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FLAG TERMS
A closer look
Arms: Used to refer to two distinctly different types of emblems, that of the state and that of the United States. The United States version has a bald eagle holding an olive branch in his right talon and a bundle of arrows in his left with a scroll with the motto "E Pluribus Unum" in his beak. A shield emblazoned with red and white stripes is usually found on the eagle's breast, but sometimes is located beneath the eagle that crouches above the shield.
Battle Honors: The names of the battles or engagements in which the unit fought. Often painted or sewn onto the unit's flag or displayed on attached streamers and replacement banners.
Camp Colors: Small bunting flags used to mark a unit's camp, the color line, and some regimental maneuvers.
Canton: A quadrant of a flag. Common use with Civil War flags refers to the top hoist quadrant, usually displaying a blue field with stars representing the states in the union.
Color: The flag of a military unit, including national colors, state colors, and regimental colors. Civil War period used the term as interchangeably to mean one or more flags.
Cord: A length of two to four plied silk cord connecting two decorative tassels. The midpoint of the cord is usually tied around the finial base of the staff.
Ferrule: The metallic tip at the lower end of the staff, used to plant the flag in the ground and rest the flag in the sling worn around the neck.
Field: The principal area of a flag prior to any additions or embellishments. This is usually made up of a single fabric or several joined fabrics.
Flank Markers: Small flags carried at each end of an infantry regiment's line of battle to mark the flanks. If carried on long staffs, these flags are properly termed flank markers. If carried on smaller staffs fitted into the rifle barrels of the guide sergeants, they are called general guide makers.
Fly: The length of the flag measured from the outer pole sleeve to the free edge. Also understood as the outer half of the flag.
Guidon: The term applied to a type of flag carried by
an artillery or cavalry company. Guidons were usually swallowtail in appearance,
according to army regulations.
Hoist: The width of the flag measured along the staff edge, excluding
fringe; also understood as the half of the flag nearest the staff.
National: Any flag displaying the national arms or a stars and stripes color that does not have any state emblems added.
Obverse: Side of the flag that bears the principal design.
Regimental: The term applied to a flag consisting of a monocolor field with either national or state symbols added for identification.
Reverse: Side of the flag that does not bear the principal design.
Sleeve: The part of the flag usually doubled over, through which the staff is slipped prior to attachment. The sleeve can be either reinforced or not. The reinforcement is referred to as the inner sleeve while the doubled flag fabric is referred to as the outer sleeve.
Staff: The wooden pole on which any type of military flag is attached. During the Civil War, Cavalry regiments used the term lances, while infantry regiments used the term pikes.
Standard: The type of flag carried by cavalry regiments. It is smaller than the infantry and artillery colors.
Streamer: A band or ribbon, usually made of silk, displaying
the battle honors of a particular regiment. One or more of these were
attached to the finial end of the staff after the war.
