From what I remember Lt. Murphy was devastated by the loss of so many brothers that he and couldn't stand the thought of losing another. In that battle he made a pact with God and himself, that no one else in his company would die, until he was no more. True Love for ones brothers.
That's a perfect expression of the character of Audie Murphy, but if his men had felt the same way about him they would have defied his orders and stood beside him fighting, and not left him alone to face the enemy while they hid. IMHO, the only reason they weren't court-martialed was that it would take away from the story of his staggering courage, so the Army let it go.