BattGGuidon
This image appears courtesy of John Schmale.

What exactly is a guidon, anyway? A guidon was a small, generally triangular or swallow-tailed pennent carried by troops in the mounted service – cavalry and artillery.

Although the guidon pictured above is probably not the flag being referred to in the following passage, battery flags and banners were nevertheless important to the unit. Some of the pride felt by the men is hinted at in the following entry for May 29, 1862, in the morning report book for Battery G:

“Today rec’d our flag which we bought in Chicago. Cost $60. At unfolding of flag, speeches were made by Capt. Sparrestrom, Lieut. Lowell, Serts. [sic] Greenwood, Fort & Heath. Boys well pleased with the banner.”