The Gadsden Flag

A guy named GSR e-mailed me today about Sam Peckinpah’s 1965 Western starring Charlton Heston, “Major Dundee“.

GSR is a superfan of this movie. Superfan. He writes, “I could not guess how many times I saw Major Dundee in 1965. It was a box office bomb, the folks at the theater let me in for free until Major Dundee went away, which I’m sure they were thankful for. I could not turn away from the themes or the signature violence (Pekinpah). Recently been re-released, restored scenes, new musical score, playing on TCM, available on DVD.

“Regardless, this film sparked my interest in the Gadsden. Never have been able to find out if this particular Gadsden, [a] cavalry guidon, was real or an invention of 1965 Hollywood representing the diverse unit Major Dundee put together.”

GSR says this rattlesnake guidon is highly visible in many scenes of Major Dundee

Was a rattlesnake flag like this used by US cavalry in the post-Civil War era? I have no idea.

GSR speculates that Second Amendment champion Charlton Heston, star of the movie, might have had something to do with it.

Or maybe Peckinpah added the rattlesnake flag himself. He had a definite individualist/anti-authoritarian streak. He’s famous for his 1969 film “The Wild Bunch.” And he was a US Marine in World War II and a student of history.

Perhaps there is some historical basis for this. The crest of the 14th Cavalry Regiment has a coiled rattlesnake that’s very similar. On this crest it represents service on the Mexican border.

14th Cavalry Regiment Insignia

The rattlesnake is used in the same way on the insignia of various field artillery units, e.g. the 130th Field Artillery Regiment, 143rd Field Artillery Regiment, and 164th Field Artillery Battalion.

Since the movie is set on the Mexican border, maybe this is the historical connection. GSR and I will be anxious to hear if anybody out there has other ideas or insights. In the meantime, I’m putting “Major Dundee” on my Blockbuster queue.