Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-11-21


Ninth Reg. Iowa Volunteers, November Is.
The commander Of this post having learned
that certain very fine Secession flag that had
waved dehantly from flag staff in the village
OF Manchester, twenty miles distant from this
place, until the successes Of the Union forces
caused its supporters to conclude that for the
present "discretion would be the better part of
valor," was still beingvery carefully pre.erved,
its possessOrs boasting that they would soon be
enabled to rehoist it, determined upon its cap.
ture.
On the 18th inst he directed First Lieu 'enaus
H. Q. Bull, Of Company @, of this regiment, 70
take charge Of the expedition, and to detail
fifteen good men for the purpose, which detail
the Lieutenant made from Company 9.
They left camp by the cars at hall.psst FIVE
P. NJ, landing at Merrimse, three miles from
Manchester, proceeding from thence 10 Nan.
chester on foot, and surrounded the house
of Squire B., who had been foremost ia the
Secession movement Of that strong Secession
sown, and was reported to be in possession Of
the flag
The Esquire protested against the imputa-
ton, declaring that the Gag was not in his pos
session, and that he knew not of its where
sbouts. His lady acknowledged that she had
for a time kept it secreted in q box in the
garden. but as it was likely to become injured,
she took it out, dried it in the suo, when it
was taken away by some ladies, who lived
refused to give. Finally, after thorough but
fruitless search of the house, after the Lieuteu
ant had placed her husband under arrest, and
be was being started for Headquarters, the
lady, probably hoping to save her husband,
acknowledged that it was taken by Mrs. S ),
who resided mile and half in the country
not such terrible long distance after all, Her
husband was then sent to Merrimac, escorted
by four soldiers, and the remainder, conducted
by the gallant Lieutenant, started to visit the
residence of Mrs. s. in search Of the flag. The
distance to the Jady's residence was soon trav-
elsd, the house surrounded, and the flag de-
manded of Mrs. S., who proved to be avery intel
hEent lady, and was surrounded by very in
teresting family. The lady replied to the de-
msnd that she would like to see the person
that stated that she took the Aig from Esquire
B-'s-that as to its whereabouts she had
nothing 20 say; that the Lieutenant could
search her house, and if he could fhd any
thing that looked ike flag he was welcome to
it. Accordingly, a thorough search was made,
in which the lady and her daughter aided, but
no flag was to bs found.
The lady then thanked the officer for the
eentlemauly manner in which the search had
been conducted. and added that she trusted he
wBs satisfied. He replied he was quite certain
that she had the flag, and that it would have
been far better for her to have yielded it; but
ss she did not, as unpleasant as the task was,
no suOuiu hiIeb' anu Adho W uphu-
quarters at Pacific City. Two men were then
dispatch for a carriage, with which to con-
vey the lady to Merrimac and from thence the
lady was informed that she would be sent by
| railroad. She accordingly made preparations
to go, but after about an hour had elapsed in
waiting for the carriage, the lady again de-
msDdsd the name of the informants, and when
told that it was Mrs. B, and that Esquire
B. was already under arrest, she then asked
whether any indigDity would have been offered
to her had the flag been found in her possession,
| to which the courteous Lieutenant replied
"Certoialy not, madame; our object with Es
quiTe B. was bis arrest and the capture of tht
flag; hut with you, our object was the flag" u
"WilI you pledge , our honor, " said she, "tha
if surrender the flag shall not be arrested, mol
my fsmily disturbed ?" When replied to in
| tho affirmative, she added, al wish you to uu-
derstand, cir, that no fear of arrest or trouble
would ever have made me surrender that flag;
but Esquire BIS family induced me to take
that flag to save their family from trouble
saying that it should be a sacred trust, koown
der IT,"
She then went to bed that had been fruit
lessly searched, took from it quilt, and with
the aid of her daughters proceeded to open thC
edges Of the quilt, aud cut the stitches through
the body of it and pulled off the top, when, be
hold! there lay the mammoth flag next to tn
cotton, being carefully stretched twice AM
nearly a half across the quilt. When takel
out and spread it proved to be a magnifcen
flag, over twenty. one feet in length and nearly
nine feet in width with fifteen stars to repre-
cent the prospective Southern Confederacy.
"Recollect," said the lady to Lieutenan
Bull, 'that you did not find it yourself, anC
when you wish detectives you had better en-
ploy ladies'" She also added, that she CAV,
up the 6ag unwilliDgIy. The daughter re
marked that she had slept under it, and tia
she loved il, and that fifteen stars was not s
terribly disunion, in her estimation, after all.
The flag is now in possession of Colone
Vandever, who remarked that it excslled an
of the rebel flags that he saw at the battle G
Bull Run or Manassas. Esquire B. is in Gus
tody awaiting his trial.