Atlanta to be home of rare Civil War flag of Black soldiers

ATLANTA — "We Will Prove Ourselves Men," reads the inscription at the top of the regimental flag carried into battle by members of the 127th United States Colored Troops.

The phrase offers a sense of what was at stake for black men, many of whom formerly in bondage, who fought to end slavery during the Civil War.

Six feet wide and more than four feet tall, the silk flag was painted by an African-American artist in Philadelphia. It is now in the collection of the Atlanta History Center, and represents the most expensive artifact the center has acquired.

It shows a Black soldier carrying a rifle and bidding goodbye to a white figure dressed as "Columbia," representing the U.S.

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This undated photo provided by Morphy Auctions shows a detail of the 127th Regiment United States Colored Troops battle flag in Denver, Pa. The flag was carried into battle by one of the 11 black Union regiments during the Civil War is going up for auction in Pennsylvania. The flag was painted by David Bustill Bowser, an African American artist who was a member of one of the regiments and the son of a fugitive slave. (Morphy Auctions via AP)