We are irritating our most beloved webmaster, cousin Jim, with none Confederate flag debate, lets move it to one of his other boards. You choose.

Here’s some sources from my Indian Wars file, regarding Custer’s battle at “Greasy Grass Creek” LBH creek

Custer’s Expedition to the Black Hills ——Sen. Doc. No. 32, 1874-75
Jenney’s Expedition to the Black Hills ——Sen, Doc. No. 51, 1875-76
Disturbance leading to the War ———— Sen, Doc. NO. 52, 1875-76
Invasions by Miners —— Sen. Doc. No. 2 1875 (found with Doc of 1874-1875)
Report of Commission to Treat for Black Hills — EX. Docs. 1875-76 Vol. 4, pt. 1, p. 686 ( side note - EX = White House)
Report of Commission to Treat with Sitting Bull in Canada — EX. Docs. 1877-78, vol. 8, p. 719
General Terry’s Report —— Sen. Doc. No. 81, 1875-76
General Sheridan’s Report ——— Ex. Docs. 1876-77, vol. 2, pt. 1, p. 439
Movements of Troops —— Reports of General of the Army for 1876 & 1877
Autobiography of Sitting Bull — Harper’s Weekly July 29, 1876
Records of Engagements with Hostile Indians, etc. —— Lt. Gen. P. H. Sheridan, Chicago, 1882
A Popular Life of Gen. George A. Custer —— F. Whittaker, New York, 1877
Hunting Sitting Bull - — Gen. John Gibbon —— American Catholic Quarterly Review, Vol. 2 January to October, 1877, p 665
Last Summer’s Expedition Against The Sioux and its Great Catastrophe ——— Ge. John Gibbon —— American Catholic Quarterly Review, Vol. 2 January to October, 1877, p. 271
The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine — November 1891- to April 1892 — Custer’s Last Battle by one of his troop commanders - p. 358
Harper’s New Monthly Magazine - June to November, 1890 —— Custer’s Last Battle — Captain Charles King p. 378

Several essay’s by Mrs. Custer published in magazines, newspapers and many newspaper articles. White Bird’s drawings at West Point and other Indian accounts & essay’s of the battle.

I’m still waiting on the original source for that 1886 photo, Custer with his regimental flag, mentioned by you & little Joey.

To repeat one of Greg’s post: Written by a Military Historian & Curator of the West Point Museum.

The regimental standard now at Little Bighorn Battlefield came from the 7th
Cavalry when much of their regimental archives; papers, correspondence etc was
deposited there in the late 1940's or early 1950's. The pack train story has
been told often, but whether it is precisely true or not, the indications are
that the regimental standard wasn't used. Custer definitely had one of his
personal flags (carried by Sgt Robert Hughes), and each of the 12 troops had
their 1863 swallow tail US guidons. Of these, at least two were recaptured
after Little Bighorn (one from the Indian village taken at Slim Buttes in
September, 1876; the other from a Cheyenne village taken in November, 1876.)
The Slim Buttes guidon is at LBH. Not sure on the other one. There is also a
guidon at Carlisle (AHEC) which came from former Captain Godfrey of K Troop.
There is a story of a guidon being with some of the fugitives left behind in
the valley when Reno retreated to the bluffs, but no indication that it was
saved. Given their situation, possibly not. So, it is possible that the 7th
lost as many as six, and � two were recovered later. Interestingly, at West
Point we have three Indian drawings of the battle done by White Bird, who was
15 when he participated in the battle. His detail is amazing; McClellan
saddles, identifiable arms, the death of Isaiah Dorman, the black scout, etc.
In his version of the last stand, he meticulously illustrates five 1863
swallow tail US guidons (and Custer had five companies).

Colonel W.A. Graham did an article on 7th Cavalry flags in the early 1950's,
and Jim Hutchin's work in Military Collector & Historian on 7th Cavalry
uniforms and equipment also touched on them. In all cases, the regimental
standard was blue.

How or why Paxson painted a yellow standard is a mystery & imaginative, his sources do not mention the colors of the 7th’s Standard. On the 23d, Captain Godfrey & Gen. Giddon report only seeing the guidon’s and flags without mentioning the colors. The other witness stated by little joey, the 96 veterans, without names no one can check them out as a source. Do you have them? If so can you post them?

The Custer HQ Guidon, for this period, is the same pattern of the 2nd Brigade of the Cavalry Corps, Military Division of the Mississippi, from the description furnished by Mrs. Custer and those that survive. I didn’t mention a date or say the it was inspired by those flag, just that the pattern was the same as a reference for those on the board that at familiar with Civil War period flags.

This battle has been covered & debated by thousands, & thousands of historians, professional & amateur, only one, Paxson, has Custer’s Standard as yellow. The known facts prove it was and is blue. The HQ Guidon has just the crossed sabers, no lettering on the field. I provided a link with a picture of the original HQ guidon in an earlier post as I did with the 7th’s original Standard. Eyewitness of the painting at the Buffalo Bill Center, state the yellow flag is Paxon’s interruption, imaginative at best, of the 7th’s Standard, the other flag is his HQ Guidon. And they invite you to visit their museum, and anyone else that wants to go.

At best this thread should end here, unless there can be provided 100% provable documentation and not second hand speculation.

And now its half past race time, gotta go.

Happy Trails!
Tom Martin