The April 13, 1887, General Order No. 31 changed the color from blue to yellow, however, the new color and design was approved in February 4, 1886. In 1884 the Secretary of War authorized changing from painted standard to embroidered standards. In 1885 the quartermaster general submitted for approval samples to the specifications of the Secretary of War for a new cavalry standard, embroidered on yellow silk instead of blue. There was also minor changes to the National Coat of Arms made on the standard. The standard was for parade only, not a combat flag.

The 1st through 5th saw duty in the CW, the 6th Cavalry was gutted, their Troopers went to the other regiments to make up for the losses of Troopers resigning and joining the Confederacy. The 6th Cavalry was use as a recruitment and training regiment. Congress was reluctant to add more Cavalry regiments during the CW because it took two years to train a Cavalry Trooper. The Southern horsemen did a decisive whipping at Manassas on the 1st & 3rd U. S. Cavalry.

In 1866, Congress added 4 more regiments of Cavalry to the re-organized Army, 7th, 8th, 9th & 10th.

This comes from Randy Steffen's research.

Happy Trails!
Tom Martin