What follows is a pictorial compilation of various sources and accounts that present to the reader some of the standards carried by the various forces involved in the Califomia campaigns of the Mexican-American War. Obviously when dealing with a written description of a physical object, such as a standard, there may be some misinterpretation. The drawings that accompany this article should be fairly accurate, however.
Some of the units whose standards are presented played relatively minor roles in the Califomia campaign. Their standards are included, however, as they may be representative of other, similar standars of other theatres or useful in hypothetical campaigns that a gamer may wish to attempt.
FIGURE #1. This is the standard of the Mormon Battalion enlisted into service in 1847. The Mormons spent 15 weeks blazing a trail to the Pacific for Kearny's sypply train., White field, red and white stripes, red and blue letters and numbers, yellow edging and front of the "4", yellow and blue stars.
FIGURE #2. The Bear flag of the California Republic. Often called The Bear Flag Republic, the artistry was such that frequent accounts state that the bear actually looks like a brown pig. White field, brownish red bear, star, stripe and letters.
FIGURE #3. This is possibly a company guidon of the Califomia Battalion. Coloring the same as Figure #2.
FIGURE #4. It is stated that the ladies of San Diego made a flag for the American troops who were about to leave San Diego and march to retake Los Angeles in 1846.
FIGURE #5. Accounts claim that members of the Bear Flag Republic raised this flag over the walls of Sutters' Fort in a welcoming gesture to the approaching John C. Fremont and his "Geogrpahical Engineers". White field, red star and stripe.
FIGURE #6. Enlisted into U.S. service in 1846 the New York Volunteer Battalion was a fully uniformed and equipped military unit. It is stated, however, that a good many of those enlisted for service in the battalion did so to escape the sheriffs' deputies. Blue field, light blue sky on the shield, white ribbon, brown eagle and mountains, yellow sun and crown.
FIGURE #7. Yet another detailed version of the Battalion color of the California Battalion. This standard and that shown in Figure #11 may be one and the same. Blue field,eagle in natural colors, red, white and blue flags.
FIGURE #8. Regimental color of the First U.S. Dragoons (1846-1848). This standard is similar in nature to another regular U.S. Dragoon and Infantry regimental standards. Blue field, gold stars, brown eagle with white head, yellow beak and claws, red scrolls with gold lettering and volutes, red and white stripes in the shield, blue in top portion of the shield, green leaves, brown arrows, gold arrow heads.
FIGURE #9. "Standard of the Prophet" carried by a Mormon military unit that sailed from New York in 1846. Blue Canton, light brown eagle with white head, yellow beak and claws, yellow beehive, red ribbon, white stars, brown cannon with red flames, field is alternating red and white stripes.
FIGURE #10. Guidon of Company C, 1st U.S. Dragoons (1846-1848). Again similar in nature to guidons of other regular U.S. Dragoon companies. Top half is red field with white lettering Bottom half is white with red numbers and lettering.
FIGURE #11. (See also Figure #7). Reports indicate that in late 1846 Commodore Stockton issued to the California Battalion a Regimental color similar in pattern to regular U.S. battalion standards. Blue field, natural color eagle, silver scrolls with gold lettering, and U.S. coat of arms.
FIGURE #12. Standard of the Volunteers for the Defense of California. This Mexican unit carried a standard very similar in style to other Mexican national and regimental standards. Green vertical stripe closest to staff, white and red. Brown eagle in natural colors holding in its beak a light green snake. Lettering is probably black.
FIGURE #13. In October of 1842 Commodore Jones of the U.S. Pacific Fleet mistakenly believed war to have been declared between the U.S. and Mexico. Acting on this misconception, Jones took the city of Monterrey. After realizing his mistake, Jones apologized and returned control of the city back to the Mexican authorities. Figure #13 is a typical standard of that period and was used right through to the end of the war. Green vertical stripe at the staff followed by white and red stripes. Natural color eagle with a light green snake in its beak. Ribbon tied to the staff is a tricolor design of red, white and green, with a gold fringe.
As stated at the start of this short article some of these standards may be used in different theatres of the war with minor variations. The State of New York also provided volunteers to the Vera Cruz campaign and this state flag may be used for those units also. The Mexican standards illustrated may also be used with different variations. One notable variation on the Mexican tricolor was the positioning of the red, green and white stripes in a horizontal direction. This variation would have the red horizontal stripe on top, followed by the white and then the green at the bottom. An example of this variation was captured in Mexico in 1847 and it seems plausible that such variations may have been seen in the California campaign as well.
Back to Table of Contents -- Courier Vol. IX No. 4
Back to Courier List of Issues
Back to Master Magazine List
© Copyright 1990 by The Courier Publishing Company.
This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com