I knew I forgot to address some issues. I'll see if I can handle them quickly here while on lunch. Keep in mind that for any of these things there is the way it is written it should happen, and then there is the way it really does happen depending on circumstances/regimental commander's whim. I'm sure that there are recorded examples that will prove and disprove both sides of all the questions we talk about here. Also note that first and foremost I have worked for years with Gilham's manual, though for the most part when it comes to what we will discuss Gilham's/Hardee's/Casey's pretty much all agree on the same principles.

You are correct that posting companies from both flanks first can cause some problems. The reason it can work well enough on parade is because in theory each company has a designated area of ground on the battalion parade (presumable with extra space on either side of each company). In most manuals (I think all that I have seen at least) when the battalion is formed for parade, after he posts all of the companies, the first command the adjutant gives will be for that battalion to center dress. One would think that with each company posting individually that they would already be dressed...so extra room on either side of each company might explain this. Also, it should be noted that even on parade, before the flank companies are posted, the first unit on the line is actually the color guard itself to establish the line.

At this point I believe you may be mistaken with how the posting of companies has been listed. As a rule as I mentioned, the guard is placed on line by the adjutant first, followed by the color company, then the company to the left of color company (6th), then to the right (4th) and so on outward to the flanks. In Gilham's manual this is the very first topic covered under school of the battalion. Looking at Hardee's I see that this is also listed to be the case at the very begging of school of the battalion as well (beginning of Volume 2). Try this link to see the volume. http://books.google.com/books?id=gMrxmmkjEYgC&printsec=frontcover&dq=hardee&cd=1#v=onepage&q=hardee&f=false Basically you are working from the inside out, which means there should not as many gaps, and much easier to sort out. What you might have mistaken it with is the very first article in volume 1 that says the battalion is posted from right to left in the order (1st, 6th, 4th, 9th, etc...) which is just listing the seniority of the, not actually the chronological order that those companies come on to line.

As to your other question about how the guard is composed, I can tell you what happens in practice for most units, but it is really hard in some cases to point to a written example of "this is the rule". In just about every regiment that I have looked at the roster for members of the color guard, they always seem to be pulled from several if not almost all of the companies within the battalion. For the most part those men would PROBABLY be selected by the colonel (or acting CO) of the battalion about the same way that the color sergeant would be selected. Now a full guard SHOULD have 9 men...so not every company will be represented. What if 2 or the best men we want for the guard are from the same company? I have never seen a hard and fast rule of only one from a company or anything that is quite that specific. I tend to think that if you are in command of the regiment, within certain customs of service you will compose the guard as you please...or maybe balance it a bit more when you include the general guides and regimental markers (these are positions that are often overlooked). Now I can tell you of units with guards of only 1-3 men (all of Pickett's division at Gettysburg). I can also tell you of a 4 company battalion (shouldn't even carry colors) yet had a 4 file wide, 12 man color guard (3rd PA Heavy Artillery). So while there are guidelines, they seem to be broken almost as often as they are followed.

I hope I remembered to answer everything this time...back to work for me.

Josh Bucchioni