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Essay Archive - The War Between the States
The War Between the States
The War Between the States was the heyday of American battleflags and their
bearers. With unusualhistorical accuracy, many stirring battle paintings
show the colors and their intrepid bearers in the forefront of the fray or
as a rallying point in a retreat. The colors of a Civil War regiment
embodied its honor, and the men chosen to bear them made up an elite. Tall,
muscular men were preferred, because holding aloft a large, heavy banner,
to keep it visible through battle smoke and at a distance, demanded
physical strength. Courage was likewise required to carry a flag into
combat, as the color....
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