ALBANY, N.Y. – Flags that made it through some of the Civil War's bloodiest engagements may not survive the budget battles being waged in some statehouses.
Preservation work on deteriorating Civil War battle flags is being eliminated, scaled back or ignored altogether by state budget planners struggling to find money for basics such as education, health care and transportation.
New York is home to the nation's largest state-owned collection of Civil War battle flags. Money for a preservation project is being cut from the budget Gov. David Paterson will propose to the Legislature later this month.
Several other states are facing similar problems. Some have had to rely on private donations to preserve their collections.
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