tell me about the organization of color bearers

[robert hayden]

I think each regiment had a group of color bearers, 8 or more ? Assume they were assigned sequentially, in the order of who served 2nd, 3rd, etc And wasn't there a
Color sargent in charge of that detail ? Was he a 3 striper ? was there any uniform or
chevron distinction of his position ? I had read of a "color corporal". Would he have been
2nd in command of that detail, or simply happened to be that rank ? I am aware that
Northern & Southern armies sometimes differred in thier procedures, as in the organization of Pioneers. Open to information and comments.

[johnduffer]

The bravest nine year old boy in the regiment carried the colors , just kidding.

This is from 1855 HARDEE'S: (other manuals are pretty much the same)

36. In each battalion the color-guard will be composed of eight corporals, and posted on the left of the right center company, of which company, for the time being, the guard will make a part.

37. The front rank will be composed of a sergeant, to be selected by the colonel, who will be called, for the time, color-bearer, with the two ranking corporals, respectively, on 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 file closers. The left guide of the color-company, when these three last named corporals are in the rank of file closers, will be immediately on their left.

38. In battalions with less than five companies present, there will be no color-guard, and no display of colors, except it may be at reviews.

39. The corporals for the color-guard will be selected from those most distinguished for regularity and precision, as well in their positions under arms as in their marching. The latter advantage, and a just carriage of the person, are to be more particularly sought for in the selection of the color-bearer.

[Spinster]

Wow. So carrying the colors is a job for the 'best and brightest'! And if you don't have five companies, you leave the colors put away.

Makes sense---experienced men are needed to defend those colors.


Now , I want to know more about 'cased colors'. I've seen men march properly, but with the colors cased when traversing heavily wooded areas where the delicate silk could easily be damaged. What's the protocol on this, and were flags at semi-permanent headquarters ever displayed cased in order to protect them from wind, sun, and so forth, while still marking the area?

[Curt-Heinrich Schmidt]

Hallo!

Trivia...

The 105th OVI had not received its colors in time for the battel of Perryville. They were "loaned" one from the 101st Indiana regiment. The Indiana lads were beng "disciplined" and had their colors taken away.
The Ohio lads were so offended and disgusted, that they refused to uncase it.

Curt

[billwatson2]

Someone with more knowledge can reply in depth, but the principle behind regimental colors is that they are first and foremost battalion tools of organization and maneuver. If it is not necessary for the flag to be visible it can be cased for protection as appropriate. But they can be uncased even if not really needed for organization or maneuver, as when a regiment marching by the flank passes through a town or a crowd and wants to make an impression or a statement or just feel good. That's then, and now as well.

[flattop32355]

For Infantry:
If two colors, both the national and regimental, are being carried, then two sergeants or corporals carry them in the front rank of the color guard, flanking the now armed Color Sergeant. If only one color is carried, it is carried by the Color Sergeant, flanked by two armed corporals.

All members of the Color Guard were either sergeants or corporals, not privates (whether this held up in reality in the field is anyone's guess). They were chosen from among the best NCO's of the regiment, not particularly limited to one from each company. While on duty, they were attached to, and acted as a part of, which ever company was serving as the Color Company, but otherwise camped, ate, etc. with their own companies. Traditionally, there were nine men in the Color Guard, but that could vary according to numbers available. They were postioned at the left of the right center (Color) company, in three ranks of three men, the rear rank falling into the file closer rank.

No special insignia, etc. designated the men of the Color Guard as serving as such, other than their position in line. They were charged with defending the color(s), and did not fire otherwise.

During the Civil War, it appears that quite often only one color, the national, was carried into battle, but may not have always been the case.

A sergeant is always a three striper. He may have additional insignia (a lozenge, for example, if he is a first/orderly sergeant) to further denote special rank.

[KyColorSgt]

As John mentioned, the main manuals are about the same in what they prescribe for composition and actions of the color-guard, but as Bernard pointed out, what units actually did could vary. Judging from battle reports, the color-guard in the field was not always or maybe even very much of the time composed of nine men. A review of reports in the Official Records from 1862 shows color-corporals or other men from the color-guard often taking up the flags when the color-sergeant fell, but when you start looking at reports from 1863 and 1864, the soldiers who took the colors after the color-bearer fell often seem to have been from some different company and not necessarily part of the color-guard. A number of reports record officers taking the colors after the color-bearer fell (4th Arkansas and 6th Kentucky at Murfreesboro, and 53rd Virginia at Gettysburg are examples). In at least one case, a Confederate regiment seems to have not had a standing color-guard, and "drafted" men into the color-guard for battles (this was the 5th Texas at Gettysburg; the citation is in William Fletcher's Rebel Private Front and Rear, though Fletcher apparently had an axe to grind about carrying the colors and his description may not be exactly what happened!). The 18th U.S. Infantry at Jonesboro reported that its color-guard consisted of two sergeants and two corporals (OR Series I Vol 38 Pt 1 p 586).

Having served as color-sergeant in large battalions in the 125ths and later, I can see dispensing with the color-guard's third rank, but the rear rank of the color-guard is essential because they keep the spacing correct in the front rank of the battalion during advances, and make sure that the center of the battalion stays behind the color-bearer and keeps the six pace distance. But I would imagine that units in the war did have those five men marching around the colors; perhaps they just weren't always "officialy" designated as the color-guards.

Curt, it's just as well that the 105th OVI kept that Indiana flag cased at Perryville, because it would just have been shot full of holes by Maney's men anyway! (that's one of my favorite Perryville stories, too)

Best regards,

[ScottWashburn]

Some good information here. A couple of other points: the regulation that battalions with less than 5 companies wouldn't carry colors should be taken with a grain of salt. As regiments shrunk due to losses they would often consolidate their companies for drill or battle, but still kept all ten companies on the rolls. The colors would still be used even if there were less than five companies being used tactically. As noted, the colors had an important functional roll. Another important thing to keep in mind is that the color guard is a part of the color company. They should count off along with the rest of the men in the company and when faced by the flank double along with everyone else, making no distinction about whether the color bearer is a 1 or a 2. When marching by the flank the colors are not used as a guide and they just march along with everyone else.

[J. Donaldson]

Cased colors could also be used as a punishment for a regiment's actions. The best example I can think of is when the 2nd Iowa left St. Louis to take part in Grant's campaign against Henry and Donelson. The 2nd had billeted at a small college in St. Louis, and while there, some members of the regiment broke into the college's museum and damaged or stole several items in the collection. When they marched through town to the docks, Halleck ordered that they move with their colors furled and cased, and without music. Several accounts refer to their actions in taking the lead in Smith's charge on Donelson as an attempt to regain the honor of the regiment.

[robert hayden]

why don't you just come out and say what you really mean ? (sarcasm) excellent response. clear, complete, concise. Thanks

The bravest nine year old boy in the regiment carried the colors , just kidding.

This is from 1855 HARDEE'S: (other manuals are pretty much the same)

36. In each battalion the color-guard will be composed of eight corporals, and posted on the left of the right center company, of which company, for the time being, the guard will make a part.

37. The front rank will be composed of a sergeant, to be selected by the colonel, who will be called, for the time, color-bearer, with the two ranking corporals, respectively, on 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 file closers. The left guide of the color-company, when these three last named corporals are in the rank of file closers, will be immediately on their left.

38. In battalions with less than five companies present, there will be no color-guard, and no display of colors, except it may be at reviews.

39. The corporals for the color-guard will be selected from those most distinguished for regularity and precision, as well in their positions under arms as in their marching. The latter advantage, and a just carriage of the person, are to be more particularly sought for in the selection of the color-bearer.