Quote:
Originally Posted by Airchallenged
Quote:
Originally Posted by cyberia
Matt, any clue as to what the life expectancy was for color bearers?
I've heard that many never made it through their first engagement carrying the flag.
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Like Hal said it wasn't very long. One, two, maybe three battles if they were lucky. Obviously it would depend on the size of the attack and the intensity of the battle. They were bullet magnets. Mainly because once the smoke started to cover the battle field they became a beacon for both sides. For their own side they were a beacon for where to rally and for the enemy where to shoot. |
AC has done a nice job of explaining, what to us, must seem a military oxymoron. Officers would look into the ranks, find those that had exhibited the finest examples of training, courage and charisma and then take the gun from their hands and give them a flag.
The basic unit identification was at regiment level, and great pride was developed in the regimental flag. Early in the war, many of these regiments were recruited from towns or counties. You marched off to war with your childhood friends, relatives and neighbors. Often, there was a great ceremony where the troops would pledge their loyalty to the regiment and its flag amid the cheers of the ladies in their lives. (An offshoot of the Spartan Females cheer, "come home with your shield or upon it".) It would be hard for us today to recreate the romance and innocence of the times.
As a military device, the emblem of a regiment was used for communication and motivation. The former said "where are they" to command amid the confusion and smoke/dust that was a CW battlefield. The latter was bloody, but simple. Who could show the "white feather" when the silk they swore fealty towards, was going forward?
As a final point, there obviously was a military advantage to "dropping the colors". I'm sure sharpshooters off the line nailed quite a few, but consider the panic and fear involved in any attack/defense. For those who managed to "hold their water" during these times, the flag would have differentiated a target other then the anonymous solid line of blue or grey.
As an aside, this site deals with common men displaying uncommon valor. Who could jump on a grenade? Who could charge a machine gun nest? Who charges into a near-suicide situation? Rightly, these people deserve all the credit due. But how many of them had the time to ponder their decision?