Army·Technology obsolescence·In Memoriam
Color Sergeant
Served: c.1775–c.1918
Carried the regimental flag — the visual rally point in black-powder smoke, the axis of advance, the thing every soldier dressed his line on.
The Story
At the 1st Minnesota at Gettysburg, five successive color sergeants were shot down on a single day; the flag never touched the ground. Casualty rates in the color party were "extremely high" relative to the rest of the regiment because everyone shot at the flag.
Epitaph
“Five men down. Flag never touched the ground.”
Sources
- Army.mil — Keeper of the Colorswww.army.mil
- HistoryNet — Dying for the Colorswww.historynet.com