|
Posted on 11/21/2004 12:13:05 AM PST by snippy_about_it
|
|
 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
|
| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support. The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer. If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions. We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.
|
|
During the Civil War   In turn, the soldier identified himself with the regiment’s flag, or colors. The ideals and honor of the regiment were embodied within and represented by the regimental flag. The flag was the symbol of the regiment. When a regiment was being mustered in a particular town, it was often the women of the area who would join together and make the unit’s colors. The completed flag would then be presented to the regiment during an elaborate ceremony, often attended by hundreds of people.  The inscription reads: God Help the Right 140th Regt. New York S.V.  The inscription reads: Presented by 34 Young Ladies of Rochester N.Y. to the Monroe Co. Regt. To the homesick soldier, who was far from home and engaged in the most terrifying episode of his life, those regimental colors were a concrete reminder of their mothers, wives, and sisters who had helped make the flag. A Georgia captain’s response to the women who had just presented him with his unit’s flag in 1861 is typical of the feelings of most soldiers:  “Those tri-colors are emblematical of your . . . fair cheeks, and your blue eyes; in the future when we look up at those glorious stars . . . whose radiance will guide us to victory and fame, we will fondly remember the loved ones at home.”  To help build a sense of esprit de corps, the regimental colors were also designed to set the unit apart from others and, often times, to proudly display the unique characteristics of the regiment. For example, the 69th New York Infantry regiment was recruited in New York City from a very strong Irish community. Their regimental colors were illustrated with pictures of shamrocks and a Celtic harp on a green background, reminders of their Irish heritage. Another New York regiment, the 11th New York, had been recruited from firemen of New York City. Their colors contained the tools of their trade: a fireman’s helmet, ladder, hoses, and axe all appear on their regimental colors.  Once on the battlefield, the colors had the added importance of guiding the troops in the field. With scores of regiments and thousands of men often involved in the chaos and confusion of combat, the flags served as a way of keeping the various units together. A soldier who might become separated from his regiment could look for the unit’s colors to be reunited with his regiment. The colors were carried by a soldier known as the color bearer. He would be charged with carrying the flag and keeping it aloft for all to follow. While the color bearer was a position of great prestige, it was also one of the most dangerous assignments of the regiment. Recognizing the importance of the flag for direction and morale, the enemy often targeted color bearers when battle commenced. In the early months of the war, however, many of the young, naive soldiers disregarded the danger and eagerly sought the honor of carrying the colors in battle.  A young color bearer prior to the First Battle of Manassas wrote home: “I have a position just under the flag and woe be to the Yankee who tries to take it from [me] for we’ve sworn to preserve it, or perish beneath its folds. What a glorious death!” Accordingly, once on the battlefield, these soldiers would go to great lengths to ensure that the colors were protected. If a color bearer were shot (as was often the case), another man would pick up the flag and carry it, continuing to hold it aloft for all to see. A Union soldier could be awarded the Medal of Honor for capturing a Confederate flag, or going to great lengths to ensure that his own banner was not lost. Because a regiment’s flag was a source of immense pride and because such steps were taken to protect it, the colors also played a prominent role in the disciplining of troops. For troops who had misbehaved, or performed poorly, a serious blow could be dealt to the unit’s pride by stripping them of their flags. The hope was that, in order to have their colors returned, the men would work that much harder to prove they were worthy of the banners.  Shortly after the First Battle of Manassas, the 79th New York Infantry mutinied when they were denied a furlough that would have allowed them to return home for a visit with their families. To teach the men a lesson after the mutiny was put down, General George B. McClellan ordered “the regiment will be deprived of its colors, which will not be returned to it until its members have shown by their conduct in camp, that they have learned the first duty of soldiers - obedience - and have proven upon the field of battle that they are not wanting in courage.” Of this punishment, one of the New Yorkers wrote, “you have seen in the papers the punishment awarded to the Regiment - the taking of our colors and the disgrace from which we are suffering.”       |
They faced each other in two long straight lines - just as they had so many times before on so many bloody fields of fire. This time was different. Three days earlier, General Robert E. Lee had surrendered the skeletal remnants of his hard-fighting Army of Northern Virginia to General Ulysses S. Grant in farmer Wilmer McLean's parlor. Now it was time for the Sons of the South to lay down their arms and give up their bloodied battle flags. As enemies, these men in blue and gray had faced each other at Petersburg and Cold Harbor, at Gettysburg and Chancellorsville, at Fredericksburg and Antietam, at Second Manassas and Malvern Hill. Now they again stood in great ranks opposite each other - one now the victor, the other now the vanquished.
Placed in command of receiving the Southern surrender was Brigadier General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, a Northern war hero who bore four battle wounds inflicted by these men in gray and butternut now assembled before him. Absent in Chamberlain, however, was any animosity toward these former foes; present instead was a sense of respect for fellow countrymen who had given their all in the grip of war.
At Chamberlain's order, there was no jeering. No beating of drums, no chorus of cheers nor other unseemly celebration in the face of a fallen foe. "Before us in proud humiliation," Chamberlain would later recall, "stood the embodiment of manhood: men whom neither toils and sufferings, nor the fact of death, nor disaster, nor hopelessness could bend from their resolve; standing before us now, thin, worn, and famished, but erect, and with eyes looking level into ours, waking memories that bound us together as no other bond. Was not such manhood to be welcomed back into a Union so tested and assured?"
At Chamberlain's command, the Northern troops receiving the surrender shifted their weapons to "carry arms" - a soldier's salute, delivered in respect to the defeated Southerners standing before them. Confederate General John B. Gordon, immediately recognized this remarkable, generous gesture offered by fellow Americans - and responded with a like salute. Honor answering honor. Then it was over. And a new day had begun - built on this salute of honor at Appomattox. Former foes both North and South - in mutual respect and mutual toleration - now faced the future together. As Americans all.
God bless you this day . . .
Thank you Sam, great paintings.
Hi Grzegorz!
We were at Sharpsburg. A moving experience. Thanks w over w.
It decided to rain the day the carpet was put in
Sam can't sit still so he's off to feed the ducks
No time to waste so inventory is moved from the tile to the carpet
How about that trim work near the ceiling, good work Sam...hey, are you in the back office freepin?
Another coat of poly on the floor sign and one for the seed bin sign
More inventory
Sure, there is carpet under there somewhere
Back room
The seed arrives......we rearrange the stock...
Next week....Sam's new biceps. :-)
Massive undertaking muscularly undertaken. Bravo.
Bravo.
Thanks Phil, believe me my body has been reminding all week how "massive" those shipments were.
Looks good except for one thing...
Your office is waaaaayy too neat.
Spiderboy and I built a race track recently. Today we had some grudge matches going between a pair of Cobra drivers. 
The Cobras in action. Mine is the light blue one. ;-( 
Squad 51 is putting the hurt on an Indy car! 
Squad 51 about to pass an out of control Cobra. 
My hot rod Chevy pickup about to race Splittin' Image. 
And they're off... 
Brovo indeed!
Wonderful pictures PE. Thanks so much.
WOW, you have been busy. Snippy, I love the purple trim near the ceiling, with the forest green it a zinger.
Great job and thanks so much for the update.
Great photos. (If I may) in the 3rd photo there appears to be a suspicious looking person walikng away. Now I don't want to say anything BUT if it were me I be talking to the local cops to be on the lookout for him.
In all these photos there's something missing, I don't see a coffee pot. This strikes me as vaguely unamerican!
Trust me, it didn't last 5 minutes.
Thanks Phil. The best part is we are working hard and working long hours but it still feels good not working for a "boss".
Clueless here? What is it?
The race track looks cool. Is that a sheet of copper at the bottom?
We opened and tagged some inventory today. Looking for just the right thing for you. ;-)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
