The Battery B flag is called a guidon. What is a guidon?
Guidon is the name given to a small flag or pennant carried as a standard by a military unit. Guidons in the first group of flags include the flags of the First, Fifth, and Sixth Michigan Cavalry regiments and the First Michigan Light Artillery, Battery B. All the guidons in the flag collection were carried by either cavalry or artillery regiments. In the exhibit you can easily see the difference in size between the guidons and the other flags. The name guidon comes from the French Guyd-homme. Historically, the guidon was borne by the leader of a cavalry regiment. It was carried at the center or right of the regiment to indicate direction. The Battery B artillery guidon was not use to mark the line of battle or rally the regiment, but was placed to indicate where the cannons were located.
