Jump to Navigation

Eighth Kansas Infantry Flag

Eighth Kansas Infantry regimental flagOf all the Kansas regiments in the Civil War, the Eighth Kansas Volunteer Infantry went further east than any other, and carried this flag into battle.

The Eighth Kansas saw action in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia during the Civil War.  The unit's regimental flag recalls five battles fought between October, 1862, and November, 1863. Painted on its surface are the names of these battles: Perryville, Lancaster, Mission Ridge, Hoover's Gap, and Chickamauga.

At Chickamauga, members of the Eighth learned that carrying the flag could be a deadly honor. Of nine flag bearers, four were killed, three wounded, and only two survived unharmed.

The painted silk flag measures approximately six feet square. It is in the collections of the Kansas Museum of History. To view more Civil War flags in the collections, see the online exhibit Keep the Flag to the Front: Battle Flags of Kansas.

Save the Flags!

The Kansas Historical Society raises funds for flag conservation and preservation through the Save the Flags! project.

Help us preserve our collections by donating funds to the Save the Flags! project through our Museum Store.

Entry: Eighth Kansas Infantry Flag

Author: Kansas Historical Society

Author information: The Kansas Historical Society is a state agency charged with actively safeguarding and sharing the state's history.

Date Created: November 1997

Date Modified: February 2016

The author of this article is solely responsible for its content.