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1863 PATTERN US CAVALRY GUIDON FROM THE 1st CONNECTICUT CAVALRY

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This cavalry guidon was formerly in the personal collection of Jim Stamatelos, well known Civil War collector, dealer, and major contributor of items illustrated in the Time-Life volume “Echoes of Glory:” Arms and Equipment of the Union.” We first handled this some twenty-odd years ago when we helped Jim find new homes for pieces from his personal collection and the flag comes with his June 11, 2003, letter of provenance, indicating he purchased it in the summer of 1973 from Frank Burgess of Meriden, CT, another well-known figure in military antiques, who had had it hanging on his wall “for many years.” From conversations at the time, Burgess had gotten it at some point in the 1960s. Our guess would be during the Centennial or its approach, when Civil War collecting started in earnest, but the material was still casually treated and not highly valued.

Jim’s letter states that Burgess had obtained it from a G.A.R. post in Vernon, CT. This likely refers to Burpee Post #71, which was organized in 1884 with 23 charter members and by the time of a 1908 town history had included some 125 veterans. From about 1890 forward they had meeting rooms in the town’s Memorial Hall in the village of Rockland, and from about 1896 forward members of the post had donated relics to a museum and library. The building still stands, was organized as the New England Civil War Museum and Research Center about 1994, and still houses records and some relics from the post. Jim’s letter indicates Burgess had stated the post “specialized in 1^st Conn. Cav. items,” by which he likely meant that a veteran from that unit had contributed a significant number of pieces for display, with the guidon getting some notice since the regiment had been to selected to escort Grant to receive Lee’s surrender at Appomattox, a point of pride mentioned twice in the short regimental history written by Erastus Blakeslee, its late Colonel. A survey of the post membership rolls might reveal a suspect or two as the ultimate source.

The stars and stripes pattern for the swallow-tail U.S. cavalry guidon was officially adopted under War Department G.O. No. 4 on January 18, 1862, replacing the old red over white swallowtails that had still been regulation in 1861. The stars are arranged in two concentric circles of 19 and 14 stars, with a star in each corner of the canton, totaling 35, the number officially adopted on July 4, 1863, with the admission of West Virginia. Things had been heading in that direction since 1862, however, with Lincoln signing a bill admitting the state to the Union on Dec. 31 and the state clearing the way in March 1863 by officially providing for the emancipation of slaves, so it would require a particularly short-sighted flag maker to continue producing 34-star flags for very long, but the pattern is generally referred to as the 1863 pattern from the official adoption of the new 35-star flag that year.

This is very strong example, showing age and storage stains, but strong color and solid fabric, with sleeve intact, no evident tears or significant holes, with just the tip of the upper swallowtail missing, with a small hole next to it, an even smaller hole next to the lower tip, a little wear on the bottom of the sleeve, and  some crackling and very small losses to the gold painted, five-pointed stars. The flag is framed, but does not appear to have been professionally conserved. Jim’s letter implies it was already framed when he acquired it in 1973 and the framing may go back to the time when the post was still functioning (until 1929 or 1934 by some accounts.)

The 1^st Connecticut Cavalry was organized Nov. 2, 1861, initially as the 1^st Battalion Connecticut Cavalry, and were very active. Their last commander, Col. Erastus Blakeslee credited them with 188 engagements. They served in the Mountain Department, Army of Virginia, Army of the Potomac, the Middle Department, Department of West Virginia and Western Virginia, finally completing its regimental organization in the defenses of Baltimore in January 1864, after which they joined the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac in March and saw active service in Virginia with Sheridan, as part of Custer’s division in the Shenandoah, and in the Appomattox Campaign, serving until muster out on August 18, 1865.  CWData lists well over a hundred points at which it suffered losses of some sort. Dyer’s Compendium gives their battle casualties as 4 officers and 36 men killed or mortally wounded, and those wounded who recovered to some degree would typically number four or five times that, which are respectable numbers for a cavalry unit. Interested parties are referred to Blakeslee’s summary account in “Connecticut: Record of Service of Men during War of Rebellion” and Bob Angelovich’s in-depth 2014 regimental history, “Riding for Uncle Samuel.”

Dyer gives the following detailed record of their service: Moved to Wheeling, Virginia, February 20–24, 1862, and duty there until March 27. Operations against guerrillas in Hardy County, Virginia, until May 1862. Action at Moorefield, Virginia, April 3. March to relief of Milroy May 2–7. McDowell May 8. Franklin May 10–12. Strasburg May 24. Wosdensville May 28. Raid to Shaver River May 30. Strasburg June 1. New Market June 5. Harrisonburg June 7. Cross Keys June 8. Port Republic June 9. Movement down the valley to Madison Court House June 10-July 28. Scout from Strasburg June 22–30 (Company B). Scouting in vicinity of Madison Court House until August. Pope's campaign in northern Virginia Aug. 16-Sept. 2. Provost duty during the Bull Run battles Aug. 27–30. Duty at Tennallytown, Fairfax Court House, Kalorama Heights, and Hall's Farm until December. March to Fredericksburg, Virginia, and duty at Stafford Court House until January 1863. Kelly's Ford December 20–22, 1862. Moved to Baltimore, Maryland, and duty there, organizing as a regiment until March 1864 (Companies A, B, C, D, and E). Moved to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, July 5, 1863, and duty in that vicinity until January 1864. Skirmish at Waterford Aug. 8, 1863 (detachment). Berryville October 18. Expedition from Charlestown to New Market November 15–18. Operations in Hampshire and Hardy Counties, West Virginia, January 27-February 7, 1864. Moorefield, February 4, 1864 (detachment). Regimental organization completed at Baltimore January 1864, and duty there until March. Moved to Annapolis Junction March 8, then to Brandy Station, Virginia, March 15. Joined brigade March 15. Rappahannock April 1. Rapidan Campaign May–June. Craig's Meeting House May 5. Todd's Tavern May 5–6. Alsop's farm, Spotsylvania, May 8. Sheridan's raid to James River May 9–24. North Anna River May 9–10. Ground Squirrel Bridge and Yellow Tavern May 11. Brook Church or fortifications of Richmond May 12. Strawberry Hill May 12. Demonstration on Little River May 26. Line of the Totopotomoy May 28–31. Mechump's Creek and Hanover Court House May 31. Ashland June 1. Totopotomoy and Gaines' Mills June 2. Haw's Shop June 3. Cold Harbor June 3–12. Bethesda Church June 11. Long Bridge June 12. St. Mary's Church June 15. Cold Harbor June 18. Wilson's raid on south side and Danville Railroad June 20–30. Black and White Station and Nottaway Court House June 23. Staunton Bridge or Roanoke Station June 25. Sappony Church or Stony Creek June 28–29. Ream's Station June 29. Siege of Petersburg until August. Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign August to December. Winchester August 17. Abraham's Creek September 13. Battle of Opequon, Winchester, September 19. Near Cedarville September 20. Front Royal Pike September 21. Milford September 22. Tom's Brook, "Woodstock Races", October 8–9. Battle of Cedar Creek October 10. Cedar Creek October 13. Cedar Run Church October 17. Newtown, Cedar Creek, November 12. Rude's Hill, near Mt. Jackson, November 22. Raid to Lacy Springs December 19–22. Lacy Springs December 21. Expedition from Winchester to Moorefield, West Virginia, February 4–6, 1865. Sheridan's Raid February 27-March 25. Occupation of Staunton March 2. Waynesboro March 2. Charlottesville March 3. Ashland March 15. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Dinwiddie Court House March 30–31. Five Forks April 1. Fall of Petersburg April 2. Namozine Church April 3. Sailor's Creek April 6. Appomattox Station April 8. Appomattox Court House, April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. Expedition to Danville April 23–29. Moved to Washington, D.C., May. Grand Review of the Armies May 23. Provost duty at Washington until August.

This has great eye-appeal as well as history and would make a stand-out addition to a cavalry, Connecticut, or specifically American flag collection.  [sr] [ph:L]

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