Original Item. Only One Available. The Kearsarge Association of Naval Veterans was formed after the Civil War by men who had served on ships from the Atlantic Fleets, and those mostly men from the New England area. The association would later open membership to other naval veterans from other wars in later years. Boston was the home for the association.

Dating to around 1890 and mad of dark blue silk, the fly end has a machined edge and the hoist is cut rough, and most likely at one time was made to accept a small pole for parade or hanging use. The flag measures roughly 14¼ x 20½”. The 42 stars, representing Washington, the 42nd state came into being on November 11. 1889, and officially on July 4, 1890. A short lived number of stars, as Idaho followed shortly after.

There is some tearing in the flag along the bottom, but the stars are all still discernable. The letters and stars are stenciled on and then painted in gold leaf paint.  Essentially one sided, the other showing in reverse and painted in gold as well, since the one side bleed though to the other.

USS Kearsarge was built at Portsmouth Navy York, Kittery, Maine in 1861. She was a steam sloop of war commissioned on January 24, 1862, under the command of Captain Charles W. Pickering, and immediately dispatched to European waters hunting down Confederate raiders.

Kearsarge initially sailed for Spain to join the Atlantic Squadron which was blockading the CSS Sumter under the command of Captain Raphael Semmes, who later made his way to England and received another ship, an newly built sloop of British build, renamed CSS Alabama.

CSS Alabama was perhaps the most famous of the Confederate raiders, but eventually was blockaded by the Kearsarge at Cherbourg, France in June of 1864.  The two ships would soon after be joined in a sea battle, with the Alabama sinking under the much heavier gunned Kearsarge.

This is an outstanding flag representing veterans of the Union Navy, with a focus on a very famous ship that sunk the CSS Alabama! Ready for framing and display.