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     The swallowtail Guidon shown below was used by the Army of Northern Virginia’s Cavalry Companies and just as the name implies, they were used to guide-on.  When formed for battle, the cavalry was stretched out in a line running from left to right.  At the center of the regiment, the battle flag would be displayed.  At intervals up and down the line, company flag bearers would carry Guidons attached to lances.  During the advance, it was essential that the troopers maintain alignment in order to maximize the shock of the charge.  Each Guidon Flag bearer advanced in echelon, slightly behind the regimental standard.  This allowed the troopers to maintain alignment with their comrades left and right even if the view was limited by smoke, dust or obstacles.

     The First National pattern Guidon measures seventeen inches on the fly, by twelve inches on the hoist.  The stars on this example, as with all of this pattern, are only on the left side.  In William Albaugh’s, 1960 edition of Confederate Edged Weapons, he makes note of the fact that in his youth, this pattern was “relatively common in Richmond.  All seen at that time were identical, having attached to the 8-foot ash staff, by means of three tacks, a small Stars and Bars Confederate flag which contained 11 four pointed stars.  The flag was of the swallow-tailed guidon variety and very poorly made, the stars being only on the left side of the flag.”  He also noted the size, “seventeen by twelve inches”.  Albaugh did not know who made them; but, he referenced an 1896 dated receipt for a lance “taken at the fall of Richmond”. 

     From the foregoing, it can reasonably be assumed that these flags were made in Richmond, Virginia.  I have in my possession, a copy of a January, 1862, bill from Burger and Brothers, charging the Confederate States of America, for 283 “Lances and Flags” at six dollars each.  Undoubtedly there were many other shipments, but the invoices have not survived. 

     This example has undergone conservation and restoration.  The flag had been improperly framed many years ago and had become brittle with age.  It has been removed from its original frame and gone through a de-acidification process to halt the deterioration and has been stabilized using natural fiber netting.  In areas that had fractures or missing cloth, a color matching underlayment has been used.  The flag has been re-framed using conservation grade ultra-violet filtering Plexiglas and an unbleached natural cotton muslin backing.  It displays beautifully and is ready to hang in your home or office.