Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1856-01-11
CONGRESS.


10 the Senate, Mr.. Foot has given chap
ter Of history which viii be particularly in
teresting TO Yermoniers--as follows:
IN SENATE.
MoNDAY, December 81 s55.
cor. BENJAMiN $. ROBERTS or VERMONT I
Mr. FooT. ask leave to submit two res
buttons, both having reference to the same
matter, and upon which | desire to
'ubmii few remarks by way of explanation
before ! nterpose motion to refer them to
he appropriate committee.
The PRESIDENT. The resolutions will be
-ead.
The Secretary read them as follows;
Resolved, That the report Of Benjamin s.
Captain Of the Rifles, made to Gen. /
eral rwiggs, on returning to him the Amer /
lean flag which had been the first planted /
upon the Capitol of Mexico, and which he
had intrusted to the keeping of Captain Rob-
erts IN the stormng Of Chepultepec, and the
taking OF the city of Mexico, bearing date
" City Of Mexico, 9Th September, 1917" be
taken from the files IN the office of the Sec
rotary of the Senate, and be printed; and
that the President pro iempore of the Senate
cause an engrossed copy thereof to be de-
posted in the Department of State with the
flag whose history It gives, aud which has
alreaoy been deposited in said Department
by order of the Senate.
RESOLVED by Me Senate aud House OF Rep
resentaiiUes Of the United States of America
in Congress assembled, That the Preside nj
Of the United states be requested to cause
a sword, with suitable devices, to be presen-
g..A -, lf..In al . -
timony Of the high sense entertained by Con
gress of his gallantry and good conduct at
the slormlng of Cheputepec and the taking
OF the city of Mexico,
Mr.. FOor. Mr.. President, it is not my
purpose TO ask the Senate 10 act on these
resolutions at this time, but shall move to
refer them to the Committee on Military At
fairs, as being the most appropriate organ
through which propositions of this character
should be presented 20 the Senate for its d.
rect action. | desire, however, to submit h
very few words of explanation upon the in
PRODUCTION of these resolutions.
Upon reference to the Senate Journal of
the first session Of the Thirtieth Congress, II
will be found that, on the I'd day of June,
1915, Mr.. Davis, of Mississippi now at the
head Of the War Department, presented to
the Senate a flag which had been transmits
ted by General rwiggs, being the first ma
tional flag of tie United States raised on the
palace IN the city of Mexico. II further APP
pears that on the next day, Mr.. Dayton, Of
New Jersey, submitted a resolution in refer
ence TO to this flag, which was considered
by unanimous consent, and agreed to. That
resolution is in these words:
RESOLVED, That the Vice President be
requested to have the flag OF the United
States first erected by the American army
upon the Palace in the capitol of Mexico,
and now here presented, deposited for safe
keeping in the Department OF State Of the
United States"
1t also appears from the Senate journal,
that on the LIST of July following, Mr., Davis, |
OF Mississippi, presented n document in re-
lstlon TO an American flag stated to hage
been first planted upon the Capitol of Mexi- /
co, and submitted n motion that 1t be printed [
when, on motion Of Mr.. Dayton, it was or
dered that il lie on the table. 1t was now
late in the session; there were other aud
important public measures pressing upon the
attention of Congress, and especially on the
Senate, and no further action was taken in
reference 10 the motion of Mr. Davis to print
the document, and no action has since been
taken in reference 10 it.
The first resolution which have offered
merely proposes that this document or report
be printed, and that an engrossed copy of ii
be placed in the Department of State, with
the flag whose history II gives. hold in
my hands copy of that report, and as it is
brief and expressive, | will ask the indui-
egce OF the Senate for moment IN reading
it:
CRY or MExoo, Sept. IL, 1917.
SIR: | have the honor to return the Amer
lean flag you intrusled to my keeping IN the
stornlng of Chepltepsc and the taking of
the city Of Mexico. Your charge to me was
" expect that flag to be the first planted |
upon the Capitol of Mexico" The commis- |
sion has beeo executed, and the first Amer.
can flag that ever floated upon tie Palace of
the Capitol Of Mexico, is now returned TO
you.
1t was also the first planted on the five-gun
battery stofmed and carried by the rifle regi-
ment between Chepultepec aud the Garita
II was also the first planted on the bate |
ries at the GariIa and the first on the Citadel
Of Mexico.
1t was carried by Sergeant Manly, Of " f"
whom | selected TO bear so dis |
iinguished a flag, and the anticipations en- /
ertained Of his doing honor to the banner of
lls country were not disappointed. desire /
o commend him to your special considera-
ion
This flag would have been returned
through him, but for severe wound that
confines him to his quarters. II is proper
hat should state that | was not with the
dag when planted on the battery at the Ga
rita, and when planted on the battery be-
tween the Garita and the city, having been
detained to guard the prisoners taken at the
five.gun battery, assaulted by my storming ,
party. On inspection, you will perceive
that this flag has been pierced six times by O
the balls Of the enemy. I
have the honor to be,
with high regard &c,
B. s. ROBERTS, Capt Rifles.
Gen. D. Z. TwIaas, Commanding "a Diyis
That flag has been received BY the Sen.
ate and deposited in the archives of The
State Department, as tho property and The
glory Of the nstion--as Commemorative of
the final and great victory in the valley of /
Mexico-as the Growing trophy Of ali of
General SCOTS unexampled victories from
Vera Cruz to the Mexican capital. Tho Aag
Is there; but the name of the Office, who
bore Il is not there bis report, which aiy.s
the story Of its triumphs, is not there-has
not even been published. The flag is there
alone, =" alone m It's glory" if you please,
Its history untold. Those who bore 1t a.
loft and In triumph through the storms Of
battle as yet remain unhonored, unrecoqniz-
ed, unuoticed, even by the mention Of their
names.
This rs all wrong, Mr.. President palpa.
bly, wfooE, though doubtless the result Of an