This American flag is approximately 100 inches by 170 inches and has thirty-four stars. The consignor information indicates the flag was previously part of the estate of Captain & Lieutenant Commander William R. Hoel. The included information on Hoel indicates he was a naval officer for the Union Navy during the Civil War and was the commanding officer aboard the U.S.S. Pittsburgh among others during the Civil War. The Pittsburgh was a "city class" vessel and many images including period photographs of the Pittsburgh from the Civil War show the vessel flying a similar flag. During the Civil War USS Pittsburgh participated in many actions including the capture of Fort Donelson on the Cumberland River, capture of Island No. 10 near New Madrid, Missouri, Plum Point Bend, Fort Pillow, the Battle of Memphis; Steele's Bayou Expedition, attack on the batteries at Grand Gulf and the Red River expedition. The vessel was sold at public auction at Mound City, on the 29th of November 1865. According to the Destroyer Historical Foundation: "On 29 October, Hoel then took command of Pittsburg on which he served with distinction in the campaign to take Vicksburg. One of Lieutenant Hoel’s exploits during this campaign is of special interest since it foreshadowed the heroism of the World War II destroyer which bore his name. On 29 April 1863, as Acting Rear Admiral Porter’s flotilla was bombarding the Confederate Batteries at Grand Gulf, his flagship, USS Benton became unmanageable and was caught under heavy fire in a position where she could neither steer nor reply to the enemy guns. On seeing Porter’s predicament, Hoel slipped the Pittsburg in between Benton and the flaming Rebel batteries to protect her by taking the fire himself. In the next 10 minutes his heroism cost the Pittsburg six men killed and eight wounded, but the sacrifice allowed Benton to extricate herself from the deadly trap. The bombardment was so successful that the next day General Grant safely moved his troops across the Mississippi to begin the operations which at long last isolated and captured Vicksburg."

Fair. The flag has some repairs and holes but is in fine shape overall given its age.