The Lost Guidon / 1911

A rain-soaked field after a devastating cavalry engagement frames a wounded young sergeant who rides slowly, bearing a bloodied guidon and repeatedly calling his absent squadron to rally. Medical officers dismiss his cries as delusion while an attentive chaplain interprets them as an act of devotion and mourning. The narrative moves through ruined bridges, burning houses, scattered dead, and failing light, contrasting practical despair with ceremonial fidelity. It explores loyalty to a symbol, the consoling force of ritual in grief, the persistence of duty beyond hope, and compassionate responses to loss amid the aftermath of battle.