Question on Sharpe's Eagle

Cafe Society
1

I am binge watching the Sharpe’s series and had a question on the second installment Sharpe’s Eagle. I did a quick look on wiki and imdb but didn’t find the answer. And if you haven’t seen it, spoiler ahead.

When Maj. Lennox is dying, he asks for one of Napoleon’s eagles. Sharpe says nothing and Denny makes a big deal of the request as if Sharpe promised it. Leroy shut that down real quick. Later Wellesley threatens to make Sharpe the shortest-termed Captain in history if Sharpe made that promise. Sharpe swears no one heard him make that promise, which is true.

So what’s the big deal about promising a dying man to take a Napoleon Eagle to replace the King’s Colours?

2

This answer is from the books – but capturing an Eagle would have been an utterly massive deal, from a military honor perspective. Losing their own colors is a massively negative deal – akin to abandoning the regiment’s honor. But capturing a Napoleonic Eagle is the equivalent of restoring that honor.

3

I get that but why was promising Lennox to get one forbidden?

4

I think because it could inspire the soldiers to do something very, very stupid in battle.