long gone. But now, their battle standards, taken by the enemy, have at last returned to American soil after two and a quarter centuries.
The flags are believed to date from the Revolutionary War and to have been seized by a notorious British cavalry officer, Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton.
On Oct. 28, the four flags arrived in New York from the south of England, where they had been privately hung as wall trophies by Tarleton's descendants.
Their sudden re-emergence, like the awakening of a martial Rip Van Winkle, has caused a stir in military and historical circles, to the intense satisfaction of Sotheby's, the auction house. It hopes to sell the flags next year for a total of $4 million to $10 million.
Such an improbably grand price for four faded pieces of fragile, hand-stitched and hand-painted silk derives from their origin as "sacred and vivid relics of the birth our nation," said David N. Redden, a vice chairman of Sotheby's in Manhattan.
"Flags of such rarity and history have never come up for sale," said Mr. Redden, who has an auction tentatively scheduled for next June 14 - Flag Day.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Also, I work with a woman from Texas whose maiden name is Tarlton (some in the family drop the "e") who is a removed cousin of Banastre while not a direct descendant.
History ping--RevWar ping...
Ping...
Neat. I hope that the collector who buys them takes good care of them.
for those of us that don't know our history are you telling me that there were northern states that fought for freedom from a huge over bearing government???? (/scm)
Those flags belong to the people of Connecticut and Virginia. Not to Sothby's or anyone else. They should be considered stolen property that must be returned to their rightful owners.
I know the dollar is all powerful and Sothby's is drooling at their commission, but send them to their rightful owners.
HAAAAAAA! BWHAAAAAAAAA! Good One! :)
In contrast, it has been estimated that between 6 and 10 thousand Patriots died on the battlefields of the RevWar, while about 10,000 more died in British prison ships in NYC harbor. It is also interesting to note that more African Americans died during the RevWar than those numbers combined. How? When thousands left to join the Brits who said they would offer them freedom, they died in camps the Brits had set up of typhus, smallpox, etc. An untold story of the Revolution.
Spoils of war, I believe.
Perfidious Albion strikes again!
Wow. That is really remarkable!
Unit Colors have been a legitimate trophy of war for centuries. Go to the museum at West Point and you will see the Regimental Color of the British 7th Foot, captured by Americans in the Revolution. We're not giving it back.
The whole idea of course is to defend your colors and thereby prevent them being captured by the enemy.
He may have captured some unit colors but Col. Francis Marion of the South Carolina Militia got the better of him.
I can't remember which one it is, but the British regiment that captured, looted, and burned the White House still has Dolly Madison's silverware. When ever they hold a formal dinner, especially with Americans invited, they display it and use it. They keep it very well guarded at these events and seem to get a big kick out of showing it off.
One thing that is interesting about Tarleton is that he normally commanded American units. He was something else based on the below if it loads:
http://jrshelby.com/kimocowp/tarlton.htm
Did you hear about this?
Please Freepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent Connecticut ping list.
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