COLORS, 'MILITARY AND NAVAL. The term applied to the national flag or ensign wherever it is displayed and also to other flags, banners, or guidons carried by military bodies, and usu ally indicating their designation. Emblems, banners, or similar devices have been in use among soldiers and sailors from remotest an tiquity. They have been conspicuous in the past for their great moral as well as practical value to the troops carrying them. The older, and more historic the colors, the greater their moral value: for the soldiers of succeeding gen erations would vie with each other in maintain ing their traditions, and adding to their glory, with the result that ninny of the greatest ex ploits of military valor have been born of this desire. In practice they were the rallying-point of the organization, the embodimelit of its his tory, and the material symbol of headquarters. They have been in use in every army and in every age imp to comparatively recent times, when they have been displaced by the necessities of modern scientific warfare. They still retain their historic value, however, and to a certain extent their moral value also. With the British, infantry colors were originally known as ensigns (q.v.), each company carrying its own color. This soon gave way to the system at present in use, whereby each regiment or battalion is sup plied with a royal or King's color, and a regi mental color. The former is a Union Jack and the latter a flag of the same color as the facings (q.v.) of the regiment, with the blue union in the corner and the title, number, and honors of the regiment embroidered upon its folds. Both colors are made of silk, measure about three feet nine inches by three feet, and are each mounted on a pole of about eight and a half feet in length. Cavalry regiments of the Guard carry oblong standards, and dragoon regiments, guidons. Both types are made of crimson silk. The Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, Lancers. Hussars, and Rifle regiments do not carry colors. Since the Zulu War of ISSO, British troops no longer take their colors with them when on active ser vice. See ENSIGN.
The colors carried in the United States Army by the various regiments and battalions are two in number, the national flag (see FLAG) and the regimental color, both of which are of prescribed size and form for the various arms of the ser vice. The battalions of engineers carry the na tional flag, with the title of the battalion em broidered in silver on the centre stripe; and the battalion color, of scarlet silk having in the cen tre a castle, with the number of the battalion placed abOve the castle, and the words "U. S. Engineers" below. The artillery corps have simi lar colors, on which the corps device of two crossed cannon are emblazoned. Infantry regi
ments have the same national color as artillery and engineers; the regimental color being of blue silk, the coat of arms of the United States em broidered in silk on the centre, beneath the eagle, a red scroll with number and name of regiment embroidered in white; cavalry standards in size are somewhat smaller than those carried by the infantry and consist of a national flag made of silk. The regimental standard is of yellow silk, with the coat of arms of the United States em broidered in silk on the centre, beneath the eagle a red scroll, with number and name of regiment embroidered in yellow, fringe yellow.
According to the United States Army Regula tions (1901, sec. 244) the national color will be carried in battle (when it is invariably with the main body or reserve), campaign, and on all occasions of ceremony in which two or more companies participate. The regimental color is carried in like cases in battle and campaign, re views and inspections. At other ceremonies it is carried only when specially ordered. The names of battles in which one or more companies of a regiment, or of the battalions of engineers, or of the artillery corps, have borne a meritorious part are engraved upon silver rings fastened OD the pikes or lances of the colors. Each troop of cavalry and battery of field-artillery has a guidon (q.v.) on which the numbers or letters designating the command are inscribed. Camp colors are small flags used to mark time location of some particular corps, post, or other institu tion.
In naval usage colors play an equally impor tant part. On board old-fashioned ships they are flown at the peak of the spanker gaff, but on recent ships a special flagstaff fitting in sockets at the stern is used for the colors. In port they are hoisted at 8 A.M. and kept hoisted until sun set. On board ships of the United States Navy when the colors are hoisted they are saluted by a call on the bugle, or the band, if there is one on hoard, plays the "Star-Spangled Banner." While the colors are going up and the bugle or band is playing all officers and men on the upper deck face aft and salute as the colors reach the head of the staff. Dipping the colors (i.e. lower ing them a short distance and then hoisting them again) is a species of compliment or salute, but United States naval vessels are forbidden to dip their colors except in returning such a salute. Colors are half-masted to express mourning and hauled down to indicate surrender or submission. Mien colors are carried in a funeral procession they are draped with black crape.