General Custer's Headquarters Flag (U.S.)

Last modified: 2009-02-28 by rick wyatt
Keywords: united states | general custer | george armstrong custer | headquarters |
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by Dov Gutterman, 20 June 2000

• Description

See also:

• Civil War Flags
• Cavalry Guidons
• United States of America

This flag was the personal headquarters flag for General George Custer (1839-1876). It was made by his wife Libby. The original was lost at the battle of the Little Bighorn. It is believed that this flag was made of silk but no authentic documentation has been found to prove its dimensions. The flag was carried by a sergeant who rode directly behind the General.
Dov Gutterman, 20 June 2000

Custer's personal command guidon measured 27 x 47 x 30 inches. It was made of cotton with two leather button hole patches sewen in pole end. There were 2 spares in the quatermaster stores at Fort Abraham Lincoln after his death. They were given to a museum. In 1970, the museum sold the guidons to an auction house in Kansas City. I own one of them.

Bert