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Matthew VanAcker of the Michigan State Capitol Commission talked about the history of Michigan’s involvement in the Civil War and the restoration of Ionia’s battle flag at a ceremony to unveil the flag the Ionia Theatre on Saturday afternoon. — DN Photo | Tim McAllister
IONIA — The Michigan 21st Regiment’s Civil War battle flag is more than just a piece of fabric, it’s a symbol of Ionia County history.
After spending several months with textile experts in West Virginia, the battle flag has been fully restored and, after a special ceremony at the Ionia Theatre on Saturday, was returned to permanent display at the Ionia County Courthouse.
The flag was originally commissioned by the “Ladies of Ionia” (the mothers, wives, sisters and daughters of Ionia’s soldiers) in 1862 and carried through eight Civil War battles. It was made of hand-embroidered dark blue silk, and the center has a large American flag, a bald eagle holding a quiver of arrows and an olive branch, and a banner with the words “Union” and “Constitution.”
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Opening remarks were delivered on Saturday by Ionia County Administrator Chad Shaw, who then turned the microphone over to Muir/Lyons VFW 4646 Post Commander Eric Calley.
“This is probably one of the most prideful things I’ve ever done in my life,” Calley said. “In the Civil War, over 600,000 Americans died, in the North and in the South. This is where our freedoms come from … the abolition of slavery. Who knows, if the South would have won, what America would be like today?”
David Huhn VFW 12082 Post Commander Shane Houghton said he was honored to be part of saving the historic flag for many generations to come.
“Our flag will soon be back in a place of honor, where it has served to remind us of our historic past and is a source of pride for all of us,” Houghton. “It is altogether fitting and proper that we continue this stewardship. I have no doubt that what we have done here to protect our flag will protect it for another 160 years.
“I also have no doubt that when that time comes, another group of historic-minded citizens will step forward to continue to protect and preserve our precious flag for future generations to come.”
An important artifact
Michigan VFW State Commander Reinold Yahnka was on hand to explain why the flag was such an important artifact for the local community.
“This flag of the 21st Michigan Regiment of the Civil War is more than a piece of fabric, it is a symbol of our shared history … the struggles we have overcome and the values we hold dear as a community,” Yahnka said. “The restoration of this flag is not just about preserving an artifact from our past, it is about renewing our commitment to ideals it represents: Unity, resilience and pride. For generations, this flag has witnessed countless moments, both joyful and challenging, that have shaped the character of our community. Its colors and threads carry the stories of those who came before us, and today we add our own chapter to its legacy.
“The dedication and care that went into restoring this flag reflect the passion and spirit of our people,” Yahnka continued. “It reminds us that when we come together, each offering our unique talents and perspectives, we can accomplish remarkable things. The flag’s return to its rightful place is a testament to our respect for history and our hope for the future. As we look upon this flag, may it inspire us to continue working together, supporting one another and cherishing the bonds that unite us. May it serve as a daily reminder of the strength we find in our shared identity and the importance of preserving the values and stories that make our community unique.”
Matthew VanAcker of the Michigan State Capitol Commission talked about the history of Michigan’s involvement in the Civil War as well as the restoration of Ionia’s battle flag.
“It’s been such an honor and a privilege to be a part of this project and to help in a very small way in having the right thing done with this beautiful banner,” VanAcker said. “The flag stood for everything these men were fighting for … their country, the community of Ionia, their families and the Union. The flags the soldiers bore in the battle that were presented to them by their communities were a very tangible link to their communities, to home and to Michigan. They also served as a daily reminder of those homes and the cause for which they fought, and some sadly died for.”
A previous effort to preserve the flag in the 1960s involved using a sewing machine to stitch it onto a polyester netting. This kept the flag in one piece over the years, but the sewing machine also made thousands of tiny holes and introduced anachronistic 1960s threads to the piece. The flag also showed many signs of natural, age-related deterioration. It was transparent in places, once bright colors had nearly faded away and small pieces were missing. All of this was dealt with by Textile Preservation Associates (TPA) in Ranson, West Virginia, as they’ve worked to restore the flag since April 2024.
“You might have noticed that the flag looks a little different (than when it left), but that’s to honor the integrity of the actual piece that flew in battle,” Calley said. “It’s been down at the textile company getting preserved and restored, and now we have a finished, museum-quality piece that will hang in the courthouse for generations to come. It will not only teach our younger generations about the past and what Michiganders have done for our country, but it will also keep the legacy of the guys that served so valiantly.”
“While it does not look like the flag that, in a well-meaning gesture, was made to look new again in the 1960s as it hung in the courthouse, it has now been returned to its original glory,” VanAcker confirmed. “Not pristine and like new, but preserved as it was when it first first returned to this community in 1865.”
Shaw noted that every piece of fabric on the flag now flew in battle.
“They took out the patches they had in there and left all the original material,” Shaw said. “We are in the process of getting a replica made that will go next to it, but this was the real thing that actually flew in battles in eight engagements throughout Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Georgia.”
State Rep. Gina Johnsen, R-Portland, discussed the patriotic aspects of honoring Ionia’s battle flag.
“We are grateful to those who shed their blood for us, the families who gave it all and the women who took the time to make the flag,” Johnsen said. “The flag still stands. We’re still living, breathing and fighting, pushing against evil and fighting for those who may not be able to speak for themselves. We have so much to be grateful for, so much to be proud of and so much to tell our kids.”
Saturday’s event was attended by about 40 people, including several dozen uniformed veterans.
“The ceremony today was absolutely incredible,” said Ionia County Commissioner Phillip Hesche. “I hope I look that good when I’m 150 years old.”
“I am just glad that Ionia County could be involved in keeping a part of history at home, here in the county,” agreed Commissioner Jack Shattuck.
21st Regiment and its flag
The 21st Regiment of the all-volunteer Michigan Infantry was organized in Ionia and Grand Rapids and mustered in on Sept. 9, 1862. The regiment was comprised of soldiers from Michigan’s 4th Congressional District, which then included Barry, Ionia, Montcalm, Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon, Oceana, Newaygo, Mecosta, Mason, Manistee, Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Manitou, Osceola, Emmet, Mackinac, Delta and Cheboygan counties.
Under the command of Brig. Gen. Ambrose Stevens, the Michigan 21st departed for Cincinnati, Ohio on Sept. 12, 1862, then moved on to Louisville, Kentucky, where they were attached to the 37th Brigade of the 11th Division of the Army of the Ohio.
During the Civil War, the 2,412 soldiers of the Michigan 21st marched across the South and saw action at the Battles of Perryville, Stone’s River, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Savannah, Averasboro and Bentonville, and they took part in Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman’s infamous march to the sea. They also engaged in engineering duty for a period, building and maintaining bridges, storehouses, hospitals and mills in the South.
After the war concluded, the regiment mustered out on June 8, 1865, having lost 377 men, 291 from disease.
The 21st’s battle flag was returned to Ionia County on July 4, 1865, where it was put on display in the Ionia County Courthouse for the next 159 years.
In May 2023, Lansing-area Civil War reenactor Maurice Imhoff asked the Ionia County Board of Commissioners to consider donating the 21st Regiment’s flag to the state’s “Save the Flags” program, who would take it to Lansing, restore it and add it to the rest of their large collection of Civil War flags. After that, the Ionia County flag would only be displayed to the public occasionally or by special request, and only in Lansing.
Flags in the state’s collection are displayed on a rotating basis for one month at time. The state owns about 260 Civil War and other historic flags, so Ionia’s flag would only be on display about once every 13 years after its restoration.
Commissioners were only mildly receptive to this, so VanAcker appeared at a subsequent meeting and made a similar appeal for a donation of the flag, stressing its fading color, deterioration and the high cost of restoration.
Local veterans understood the need to preserve and maintain the flag so future generations of Ionians can maintain a tangible, local connection to history, but they felt that when the flag was brought back to Ionia in 1865, that was where it was meant to stay.
The county agreed to pay the $47,375 contract with TPA while the VFW fundraised the full amount.
The flag is now contained within a humidity-controlled, UV-light sensitive, plexiglass display container and hung on the same wall at the courthouse. Reproductions have already been created for use in parades and other special events, and an exact replica of the original is currently being crafted and will be displayed next to the original when it’s finished.
