American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

In a battalion in column on the march, where are the colours carried?

The reason I ask is that I am using the battalion scale 3D unit graphics for HPS which are around somewhere (I don't know where, an opponent sent them to me) and I always had great problems knowing lines from columns. It's possible, but it needs a close look - if the colours fly perpendicular to the length of the battalion, it's in line; if they fly along the battalion, it's in column. But in both cases, the colours are in the center of the battalion.

On the march, wouldn't they be in front?

Gen. Walter, USA
<i>The Blue Blitz</i>
Reserve Artillery, AoS

Gen Walter,

Your men carry your colours at whatever position within the battalion you want them to do so at that particular time.

B.G.Kibbey

Check here, Dierk. Gen. Kibbey is correct. There's mention of color
guard placement in line, but none in column.

http://www.rumple13.us/AoA/Records/Hard ... eehome.htm

Gen. J. Cuneo, CSA
Army of Alabama, Commanding


"I have seen the faces of men, who had dared death so often, it lost its' terror." -J.S. Mosby

Haven't been able to confirm the position for road column but for Column of Company the position was in the center. This was to keep them in the correct relative position to the two center companies when they changed to line.

In the 3D graphic icons I modified for HPS games I put them at the front of the column because I was having trouble telling if the unit was in line or column when viewing. That way the flag was in the center front for a line icon and at the front of a column in column formation making it a little easier to not miss identify the two formations and their facing.

BG. Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
III Corps, AoM (CSA)

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by KWhitehead</i>
In the 3D graphic icons I modified for HPS games I put them at the front of the column because I was having trouble telling if the unit was in line or column when viewing. That way the flag was in the center front for a line icon and at the front of a column in column formation making it a little easier to not miss identify the two formations and their facing.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

That was my thinking.

Gen. Walter, USA
<i>The Blue Blitz</i>
Reserve Artillery, AoS

I hope this will help.

When in the march and in column the colors are carried in the center behind the command staff ( please pardon the roughness of the sketch )


[ CO ]

xxXxx

+
xxxx
* xxxx
xxxx
xxxx

+
xxxx
* xxxx
xxxx
xxxx

+
xxxx
* xxxx
xxxx
xxxx



* Company CO
+ Company Guide

This is the typical formation of a unit in column march. Now when the unit changes direction to the left or right, the battalion colors go behind the formation and stays with the Command staff in the rear while the company guide moves to the front of the formation in the direction that the unit is moving in.

During the Civil War, that would be the battle flag and the unit colors and it would go to the center of the formation. I would point you to the movies GETTYSBURG and GODS AND GENERALS to see examples of this. All units would form their battle lines around the colors and then when the command given march off to the assault.

In today's armed forces, the unit colors are not carried except in garrison during parades and other formal functions.


The main purpose of the flags being placed in this position is to serve as a rally point and to mark that unit's position in the assault