|
 Thirteen star flags in
the Cowpens or Third Maryland Pattern are among the
scarcest and most desired by collectors of early
American Stars and Stripes. The pattern is
associated with a particular early example that was long
thought to have been carried by General Daniel Morgan's
Maryland Light Infantry at the Battle of Cowpens during
the American Revolution in 1781. The original
Cowpens flag, now in the Maryland State Archives,
actually dates to the second quarter of the 19th
century, after further examination. But this
particular pattern is forever linked to this particular
flag, hence the name for the style of a 13 star flag
that has 12 stars arranged in either an oval or circular
wreath, with a single center star. The actual
Cowpens flag, which I've had the privilege to examine in
person, consists of an oval wreath much in the same form
as this particular example. The colors of the flag
are very vibrant, with the white stripes aging to a tan
color and the red and blue retaining their bold and very
complementary deep colors. The canton and stripes
are made of wool bunting, with machine stitched stripes
and zig-zag stitched stars. The period of the flag
could date as early as circa 1890, though it most likely
dates to some time in the first quarter of the 20th
century, circa 1900-1925. Thirteen star flags were
made in this era primarily for use on maritime vessels.
This example is small making it easy to frame and
present, and, despite the losses to the corner of the
top red stripe, is in remarkably fine condition with
little signs of weathering. Thirteen star flags from
this era are generally hard to find, and of those that
do exist, fewer than one in a hundred surviving examples
from this period are in a pattern such as this, rather
than a more common 3-2-3-2-3 pattern or the 13 star
medallion pattern. |
