Custer Campaign Streamer "Little Big Horn"
This small scarlet and black campaign streamer or battle honor was to be attached to a flag's staff. Campaign Streamers were awarded to commemorate an Army Unit's involvement in military campaigns.
This Campaign Streamer represented involvement in the Indian Wars Campaign, specifically the Little Big Horn Campaign. The Little Big Horn campaign was conducted against the Northern Cheyenne and Sioux from 1876 through 1877. The most famous battle of this campaign was on the Little Big Horn River on June 25th of 1876. This battle was a huge victory for Cheyenne and Sioux. This particular victory is also referred to as "The Battle of the Greasy Grass" and "Custer's Last Stand". This Campaign Streamer is embroidered with the words "Little Big Horn" which became the name for the entire campaign.
The U.S. 7th Cavalry was the most notorious unit of the Indian Wars and was the only regiment that participated in the Battle of Little Big Horn, however it was not the only unit that was issued the Little Big Horn Campaign Streamer. Other units that were authorized to display this Campaign Streamer included the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 14th, 17th, 20th, 22nd, and 23rd U.S. Infantries as well as the 4th U.S. Artillery.
Battle Honors were originally painted on units' national colors, however, since mounted units did not originally carry National Standards they placed honors on Regimental Standards and Guidons. The practice of placing Battle Honors on a Regiments flags was discontinued in the 1890's and replaced with series of silver rings to be placed around the flagstaffs. This newer system proved impractical during WWI so a new informal system was formed where ribbons would be embroidered, and then later replaced with rings after the war. Later the systems of campaign ribbons replaced the rings entirely, thus forming the U.S. Army Campaign Streamer in 1921.
Possession of an organizational streamer privately owned is rare, especially a Little Big Horn Campaign Streamer.
Provenance:
• United States Army.
• Old Flags Wanted, Stockton, CA, until 2010.
• Acquired by purchase by Zaricor Flag Collection at Bay Area Militaria Show, 2010.
Sources:
U.S. Army Campaign Streamers: The Colors of Courage Since 1775, 19 June 2013, from: http://www.ausa.org/publications/ilw/ilw_pubs/specialreports/Documents/CampaignStreamers.pdf
Campaign, War Service and Unit Service Streamers, Streamers Documentation, The Institute of Heraldry, 19 June 2013, from: http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/UniformedServices/streamers_doc.aspx
U.S. ARMY CAMPAIGNS: INDIAN WARS, CENTER OF MILITARY HISTORY, 19 June 2013, from:
http://www.history.army.mil/html/reference/army_flag/iw.html
Zaricor Flag Collection (ZFC) Archives, 2013.
Image Credits:
Zaricor Flag Collection
4March1921
