Michigan has the Regimental (87.131.90) and Guidon (87.123.90) The Regimental has a blue field. The Regimental and Guidon made by Mrs. Custer were sold at auction, the color of the Regimental field, blue. A third Custer Guidon was also sold at auction about four years ago, red over white with crossed saber. Outside of the Stars & Stripes Guidon up for auction, there are two Guidons at the Battle Field Memorial. Those are the ones I have on file.

The 7th, 8th, 9th & 10th Cavalry were (CW) war time additions in the new origination of the Dragoons, Mounted Infantry & Cavalry. The 1st Dragoons became the 1st Cavalry, the 2nd Dragoons became the 2nd Cavalry, the Regiment of Mounted Infantry became the 3rd Cavalry, The 1st Cavalry became the 4th Cavalry, The 2nd Cavalry became the 5th Cavalry and The 3rd Cavalry became the 6th Cavalry on August 10, 1861, General Orders 55. The Regimental field colors, Dragoons blue, Mounted Infantry green and the Cavalry yellow. After the origination the Cavalry Regimental field color was blue and remained blue until 1887, the color is yellow. These are Federal Regiments not State Regiments of Cavalry.

On the painting, maybe a little vexillology would have been of help for the artist. One of the more famed artist boo boo’s is the red striped don’t tread on me flag used by todays Navy as a Jack. The illustrator in Preble’s book got it wrong and in a period painting the wording is don’t tread upon me. There is no evidence that this flag was ever used by the Continental Navy. The Gonzales flag is another, the original drawing has a blue star above the cannon but everyone paints it or prints it with a black star.

If the Custer Guidon brings 2 to 5 million I will be surprised.

Happy Trails!
Tom Martin