On the battlefield, flags signal place and position. Oftentimes, the communities from where Union regiments originated raised funds and sewed their own battle flags. After the Civil War the flags of the 53 Wisconsin regiments were revered as markers of a nation’s progress, memorials to comrades lost, and points of pride for the people of Wisconsin. These flags were so important that preserving them became law on March 15, 1870. Because of this foresight, the battle flags remain the core collection of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum.