Sean,
A couple things please:
>>>Colonel Thomas Goode's, Third Virginia Cavalry Regiment, lost a guidon to the Eight Illinois Cavalry Regiment. In turn, the Eight Illinois Cavalry regiment lost a guidon to the Third Virginia Cavalry. Now, it is my belief, that guidon was later handed to Lieutenant George Armstrong and he rode back to Headquarters and "Claimed" he had captured the guidon. This was a lie of course, Lieutenant Farquire?? (I am certain I am typing his last name wrong) either captured the guidon or was handed it from one of his enlisted soldiers.>>>>>
This is not the flag that Custer got ahold of. He described it a day or two later in a letter to his sister (Lydia Reed) as being "a large white silk flag with a red cross in the center." As he was riding with the 5th Wisconsin Infantry, who attached the 5th North Carolina State Troops, this is their battle flag he is talking about even if he gets the color of the blue cross incorrect. The author Carol Dubbs, in her excellent book on Williamsburg (Defend This Old Town) on Page 171 tells this story and that probably Custer got the flag from a Badger soldier.
Custer DID take a flag there however and I will detail that in my post when I have everything together. It is a pre-war Virginia militia color with the state Coat of Arms surrounded by the Federal eagle.
What is the source that the 3rd VA Cavalry lost a flag? I have nothing for that.
>>>>As Gregg pointed out, it certainly was not the Fifth North Carolina's flag they lost to Brigadier General Hancock's brigade. The Official Records (11) Page 444 is my source. "Captured the enemy's flag, the First Rhode Island Cavalry Regiment, color-sergeant, G.A. Roberts saved the "Regimental Standard". This cavalry battle/skirmish took place on May 8th, 1862. The Eight Illinois lost that guidon. >>>>
Not sure where the 1st Rhode Island Cavalry comes from as they were not there. Page 44 is JEB Stuart's report and he makes no mention of them. This fight took place on May 4th by the way as Stuart was covering the withdrawal from Yorktown. Stuart states that 8 dead Federals were found after the fight with the 3rd VA Cavalry but the 8th Illinois casualty report on Page 450 states only one man missing - none KIA.
Might this lost Federal guidon be from a different Union cavalry unit?
Greg Biggs