The National tribune., 1881-10-01
TORN BATTLE FLAGS.
WRECKS AND RELICS OF THE WAR.

The Ordnance Bureau, which occupies portion
of the second floor of the Winder building, on
Seventeenth street, opposite the new structure
for the accommodation of the State, War, and
Navy Departments has attached to it a museum
worthy of visitation.
Besides a large amount of warlike material
models of arms, accOutrements, Calling and other
repeating guns, and relics of the olden times, it
contains the historic stump of the oak tree cut
down by bullets at Spottsylvania and several
hundreds of captured Confederate flags. In an
annex few doors north, and upon the same side
of the street are stored yet more of these remin-
ders of the late unpleasantness," together with
quite collection of National ensigns captured
from the "BOys in Blue" by their no less gallant
foemen who wore the gray.
As ensigns of an unholy cause the Confederate
flags are, and of right ought to be, odious to the
eyes Of loyalty; but as the opponents of manly
daring, fOrtitude, and devotion to an idea (al-
though a wrong One) they are entitled to the re-
spect Of all men, and well worthy the reverence
of those who upheld them so bravely on the hot
contested fields of mortal strife. They are well
worth looking at. Upon this point the men of
the North and the men of the South, who beheld
them waving amid the smoke of battle, can agree
Though differing widely in matters of politics,
there is one broad platform upon which all true
soldiers may safely stand-the platform of valiant
deeds; and there is one banner-that of high
courage and manly valOr-to which the soldierlv
spirit may do homage although the heart may
condemn the cause in which it was fioated to the
breeze.
The collection to which reference has been
made comprises Confederate flags proper, battle
flags, State flags, and those belonging to local
organizations, together with several which be-
lOnged to the signal service corps of the COnfed-
eracy, and includes representatives of regiments
or smaller bodies of troops from every one of the
late rebeIlious States not excepting Tennessee
and Kentucky, which, so to speak, were upon
both sides. And each flag has its history, often
times written down in blood, and each one tells
a story Of gallant deeds, of hardships and priva-
tions endured, and of wanderings and death,
glorious and ennObling, though sad-a story of
which, eschewing politics, no American need feel
ashamed
Virginia and South Carolina lost the largest
number of flags in action, and New York and
Pennsylvania troops, in the order named, made
the largest number of conquests
The first flag captured, so far as the record kept
in the museum shows is battle-iag taken at
Phillip, Va, June 3, 1861, by Lieutenant
William B. Mccartney, Company B. Sixteenth
Ohio Infantry. OF course it was a matter of
necessity that the first capter should have hailed
from Ohio-the State which, since then, has
taken pretty much everything worth having
from the Presidency dOwn-captured the Govern
ment in fact How else could the war have
gone on?
The last capture made was that of the flag be-
longing to the "Dixie Rangers" taken by the
Fourth Indiana Cavalry near Columbus, Ga,
April 80 1865 four years to day from the date
of the first bloodshed in the streets Of Baltimore
Another historic flag is that formerly carried
by the Forty-sixth Virginia, and which was cap
tured at AppOmattox Courthouse, April 3, 1865,
at quarter past eight a. NJ. by the One hundred
and twenty-first and One hundred and forty
second Pennsylvania Volunteers under COM
mand of Colonel West Funk.
The First Virginia (Union) Cavalry appear to
have made the largest number of conquests,
having scooped in seven flags, viz: One taken
by Lew Shoemaker, place not given; one each
by Captain ii. p. Boon and Private William HOl-
ton, at sailors Creek, April 6, 1865; three taken
at Appomattox Station, April 8, 1865 Zone be-
longing to the Sumter Flying Artillery, another
to the Eighteenth FlOrida), names of captors not
given; and the State flag of the Fourteenth Vir-
ginia Cavalry, captured by ]. F. Adams, of Com
pany D. November ~ 1864
The Sixth New York Cavalry and One Hun