This is the national flag of the 24th Wisconsin Infantry. It was used in Civil War battle from the regiment’s formation in 1862 through 1863. Members of the unit added the hand-painted battle honors. The flag represented the soul of the unit, and carrying it was considered a great honor. Its significance to Wisconsin and the nation begins here: the Army of the Cumberland charged Missionary Ridge on the afternoon of November 25, 1863. Among the leading regiments was the 24th Wisconsin, part of Major General Philip Sheridan’s division. Halfway up the ridge, the color-bearer was wounded. Eighteen-year-old Lieutenant Arthur MacArthur, the 24th’s adjutant, grabbed this flag and reportedly cried, “On Wisconsin!” as he led the regiment up the hill to victory. This action earned him the Medal of Honor. In 1909, Arthur MacArthur’s cry became the inspiration for the University of Wisconsin’s fight song; a version with modified lyrics is the official song of the state of Wisconsin. “On Wisconsin” is today a favorite at University of Wisconsin athletic events—a legacy of heroism at Chattanooga in 1863. Arthur MacArthur’s son Douglas rose the rank of five-star General of the Army, and held prominent positions in World War I, the interwar years, World War II, the Occupation of Japan, and the Korean War. His father, and his bravery at Chattanooga, served as an exemplar for Douglas throughout his distinguished life and career. Arthur and Douglas MacArthur are the nation’s first father-son recipients of the Medal of Honor—the father for Chattanooga and his son for the defense of the Philippines in 1942.