Fighting and Dying for the Colors at Gettysburg

[william42]

Fighting and Dying for the Colors at Gettysburg
Beyond their practical value on Civil War battlefields, regimental flags and other banners embodied the pride, honor and bravery of the soldiers who willingly gave their lives to defend them. By Michael Dreese



The following few paragraphs are from an article about the importance and significance of flags and banners to the Civil War soldier of the blue or the gray. It's a pretty long article but very interesting, IMO, and I've posted the link to the entire article below.

For soldiers in both blue and gray, regimental flags or “colors” served as powerful visual icons of the ideals and values they fought to uphold—government, family, community and the concepts of duty, honor and courage. Veteran units proudly displayed their battle honors upon their flags, and the more tattered, bullet-torn and bloodstained they were, the more cherished they became. These swaths of fabric told a regiment’s history more forcefully than words ever could.

Battle flags also served an important utilitarian function. The Civil War was the last major conflict fought with Napoleonic tactics, which dictated that soldiers stand nearly shoulder to shoulder in well-ordered lines to deliver a heavy volume of fire. After the exchange of a few volleys, a battlefield often became shrouded in a low-lying cloud of whitish smoke. Hoisted on wooden staffs at least 8 feet long, the large, brightly colored regimental banners were sometimes the only visible elements of the contending forces, thus allowing rear-echelon commanders to monitor the movement of troops from a safe distance.

Flags were even more vital to frontline infantry officers and the men in the ranks. As a regiment advanced in line of battle, the color-bearer, positioned near the center of the formation, stepped off several paces ahead of the other troops. It was his duty to preserve the proper length and cadence of the march while orienting the line in the proper direction. In the deadly close-quarters combat that ensued, the sight of the flag floating above the chaos steeled the resolve of the men. If the line gave way, the men usually could be counted on to rally around the colors.

Physical stamina and unflinching courage were requisite qualities of a good color-bearer. One former soldier described another vital attribute: “I resolved my very best to be a leader—for a good color-bearer must at times be that regardless of personal consequences.”

Remarkably the color-bearer did not carry a weapon. His protection, and that of his flag, were the sole responsibility of the color guard, which usually ranged in size from two to nine men. Like the bearer, these soldiers were chosen for their bravery and steadiness. If the color-sergeant was shot down, a member of his escort immediately picked up the standard. Since flags were the focal point of 19th-century combat, the casualty rate of the color party and the companies in the closest proximity to it was often extremely high.

Because of a stand of colors’ vital function and its emotional appeal, losing one was considered a terrible disgrace. As a result, Civil War soldiers often resorted to drastic measures to save their flags from being seized, exposing themselves to great risk of death, injury or capture.

At Gettysburg the men who advanced the colors found themselves embroiled in some of the fiercest fighting of the three-day conflict. Some of these incidents have become legendary, such as the story of Color-Sergeant Benjamin Crippen of the 143rd Pennsylvania defiantly shaking his fist at swarming Southern soldiers before falling dead in the folds of his flag. Many other dramatic incidents, however, have been relegated to obscurity. The following stories are drawn from four small-unit actions that occurred across different days and sectors of the battlefield.

http://www.historynet.com/historical_conflicts/7886642.html?page=1&c=y


Terry

[cw1865]

It is amazing because reading accounts of battles you would think the colors would be 'hot potatoes' relegated to a penal battalion of some sort.

[M E Wolf]

Dear William42 and List Members,

Color Sergeat Andrew Tozier, who was at Gettysburg with Colonel J. L. Chamberlain at Little Round Top; was issued the Medal of Honor [MoH] August 13, 1898 for saving the colors. Colonel Chamberlain wrote on his accounts of the battle; that those who were in the Color Guard around Color Sergeant were killed or wounded, he was found kneeling with the colors craddled in his elbow and shoulder, at the same time using rifles of dead comrades around him to defend them.

In looking up the list of the Medal of Honor recievers of the Civil War--a great many MoH's were issued to those who preserved and defended their colors or, seized the enemey's colors.

Sincerely,
M. E. Wolf