A 42-Star 10th Cavalry Regiment American National Parade Guidon 1889-1891

Printed with alternating indented horizontal rows of stars and over printed with the symbols of the 10th US Cavalry Troop, mounted in a period walnut frame. Together with the printed program of the July 25,1992 dedication of the Buffalo Soldier Monument at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, autographed by Colin L. Powell, a participant at the event, and a note from Powell, on Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff stationery, dated 26 October,1992 reading, "I appreciate your interest in the Buffalo Soldiers and am very proud to have been part of the ceremony dedicating this wonderful tribute to these fine soldiers."

24 in. x 33 in. (sight)

The 10th, along with the 9th, were the two all African-American cavalry units of the US Army formed at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas in1866. Stationed in Kansas and Indian Territory, the Black troopers were called "Buffalo Soldier' by the Plains Indians. The 10th Cavalry is best remembered for its service in the Indian Wars of 1885-1898, and the Apache Wars of 1890.

It is believed that these parade guidons were originally made for recruitment efforts at the Presidio in San Francisco, California circa 1889. Sometime after that, they were transferred to Fort Sheridan and used periodically for parades and ceremonies. One of the common ceremonies of the late 19th century, was "Pass in Review" of visiting regiments of infantry and cavalry on the Fort's parade ground.

42 Star flags were official for a narrow period of two years- between November 11th, 1889 and July 4th 1891, with the admission of Washington as the 42nd state and the subsequent admission of Idaho as the 43rd state.

I

Provenance

Found in a storage crate at Fort Sheridan in the early 1970's when the Fort was being decommissioned. An officer stationed there was able to acquire the group of flags as surplus.

Collection of Jeffrey Kenneth Kohn, MD