Colors & Courage - Follow Me Boys

Gettysburg – Pickett’s Charge – July 3, 1863

53rd Virginia
Sergeant Leander C. Blackburn, Cpl. James T. Carter, Cpl. John B. Scott, Adolphous Johnson, Pvt Robert Tyler Jones, & Lt. Hutchings Carter.
Armistead's Brigade - Pickett's Division - Longstreet's Corps.

“The men fell like stalks of grain before the reaper, but still they closed the gaps and pressed forward through the pitiless storm . . . their field and company officers had fallen; color bearer after color bearer had been shot down, but still they never faltered.”

As the 53rd dashed toward “the Angle”, Robert Tyler Jones had possession of the colors. Despite being wounded in the arm, he continued onward. Realizing his men needed all the inspiration they could get to face the tempest of musketry fire, Armistead yelled over, "Run ahead Bob, and cheer them up!'"

Waving his flag triumphantly over his head, Jones leapt upon the wall. A bullet grazed his head and he fell faint from loss of blood.

The original work, painted in 2005, is 8 inches by 10 inches - oil on wood panel.