Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-08-11
The Old Flag of the 26th-itS History

Quartermaster General LUND has received
the battlefront flag of the Goth regiment-or
what the shot, she'll and winds have spared of
it-which is now deposited in the Capitol
with the other glorious proofs of the vaor
of the brave soldiers of this State, and the
perils through which they have passed.
Major WINcKLER, in forwarding the flag,
accompanies it with the following very in te-
resting history. He says:
"The appearance of the flag will attest the
hard service it has seen.
Its first experience of battle was towards
the evening of the I'd of May, 1868, in the
Wilderness, Va, where it stood in the cen
tire of line of battle which stubbornly re-
fused to g We way to many times its numbers,
though left without support on either right or
left, and did not begin to retreat until the en-
envy had strongly doubled about both of its
TANKS and the order to fall back had been twice
repeated by the brigade commanders. During
the retreatit became again and again the rally
ing point tstrong lines which presented a bold
front and checked the impetuous advance of
the enemy. The loss of the regiment was
heavy; one color-bearer was shot through
the eye, and both flags bore the marks many
bullets.
Son the first day of the battle of Gettys-
burg the regiment partook of the hottest Of
the fight, when two of our corps fought the
whole of Lees army Every one Of the col
or-guard was wounded. The national color,
| now riddled by bullets, was brought off the
| field by Sergt. Weinreich of Co. B.
"The State color, during the retreat was
successfully borne by three different men,
each of whom in his turn was wounded and
disabled One Of them unable to get any
| further, severed it from the staff to conceal
| it from the enemy, when he succeeded in
| hailing Private Stubanus Of Co G, to whom
| lie gave it !; but he too was mmed iately shot
down, receiving one ball in the breast and
| one in the leg, and though not fatally injured
was unable to get away, and thus the flag fell
into the hands Of the rebels.
"Since then the .. S. flag and the regi-
ment have borne their part of the most i'm
portant campaigns Of the West They have
| been present and active in the campaign into
Lookout Valley, the battle of Wauhatchie on
the night of the 2Sth Of October, '63, the
battle near Chattanooga the 23d, oath and
25th of November, and the subsequent cam
paign for the relief of Knoxville.
During the present campaign the flag
has been with US in hot skirmish at Buz-
yards Roost May sth, in the battle of Resaca
the 18th, 18th and 18th of May, where we
were on the last day very hotly engaged in
the battle Of Dallas, which opened with
sharp engagement in which we partook and
suffered severely on the 25th of May, and in
numerous skirmishes in moving from there to
our present position in front of Kenesaw
Mountain, and here in sharp fight ON the 22d
inst, in which we charged upon and took
line Of rebel rife pits. On the 10Th inst. we
captured rebel battle flag in skirmish,
which is some compensation for the one lost
at Gettysburg, and 1 should be glad to send it
to the State, but the Commanding General of
the division has appropriated and will not
part with the trophy"