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Dansey Flag, Delaware (U.S.)

Historical; Delaware Regiment at the Battle of Brandywine

image by Michael Schneider, 7 November 2011

Description of the flag

See also:

Description of the flag

The painting named "The Battle of Long Island" [sic: Battle of Brandywine] by Domenick D'Andrea and modern (2007) is part of the National Guard Bureau Heritage Series (www.nationalguard.mil/) and free if anybody wants a copy. There is an image of it at www.loeser.us/flags/revolution_units.html. I haven't found any actual documentation to verify its existence, but would love to have some.
Pete Loeser, 7 November 2011

After talking to Jim Ferrigan, I found out that the Delaware Militia Flag is also known as the Dansey Flag and still exists as part of the collection of the Delaware Historical Society. "The flag is named for Captain William Dansey of the British Army who captured it from the Delaware Militia a few days before the Battle of the Brandywine in September of 1777. Dansey took the flag home to England as a war trophy, where it stayed until 1927, when the Historical Society of Delaware bought it from the Dansey family."
See: www.dehistory.org/MuseumExhibits/Dansey_06/Dansey_2006.htm for more information.
Pete Loeser, 8 November 2011

This is the so-called "Dansey Flag". It is likely a grand divisional color of a Delaware militia unit, although which one is not known. It is named after the British Officer who captured it at the Battle of Brandywine (NOT Long Island) and reported the event in a letter dated 11 October 1777 at Germantown. He states he captured it from "a Rebel Colonel of the Delaware Militia". The flag was purchased at auction in 1927. This silk flag as it exists today is somewhat faded but is in otherwise excellent condition, indicating to me that it saw little or no use prior to its capture. It is highly unlikely it had been carried for more than a year in the field with no damage. It's design and size suggest it is NOT a regimental color but rather a Grand Divisional Color.

To be sure there is a record of Colonel John Haslet's Delaware Battalion, along with Colonel Smallwood's Marylanders, fighting a delaying action at Long Island on 27 August 1776 with "their colours flying" but what these looked like is not stated.

The painting is pure fantasy.
Dave Martucci, 12 November 2011