Early Design (1833-1862, 1885-post 1890s): The original U.S. cavalry (and dragoon) guidon featured a swallowtail design with the top half red and the bottom half white, often marked with "U.S." in white on the red section and the company letter in red on the white section. This color combination was chosen for its high visibility amidst the smoke of black powder battlefields.

Civil War Era (1862-1883): The design briefly changed to a "Stars & Stripes" pattern with 34 stars in a blue canton during the Civil War, but the red-over-white design was reintroduced in 1885.