AS THEY ARE AND WHAT IS KNOWN OF THEM FORTY-ONE YEARS AFTER THE CLOSE OF THE CIVIL WAR.
The most sacred relics that any State can possess are its Battle Flags. Other American states--North and South-have carefully cared for these; repaired them, and photographs and drawings made, that a description of the banners carried in battle by their warriors might be preserved. It is forty-one years since returning West Virginia Regiments laid down their Flags, Banners,and Guidons at Wheeling, and from that time to this, not a single line far as known, has ever been written or printed regarding them.   For this reason it has been deemed best to extend the notice of them in this report to considerable length. The West Virginia Military Organizations in the service of the United States during the Civil War consisted of seventeen regiments of Volunteer Infantry; two regiments of Veteran Infantry; seven regiments of Cavalry, and two regiments of Artillery a total of twenty-six regiments. In. this number one regiment is counted twice. This was the Eighth Infantry, organized as such in the autumn of 1861. In June, 1863, it was supplied with horses and continued in service as Mounted Infantry. As such it was known until January 27, 1864, when by order of the War Department, it was designated as the Seventh West Virginia Cavalry. Thus it is that the Eighth Infantry and the Seventh Cavalry is one and the same regiment. About 400 members of the ' Regiment re-enlisted and served as Veterans to the close of the war. By the Report of the Adjutant-General of West Virginia, for the year ending December 31, 1865, P. 9, it is- shown that on 'the rolls of these twenty-five regiments, from first to last, there were.31,884 names. This is the number given in the statement of the Provost- Marshall-General of the United States under date of September 1865. All, of the Regiments were supplied with flags. They had the National Flag, the. State Flag, and Guidons.

(1) The National Flag:-This was the Stars and Stripes bearing thirty-,four stars, representing the thirty-four states which, up to that time, had been admitted into the Union.

(3) The State Flag:-That given to the regiments in the field by the, New State was a beautiful emblem. All were in the main alike, that is of the same pattern. It was a banner six feet square of deep blue! silk embroidered with long golden fringe. In the center, on the obverse side was painted in colors an oval, as a back- ground, the transverse diameter being 32 inches and the conjugate 33 inches in this was the. Great Seal or Coat-of-Arms of the State painted also -in colors, at the base of which a scroll. bore the motto of the State Montani Semper Liberi. Beneath all was a long reddish brown floating scroll on which appeared the number of the regiment and the arm of the service to which it belonged. Surrounding this oval there appeared in gold letters the name and date's the battles in which the regiment had participated.

On the reverse side of the banner was painted in colors a spread eagle measuring forty-four inches from tip to tip of its wings, its breast protected by a barred shield in the national colors of  red, white and blue; a sheaf of arrows in its right talon and the olive branch of peace in its left. A floating scroll held in its beak bore the legend E Pluribus Unum,. The staves were of walnut or ash ten or eleven feet in length with metal tips and brass ornaments on the upper end. Attached were long silk cords of blue and white  with long tassels of the same materials at the ends. When borne, by the Infantry these State Flags were known as "Colors"; when carried by Cavalry, they were called "Standards."

(3) Guidons:-All, guidons are small United States Flags, that is the Stars and Stripes, with the former on a blue canton. Its form is forked or sharply "swallow-tailed" at the outer end. They were carried usually by companies of infantry, and of cavalrv, but were, frequently used by artillery companies.

"The guidon told the soldiers In colors what- the bugle said In sounds."