Looking for NC's Civil War - the flag of the 37th NCT

You've probably figured this out by now, but just in case you have not, I have a special interest in a few of North Carolina's regiments. One of those, the subject of my first book, is the 37th North Carolina Troops. This regiment was mustered into service in November 1861, and became members of the Branch-Lane brigade, Light Division, Army of Northern Virginia. The 37th NCT lost more men during the war than any other Tar Heel regiment.

This flag was issued to the regiment prior to the battle of Fredericksburg in late 1862, and was captured on April 2, 1865, below Petersburg, Virginia.

For over two decades now, I've been following the flag of the 37th NCT around. When I was a child, this flag was one of eight that hung over the sarcophagus of Robert E. Lee in Lee Chapel in Lexington, Virginia. My next encounter came in the late 1990s as I researched for the book on the 37th NCT. The flag was at Pamplin Park, at their Breakthrough Museum, not far from where it was captured. Next came a special treat at the North Carolina Museum of History in May 2008. I got to speak about the regiment, and then unveiled the flag to a packed house. Now, the flag, pictured here, is at the new Appomattox branch of the Museum of the Confederacy.

This photo was taken in May 2012.