General Custer's Headquarters Command Guidon.

General George A. Custer wearing a double breasted jacket that he designed and had tailor-made for himself in the Autumn of 1863.

General George A. Custer's Headquarters Command designating Flag, 3rd Div. Cavalry Corp., 1864
General George Custer commanded the 3rd Cavalry Division in 1864 thru the end of the Civil War 1865. This flag served with Custer during this period along side his Personal guidon (see ZFC0489). A photo of this flag along with Custer's Personal Guidon can be viewed in ZFC1492 with George and Libby Custer and his staff in front of his headquarters outside Winchester, VA.

The flag shows heavy battle damage and souvenir taking by Custer's officers. There are 4 bullet holes in the flag. This flag also served with General Wilson prior to Custer taking command of the 3rd Cavalry Division in 1864. A veteran relic from numerous illustrious Civil War battles.



Major General George A. Custer's Headquarters with his two guidons, Winchester, Virginia, December 25, 1864.

In 1864, when General Sheridan headed East with General Grant and assumed command of the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac, he instituted a special headquarters flag for the commanders of each of his three cavalry divisions. The flag emulated the pre-War cavalry guidon in that it was swallow-tailed in form and divided horizontally, red over white. On each of the two horizontal bars, the respective division number was applied in the color of the opposite bar. Brigadier-General James Wilson initially commanded the 3rd Cavalry Division of Sheridan's Cavalry Corps. In September of 1864, however, Wilson was transferred to the western theater to command his own Cavalry Corps. Brigadier-General George A. Custer then assumed command of the 3rd Cavalry Division and commanded it until the close of the War. Custer's orderlies carried this flag along with his own personally designed flag with Custer in the campaigns that followed, until the 3rd Division flag became too worn for further use.

Exhibition History:
The Autry National Center of the American West
Los Angeles, CA

Buffalo Bill Historic Center,
Cody, Wyoming.

First Presidio Exhibit
General George A. Custer's Headquarters Command Flag, 3rd Division, Cavalry Corps

Second Presidio Exhibit, 2003 - Gallery III
General George A. Custer's Headquarters Command Flag 3rd Division, Cavalry Corps

University of California - Santa Cruz
Board of Councilors Meeting, Rare Flags Exhibit
Santa Cruz, CA
7 June 2012

Publication History:
Wright, Horatio, editor, Flags of the Army of the United States Carried During The War of the Rebellion 1861-1865, To Designate the Headquarters of the different Armies, Army Corps, Divisions and Brigades, or "Designating Flags of the United States Army, 1861-1865", Philadelphia, Burk & McFetridge, 1887/1888. P. Gen Custer's Flags.

Katz, D. Mark, Custer in Photographs, New York, Bonanza Books, 1985. p .35.

Merington, Marguerite, editor, The Custer Story: The Life and Intimate Letters of General George A. Custer, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln,1987, Pp.140-141.

Madaus, Howard M., Dr, Whitney Smith, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict. Santa Cruz: VZ Publications, 2006, p. 85.

Schrambling, Regina, "A Lifelong Pledge." Collection, Published by Robb Report, June 2014, p. 48H.

Provenance:
• General George A. Custer, 3rd Cavalry Division, Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac until 1865.
• Retained by Lt. Colonel (Brevet Major General) G.A. Custer until passing, 1876.
• By descent in the Nevin Custer family to G.A. Custer grand nephew, Colonel Charles A. Custer.
• Sold by private treaty to Mr. Alexander Acevedo, The Custer Collection, New York, NY.
• Sold via Butterfield & Butterfield Auction House of San Francisco, CA, to the Zaricor Flag Collection, 1995.


ZFC Significant Flag
Item is Framed

Sources:

---

Wright, Horatio, editor, Flags of the Army of the United States Carried During The War of the Rebellion 1861-1865, To Designate the Headquarters of the different Armies, Army Corps, Divisions and Brigades, or "Designating Flags of the United States Army, 1861-1865", Philadelphia, Burk & McFetridge, 1887/1888. P. Gen Custer's Flags.

Merington, Marguerite, editor, The Custer Story: The Life and Intimate Letters of General George A. Custer, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln,1987, pp. 339.

Madaus, Howard M.- Whitney Smith, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict, VZ Publications, Santa Cruz, 2006.

Madaus, H. Michael, The Personal and Designating Flags of General George A. Custer, 1863 - 1865, Spring 1968, Military Collector and Historian, Washington, DC.

Howard M. Madaus, C.W. Vexillological Services, Cody Wyoming, to Mr. Ben Zaricor, Santa Cruz, CA, 290 April 1995, Zaricor Flag Collection Archives.

Hoist & Fly
Width of Hoist	36.25
Length of Fly	29.75

Stripes
Width of 1st Stripe	18
Width of 3rd Stripe	18
Width of Last Stripe	18.25
Size of Hoist	1

Frame
Is it framed?	no
Comments on Frame	Was framed in a 34" X 42" silver frame

Stars
Are there stars on obverse?	no
Are there stars on reverse?	no

Stripes
Number of Stripes	2
Color of Top Stripe	Red
Color of Bottom Stripe	White
Has a Blood Stripe?	no

Crest/Emblem
Description of Crest/Emblem	Counter-changed numeral 3

Nationality
Nation Represented	United States

Fabric
Fabric	Wool
Comments on Fabric	Bunting

Attachment
Comments on Method of Attachmen	Through header
Method of Attachment	Loops

Applica
Applique Sides	Single Faced = Mirror Image Reverse

Documentation
Drawings	Madaus drawing
Research Documents	Cover Frontispiece Note: Gen Sheridan's Battle Flag Gen Custer's Flags Artillery Regimental Infantry Regimental Cavalry & Light Artillery 9th Corps 15th Corps Cavalry Corps
Public Copy & Signs

Condition
Condition	Fair
Damage	Used, torn, worn, fabric loss and souvenir taking.
Displayable	yes

Date
Date	1864

Exhibits

Exhibition Copy

First Presidio Exhibit ZFC0490) GENERAL GEORGE A. CUSTER'S HEADQUARTERS COMMAND FLAG, 3RD DIVISION, CAVALRY CORPS Date: 1864 Media: Wool bunting and cotton; all hand sewn Comment: In 1864, when General Sheridan came East with General Grant and assumed command of the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac, he instituted a special headquarters flag for the commanders of each of his three cavalry divisions. The flag emulated the pre-War cavalry guidon in that it was swallow-tailed in form and divided horizontally, red over white. On each of the two horizontal bars, the respective division number was applied in the color of the opposite bar. The 3rd Cavalry Division of Sheridan's Cavalry Corps was initially commanded by Brigadier-General James Wilson. In September of 1864, however, Wilson was transferred to the western theater to command his own Cavalry Corps. Brigadier-General George A. Custer then assumed command of the 3rd Cavalry Division and commanded it until the close of the War. Custer's orderlies carried this flag along with his own personally designed flag with Custer in the campaigns that followed, until the 3rd Division flag became too worn for further use. Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection (ZFC0490) in 1995 from the descendants of G. A. Custer, through Butterfield & Butterfield Auction House of San Francisco, CA. Second Presidio Exhibit, 2003 - Gallery III (ZFC0490) General George A. Custer's Headquarters Command Flag 3rd Division, Cavalry Corps Date:1864 Media: Wool bunting and cotton; hand-sewn Comment: In 1864 when General Sheridan came East with General Grant and assumed command of the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac, he instituted a special headquarters flag for the commanders of each of his three cavalry divisions. The flag imitated the pre-War cavalry guidon in that it was swallowtailed in form and divided horizontally, red over white. On each of the two horizontal bars, the respective division number was applied in the color of the opposite bar. The 3rd Cavalry Division of Sheridan's Cavalry Corps was initially commanded by Brigadier-General James Wilson. In September 1864, however, Wilson was transferred to the western theater to command his own cavalry corps. Brigadier-General George A. Custer then assumed command of the 3rd Cavalry Division and commanded it until the close of the War. Custer-or rather his orderlies-carried this flag along with his own personally designed flag in the campaigns that followed, until the 3rd Division flag became too worn for further use. Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection (ZFC0490) in 1995 from the descendants of G. A. Custer, through Butterfield & Butterfield Auction House of San Francisco, CA. The exhibition text was written by Howard Michael Madaus, Exhibition Director of the ZFC's Flag Center, utilizing Zaricor Flag Collection archives. University of California - Santa Cruz Board of Councilors Meeting, 7 June 2012 Rare Flags Exhibit Santa Cruz, CA, June 7, 2012: The Zaricor Flag Collection exhibited 34 flags and artifacts at the University of California Santa Cruz Campus for the Board of Councilors Meeting. General George A. Custer's Headquarters Command Flag 3rd Division, Cavalry Corps Date: 1864 Media: Wool bunting and cotton; hand-sewn. Comment: In 1864 when General Sheridan came East with General Grant and assumed command of the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac, he instituted a special headquarters flag for the commanders of each of his three cavalry divisions. The flag imitated the pre-War traditional cavalry guidon in that it was swallow-tailed in form and divided horizontally, red over white. On each of the two horizontal bars, the respective division number was applied in the color of the opposite bar. The 3rd Cavalry Division of Sheridan's Cavalry Corps was first commanded by General James Wilson until September 1864, when Wilson was transferred to the western theater to command his own cavalry corps, see ZFC0227. General George A. Custer then assumed command of the 3rd Cavalry Division until the close of the War. Custer's orderlies carried this flag along with his personally designed flag ZFC0489, in the campaigns, until the 3rd Division guidon became too worn form battle damage for further use; on 31 March 1865, when it was retired, souvenirs were taken by Custer's staff. Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection (ZFC0490) in 1995 from the descendants of G. A. Custer, through Butterfield & Butterfield Auction House of San Francisco, CA. www.FlagCollection.com

Publications
Publication Copy	Madaus, Howard M., Dr, Whitney Smith, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict. Santa Cruz: VZ Publications, 2006, p. 85. General George A. Custer's Headquarters Command Flag, 3rd Division, Cavalry Corps In 1864 when General Sheridan came East with General Grant and assumed command of the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac, he instituted a special headquarters flag for the commanders of each of his three cavalry divisions. The flag imitated the pre-War cavalry guidon in that it was swallowtailed in form and divided horizontally, red over white. On each of the two horizontal bars, the respective division number was applied in the color of the opposite bar. The 3rd Cavalry Division of Sheridan's Cavalry Corps was initially commanded by Brigadier-General James Wilson. In September 1864, however, Wilson was transferred to the western theater to command his own cavalry corps. Brigadier-General George A. Custer then commanded the 3rd Cavalry Division until the close of the War. Custer (or rather his orderlies; see photo) carried this flag along with his own personally designed flag in the campaigns that followed, until the 3rd Division flag became too worn out in the last week of the war. Date: 1864 Size: 41" hoist x 32.5" fly Media: Wool bunting and cotton; hand-sewn Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection in 1995 from the descendants of G. A. Custer, through Butterfield & Butterfield Auction House of San Francisco, CA. ZFC0490"
Publication Images	Cover Frontispiece datail Frontispiece P. 140 P. 141 P. 146 P. 147