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cmeisenzahl · Dec 31, 2005, 07:08 PM

"Four rare battle flags captured during the American War of Independence by a British officer have been returned after more than two centuries to be auctioned.

The regimental colours seized in 1779 and 1780 by Lt Col Banastre Tarleton, who remains one of the conflict's most controversial figures, have already aroused huge interest among American military historians. They are expected to fetch between £2.3 million and £5.8 million at Sotheby's in New York next year."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...22/nflag22.xml

ghporter · Dec 31, 2005, 11:08 PM

Comments? I think it's interesting how private Americans become fascinated by bits of historical flotsam, whether truly important in the grand scheme of things or not. if I had over £2 million to play with, I don't think I'd be buying a captured regimental flag, but that's just me.

nredman · Dec 31, 2005, 11:17 PM

i wish i had that kind of money to blow - how about using all that money to help others

cmeisenzahl · Jan 1, 2006, 10:12 AM

I wouldn't spend that kind of money on it either, even if I had it. But I do think it's an interesting bit of history. I'd never seen pics of the flags before either.

Pendergast · Jan 1, 2006, 10:14 AM

Those will make great curtains!

RAILhead · Jan 1, 2006, 02:39 PM

And? It's their money, let them do with as they please is what I say.

The Windozer · Jan 1, 2006, 03:29 PM

That's not how you play "capture the flag". You've got it all wrong!

The Godfather · Jan 1, 2006, 03:38 PM

The thread title makes it sound like the millions would come from my taxes.

davesimondotcom · Jan 1, 2006, 06:04 PM

I love how someone decides to buy a piece of history, people on here jump on them for it. They are admonished for not spending that money to help others.

But yet if some pop star spends a whole lot on goal teeth, nobody gives him similar flak...

The Godfather · Jan 1, 2006, 06:16 PM

^ I would applaud someone for paying for your spelling lessons, Dave.

euchomai · Jan 1, 2006, 06:27 PM

A museum will spend hundreds of thousands of tax dollars and many of you would applaud the same type of flags hanging on a wall. You'd even pay to see the exhibit.

As far as helping people out... Come on. You can apply that to any amount of money that we spend now. I could buy a Sony Planystation, or I could give the money to charity. I could remodel my home or help babies in Africa. When you compare like that, we all are jerks.

It's their money, they might already give to charity. Let them spend it, they're probably wasting a smaller percentage of their income than we do on our odd purchases.

davesimondotcom · Jan 1, 2006, 08:34 PM

Originally Posted by The Godfather

^ I would applaud someone for paying for your spelling lessons, Dave.

Would you like to show me where I spelled something wrong?

production_coordinator · Jan 1, 2006, 08:38 PM

Originally Posted by davesimondotcom

I love how someone decides to buy a piece of history, people on here jump on them for it. They are admonished for not spending that money to help others.

But yet if some pop star spends a whole lot on goal teeth, nobody gives him similar flak...

So true...

The Godfather · Jan 1, 2006, 08:43 PM

Originally Posted by davesimondotcom

Would you like to show me where I spelled something wrong?

Gold teeth. Not goal teeth.

dcmacdaddy · Jan 1, 2006, 09:13 PM

I just hope whoever buys them has the sense to share them with the public. Donate them to a museum for the tax write-off, preferably the Smithsonian, and let everyone see them.

nredman · Jan 1, 2006, 09:14 PM

Originally Posted by davesimondotcom

I love how someone decides to buy a piece of history, people on here jump on them for it. They are admonished for not spending that money to help others.

But yet if some pop star spends a whole lot on goal teeth, nobody gives him similar flak...

i know thats why i think

mrgaskell · Jan 1, 2006, 11:01 PM

In the military, it is a very big thing to lose one's flag. It is a HUGE dishonor and the unit is disbanded after such a dishonor. Here is a little doc from the US Army on it: US Army Page.

Here is another one on guidons and colors and their historical significance.

JoshuaZ · Jan 1, 2006, 11:18 PM

Wow, it really is just capture the flag for adults.

davesimondotcom · Jan 2, 2006, 03:43 PM

Originally Posted by The Godfather

Gold teeth. Not goal teeth.

That's not spelling, that's typing.

turtle777 · Jan 2, 2006, 04:00 PM

Originally Posted by davesimondotcom

That's not spelling, that's typing.

Aaargh. Stop splitting hairs.

-t

SimeyTheLimey · Jan 2, 2006, 04:12 PM

Originally Posted by mrgaskell

In the military, it is a very big thing to lose one's flag. It is a HUGE dishonor and the unit is disbanded after such a dishonor. Here is a little doc from the US Army on it: US Army Page.

Here is another one on guidons and colors and their historical significance.

Bear in mind that neither of these regiments exist in the modern US Army. Those were volunteer units raised by individual wealthy individuals out of local communities. It's a model the US stopped using around the time of the Spanish American war.

Most US units only date their history back to the Civil War or so, and often only 1917. The US Army has regiments, but they aren't regiments in the continuous historical sense that the term is used in the British Army. The main historical unit in the modern army is the division. Regiments (except the Ranger Regiment, which is really a separate brigade) don't exist as combat units, with a commander, flag, and so forth. Soldiers know what regiment they belong to and learn the history, but it is an anachronism. It's pretty much a pin on your uniform, and a couple of questions when you go before a promotion board, and that is it.

As for the flags: it's kind of neat that they still exist and nice that they are being bought.