Veteran regiments in the army were likely to be very small aggregations of men.
Once, when the command had first come to the field, some perambulating veterans, noting the length of their column, had accosted them thus: "Hey, fellers, what brigade is that ?" And when the men had replied that they formed a regiment and not a brigade, the older soldiers had laughed, and said, "O Gawd!" Also, there was too great a similarity in the hats.

The hats of a regiment should properly represent the history of headgear for a period of years.

And, moreover, there were no letters of faded gold speaking from the colors.

They were new and beautiful, and the color bearer habitually oiled the pole.
Presently the army again sat down to think.

The odor of the peaceful pines was in the men's nostrils.