Zack
First Sergeant
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2017
- Location
- Los Angeles, California
This is all wonderful information @StonewallSharpeson. My reference for citing eight corporals is this:
I especially appreciate the breakdown of the company and the roles of the different NCOs. A few follow up questions:
1) How realistic was it for the color guard to hold their fire during battle? Are there any primary sources that indicate whether this was actually held to or not? Similarly, did they often step back when the line was firing as you indicated here:
"When the battalion is preparing to fire, the color guard steps back one rank in order to protect the color from musket discharges. Once firing has ceased, the color guard will step forward to its original alignment."
As a side note - this phenomenon can be seen in this video at 1:37
2) In Hardee's it reads: "37. The front rank will be composed of a sergeant, to be selected by the colonel, who will be called, for the time being color-bearer, with the two ranking corporals, respectively to his right and left; the rear rank will be composed of the three corporals next in rank; and the three remaining corporals will be posted in their rear, and on the line of the file closers. The left guide of the color-company, when these three last named corporals are in rank of the file closers, will be immediately on their left."
Does this mean there would be a gap between the first two ranks of the color guard and the third? Since the file closers are a few paces back from the main line of battle? Or are they just a third rank behind the regular line of battle?
3) If the color guard lives with their own companies and only comes together during battle, what would happen if a unit got surprised on the march? I'm thinking of the Iron Brigade at Brawner's Farm. Or did they live with their companies in camp and then whenever the regiment was on the march they would join the color guard in the column?
4) If the color guard is drawn from the ranks, then wouldn't each company "technically" have more than 4 corporals, just some of them would be with the color guard? Also, if 8 men are being drawn for the color guard, there would "technically" be an uneven number of corporals throughout the company, especially if decisions are based purely on merit rather than equitable distribution through the sections/platoons. You write: "Side note: in theory, since all of the companies and sections are supposed to be of approximately the same size, the platoons and sections of the color company should be adjusted to make up for the additional men of the color guard, to the point of sending privates to other companies to level out the number of men in the color company. I did not mention this in the paper because I thought it trivial, and it can be accounted for with proper adherence to guides."
What I'm getting at is this: I've been trying to draw up a TO&E for your average Civil War regiment. I've found even the diagrams in the manuals to be somewhat wanting as they abstract things into boxes and rectangles. I'm trying to visualize, all formed up in line of battle, where everyone would stand and how they would interact.
I especially appreciate the breakdown of the company and the roles of the different NCOs. A few follow up questions:
1) How realistic was it for the color guard to hold their fire during battle? Are there any primary sources that indicate whether this was actually held to or not? Similarly, did they often step back when the line was firing as you indicated here:
"When the battalion is preparing to fire, the color guard steps back one rank in order to protect the color from musket discharges. Once firing has ceased, the color guard will step forward to its original alignment."
As a side note - this phenomenon can be seen in this video at 1:37
2) In Hardee's it reads: "37. The front rank will be composed of a sergeant, to be selected by the colonel, who will be called, for the time being color-bearer, with the two ranking corporals, respectively to his right and left; the rear rank will be composed of the three corporals next in rank; and the three remaining corporals will be posted in their rear, and on the line of the file closers. The left guide of the color-company, when these three last named corporals are in rank of the file closers, will be immediately on their left."
Does this mean there would be a gap between the first two ranks of the color guard and the third? Since the file closers are a few paces back from the main line of battle? Or are they just a third rank behind the regular line of battle?
3) If the color guard lives with their own companies and only comes together during battle, what would happen if a unit got surprised on the march? I'm thinking of the Iron Brigade at Brawner's Farm. Or did they live with their companies in camp and then whenever the regiment was on the march they would join the color guard in the column?
4) If the color guard is drawn from the ranks, then wouldn't each company "technically" have more than 4 corporals, just some of them would be with the color guard? Also, if 8 men are being drawn for the color guard, there would "technically" be an uneven number of corporals throughout the company, especially if decisions are based purely on merit rather than equitable distribution through the sections/platoons. You write: "Side note: in theory, since all of the companies and sections are supposed to be of approximately the same size, the platoons and sections of the color company should be adjusted to make up for the additional men of the color guard, to the point of sending privates to other companies to level out the number of men in the color company. I did not mention this in the paper because I thought it trivial, and it can be accounted for with proper adherence to guides."
What I'm getting at is this: I've been trying to draw up a TO&E for your average Civil War regiment. I've found even the diagrams in the manuals to be somewhat wanting as they abstract things into boxes and rectangles. I'm trying to visualize, all formed up in line of battle, where everyone would stand and how they would interact.