U.S. 21 Star Militia Dragoon Standard - Very Early Mounted Troops Flag.
This Militia Dragoon standard is dated to the period of 1818 - 1819, following the admission of Illinois and before the admission of Alabama and Maine. The flag pre-dates the 1833 regulations for dragoon standards, and is in accordance with the general pattern of US colors (the US arms on a blue field). As such, this flag is thought to be a field expedient standard, possibly made on what was then the western frontier.

The flag is made from glazed wool instead of the traditional silk and from fabrics locally available at the time. This provides further evidence for the supposition of frontier or rural fabrication.

Although silk standards would normally be issued to a dragoon regiment, it is likely that this was a company standard made for an unknown state militia; again, probably on the western Indian frontier of Illinois.

Of interest is the use of a young American Bald Eagle, instead of the traditional fully fledged bird. Although it is tempting to speculate that the artist intended to represent the young, growing and still emerging nation, all we can definitely conclude is that this eagle does not bear all of the traditional symbols found on regulation dragoon flags, such as the arrows and the olive branch.

It is noteworthy the pattern and shape of the flag is different than what most people associate cavalry flags being a swallow tail or Guidon shape. The Guidon shape was not adopted by the US Calvary until 1833 when it was standardized with the swallowtail shape and the colors were designated with one half of the top portion of the flag a field of red and the other half was white, creating the saying or description "Red over White" which is still in use today.

ZFC Significant Flag


Provenance:
• Acquired by purchase by Zaricor Flag collection, via Cowan's Auctions, Cincinnati, Ohio, 2004.


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