U.S. Cavalry silk swallowtail guidon American flag, ca. 1860s, having thirty-four gold painted stars in a double wreath, twelve in an inner circle, eighteen in an outer circle, and one in each corner. Kansas was admitted as the 34th state in January 1861, West Virginia was adopted as the 35th state in 1865. Descended in the family of Col. Walter Simonds Franklin, York, Pennsylvania. Franklin was brevetted major on October 19, 1864 for faithful and meritorious services in the field during the Richmond campaign and in the Shenandoah Valley; he was again brevetted to lieutenant colonel Apr 2, 1865, for meritorious services at the capture of Petersburg. He was offered command of York's own 87th Pennsylvania Infantry in late 1864, and apparently was going to accept, but refused the assignment at the last moment and instead served as assistant inspector-general from March 1 through July 8, 1865. Col. Walter Simonds Franklin's brother was Major-General William Buel Franklin, who was appointed the commander of the Sixth Corps of the Army of the Potomac, which he led in the Peninsula Campaign, among many other accolades, including first in his class at West Point, 1843.

Frame - 30 1/4" h. x 44" w. Reds are very faded, a few small tears and frays. Misidentified in background of mat as a '' headquarters flag of the Sixth Corps'', instead of Cavalry guidon flag.