Hand-painted Mexican Juarista Forces veteran flag. 30 x 22 3/4 in., framed to 35 7/8 x 28 1/2 in. 

VERY RARE FLAG OF EASTERN ARMY VETERANS OF THE BATTLE OF PUEBLA

Green, white, and red cotton  horizontal tricolor. Upper band hand-painted in gold: "EJERCITO DE ORIENTE" [Eastern Army]. Legend continues on lower band, also in hand-painted in gold: "DEFENSORES DE PUEBLA EN 1862." [Defender of Puebla in 1862]. Middle band features the Mexican emblem of a golden eagle perched upon a prickly pear cactus and grasping a snake in its beak, surmounted on a panoply of arms and olive branches. A haloed Phryngian cap labeled "LIBERTAS" [Liberty] is painted above. 

The Battle of Puebla, also known as the Battle of the Fifth of May (Batalla del Cinco de Mayo) was a pivotal engagement near Puebla de los Ángeles on 5 May 1862 during the Second French Intervention in Mexico (Second Franco-Mexican War).

Beginning in 1861, the Republic of Mexico was invaded by Napoleon III's French Empire under the pretense of collecting Mexican debts. Mexican conservatives supported the European incursion as they had been recently ousted by the liberal government of Benito Juárez in the late Reform War (1847-1861). They sought to oust Juárez and establish a Mexican monarchy, which aligned with Napoleon III's desire to re-establish the French Empire in the Americas. 

French troops arrived in January 1862 and sought to quickly seize Mexico City. While moving inland, they defeated a small Mexican force at Escamela and then captured Orizaba. They then approached Puebla de Los Ángeles with 6,000 troops under the command of General Charles de Lorencez, expecting another swift victory against Juárez's hastily assembled forces. 

Lorencez sought to immediately take the forts of Loreto and Guadalupe, which would give him near-immediate control of the city. The forts were manned by the Republican Army, which had arrived on May 3 under the command of General Miguel Negrete. 

The French troops, including two zouave battalions, assaulted the forts directly and shelled the fortifications for 2 hours. Though they initially met little resistance, when the French infantry was positioned between the two forts, the Mexican assault from the forts began in concert with cavalry and infantry charges that overwhelmed the French and forced their retreat. 

Despite the French advantage of both numbers and superior weaponry, they had severely underestimated the defensive capacity of the Mexican positions. 

The resulting victory was a patriotic inspiration to the Mexicans, despite the conflict lasting many more years. Today, the anniversary of the victory is celebrated as a celebration of Mexican heritage by the Mexican diaspora, especially in the United States, as Cinco de Mayo.

Note: This lot cannot be packaged and shipped in-house. Successful bidders winning items marked as being packaged and shipped by a third-party service are responsible for paying the third party directly. We are happy to offer complimentary drop-off service to local third-party packing/shipping companies in Columbus, Ohio.

[Flags, Patriotic Textiles] [Mexico, Mexican History, Second Mexican Empire, Napoleon III, Monroe Doctrine, Restored Republic, Benito Juarez, Monarchism, Monarachists]

Some fading, especially to green fabric. Some staining. Hand-painted in excellent condition.