Flag

Description

Silk and paint flag "Presented by the Ladies to the Union Riflemen, September 12th, 1846" of Reisterstown, Maryland. The Union Riflemen were an infantry militia unit made up of volunteers from Reisterstown commanded by Captain Samuel P. Storm (1807-1893). They were established in the early 1840s and existed in different capacities until the Civil War. On September 14, 1846, a citizen of Reisterstown wrote a letter to the "Baltimore Sun" about the ceremonies that took place two days prior on what is commemorated in Maryland as "Defenders Day," which celebrates the defense of Baltimore from the British invasion force during the War of 1812. Storm formed his militia company in a grove east of town. Dozens of townspeople crowded around the company and the ladies who had been working on a company flag for their militiamen for some time. After several speeches, the soldiers and ladies enjoyed a few refreshments, marched through the streets in a short parade, fired thirteen volleys, and drilled late into the evening. This formal flag ceremony occurred after the outbreak of the Mexican-American War (1846-1848).