After Clarks answer to my original question I kept pestering various government record repositories and I have received a copy of the original bill with some letters on the subject from the national archives. If anyone is interested I can scan them and send them in email. I have transcribed and printed them for easier reading, so you can have it either way. I also had a peek at the 37th battle flag after it came out of the Capital. There's not a whole lot left of it, but none the less it was awesome to stand next to it. What was there, looked red with an eagle talon of gold. I was told that most of the damage done to it, was from "souveniring" and you could actually see the straight cuts, as from wearing it would have raggged edges. I was told that this was done a lot of times at the disbanding of a regiment, so the soldiers could take a part home of the flag they faught under. Sometimes the curators get lucky and receive the parts back, so they can fill in the flag with original pieces (so if you have any.........) I have still no clear idea what it looks like, so I guess I'll keep looking for a description of it...... If anybody has an idea? Was it customary for the flag to be made in the town the regiment was organised in or where the official enlistments were taking place?




THANKS!

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Replying to:

Yes, on Dec. 11, 1865, HR 18 " A Bill for the Relief of Members of the 37th Regiment of Iowa Volunteer Infantry" was introduced in the U S House of Representatives. The act was passed July 3, 1866, and the surviving veterans got their bounty money. You'd have to find a copy of the Congressional record for 1865-1866 to get a look at the actual bill. I don't know about the 37th's battleflag. I imagine it didn't get a lot of use during the war. Do you have a copy of our book on the 37th Iowa? It's the only history every written of the regiment.


Clark

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Replying to:

When we visited the Iowa Capital building a couple of weeks ago, we found out that the 37th Iowa was almsot not going to get their bountyland after the Civil War. Would anybody know if the petition filed with congress on their behalf had success, and where I could find out the content of such a paper? My husbands great-grandfather was a member, and I'm trying to find as much information as I can. Also, does anybody have any idea what the regiments battleflag looked like? It's not scheduled for preservation yet.....


Thanks for any information!