The fragile flags are exhibited four at a time at various events during the year. The limited showings ensure the preservation and protection of this rare and
irreplaceable collection. Some of these delicate banners are currently undergoing careful conservation and therefore have not been exhibited for several years.
The Civil War:
California Troops did Their Part
During the Civil War California provided 17,119 enlistees and $173 million in gold to support the war effort.
In 1862, quotas for men to fight in the Eastern United States were issued for each state. California did not have to meet the quota since
it was only required to defend the West Coast. However, when the state of Massachusetts was not able to meet its required quota, California agreed to send its own troops to represent the state. 100 brave California men volunteered to be soldiers for Massachusetts and went on to fight in over 20 battles during the Civil War. These courageous men became known as the "California Hundred" and
carried a flag bearing symbols representing their home state.
A year earlier in the late hours of Independence Day 1861 Major J. P. Gillis, a Confederate sympathizer, began waving a Confederate flag on the corner of 2nd and J Streets, in Sacramento. J.W. "Jack" Biderman witnessed the display and immediately wrestled the flag away from Mr. Gillis. Jack became somewhat of a local hero in Sacramento from the incident and would later be the first proprietor of the famous Silver Palace at the Central Pacific Rail Yard in West Sacramento.
The Guidon flag proudly carried by the "California Hundred" and the “Biderman Flag,” the only known California Confederate flag in public trust, are now a cherished part of the California’s Historic Flag Collection.
Capitol Park Memorials in their Honor
On May 1, 1897, Memorial Grove, a grove of tree saplings was planted in Capitol Park to honor all Civil War soldiers who lost their lives. This living monument includes trees from the battlefields of Manassas, Harpers Ferry, Savannah, Five Forks, Yellow Tavern, Vicksburg and other Civil War-related sites. Visit the Capitol Park Tour for more information.
