# Old American Flag Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 6, 2006, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-american-flag-question/371688 "2006-09-06T20:09:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-american-flag-question/371688/1 "2006-09-06T20:09:00Z")
I remember seeing a picture of an American Flag with a red ^ symbol right near the center of the flag on one of the white stripes.I believe it was from the civil war era.I checked a few sites on flags and couldnt find anything about it. I am curious as to what the ^ symbol was on the flag for,possibly a fault in the material? If not what was the meaning of it? ---
**Author:** ![Santos\_L\_Halper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/santos_l_halper/32/1_2.png) [@Santos\_L\_Halper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santos_L_Halper)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-american-flag-question/371688/2 "2006-09-06T20:26:53Z")
You’re thinking of the flag that flew over Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore in the war of 1812. The sight of the flag still flying after the battle inspired Francis Scott Key to write the words to the Star Spangled Banner. The flag’s now in the Smithsonian. IIRC, they don’t know what the story is with the ‘V’. [More info here](http://americanhistory.si.edu/ssb/2_home/fs2.html). ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-american-flag-question/371688/3 "2006-09-06T21:10:57Z")
Thank you very much