Through the drifting smoke & confusion, the Colonel witnessed a stirring scene. Near the center of the line stood Sergeant Andrew Tozier with his color staff planted at his side, the upper part clasped in his elbow "...with musket and cartridges seized from his fallen comrade at his side he was defending his sacred trust in the manner of song & chivalry".

“The five man color guard seemed to keep the enemy in check. . .by their heroic bearing and not from the numbers”. Posting himself beside Sgt. Tozier, the colonel led his troops on a rush down the slope into the ranks of the exhausted Alabamians. Joshua Chamberlain was awarded the Medal of Honor. Upon his commander's recommendation Tozier was also awarded the Medal of Honor.

In a postwar address Chamberlain remarked: “The inspiration of a noble cause enables men to do things that they did not dream themselves capable of before... The consciousness of belonging, vitally, to something beyond individuality, greatens the heart to the limit of the soul's ideal, and builds character. Perhaps no better explanation has ever been offered for the incredible feats performed by the Civil War soldiers as they fought under their battle flags.”