20th Texas Infantry Regiment Flag – Printed 100-Denier Polyester

History of the Twentieth Regiment Texas Volunteers Flag

The original 20th Texas Infantry Regiment flag still exists today and is in the possession of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, Texas Division. The actual size of the original flag is 53” x 92” and was made of silk. The 20th Texas flag was unusual among Texas Civil War Flags in that it was commercially made by Rice, Baulard, and Co. in Galveston, as is evidenced by the barely visible lettering “Rice and Baulard Ptrs” on one of the lower scrolled lines on the original flag. Another interesting fact about the flag is that it was originally made for Nichols 9th Infantry Regiment as is evidenced by the partial lettering of the word “Nichols” that can be seen under the “20” on the original flag. Nichols Regiment was organized during the late summer of 1861 as a six-month command that served in the Department of Texas at Galveston and was mustered out of service in March of 1862. The 20th Texas was formed during the early summer of 1862 under the command of Colonel Henry M. Elmore. Quite a number of these men had served in the 9th Texas (Nichols regiment). Most of the men of the 20th were from Waller, Montgomery, Austin, Kaufman, Galveston, and Walker Counties and were largely made up of wealthy, middle-aged men. The 20th Texas was assigned to the Trans-Mississippi Department and was responsible for defending the Texas gulf coast from the Sabine River to Galveston. Although they did not see action outside of Texas, the 20th Texas played an important role in the Confederate recapture of Galveston during the battle of Galveston in January of 1863 for which their actions were commended by CSA President Jefferson Davis.

This flag is a 3×5 reproduction that closely resembles the original design and does not depict the “Rice and Baulard Ptrs” or the partial “Nichols” lettering that can be seen on the original flag. The actual dimensions are not exactly the same as the original flag. The artwork is visible on both sides of the flag. The lettering reads right on one side only.