The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-03-19
MEXICAN WAR.
The First American F1ag Displayed
In tt,c CITY of Mcxsco

examining certain Mexican war documents, report
No. 80 Of the Senate Military Committee Of the first
session Thiry-f fourth Congress dsS0) was found
and read with great interest," as II referred to scenes
and incidents with which had been quito familiar
The army at that time was less than half Its present
strength the majority Of It's officers being scattered
In small garisons along our vast frontier. The mails
being iufrequent and uncertain few of them ever
heard Of this report, aud much less number ever
saw or read 1t. By those having knowledge Of the
facts t Is readily that report OF the committee
TO tho question " was required TO Investigate deter
mine, and report upon was satisfactory aud corfeci
yet In It were errors that be readily shown aud In
one particular although true, It falls to bring ont de-
tails, unlmporiant perhaps but not without interest.
II proposed refer to report IN details
We viii begin by explaining how 1t was brought
about, 10 wit; The ID OF June, 1913, nag
was presented by Senator Davis, OF Mississippi,
In the name Of Gen. Twiggs to Congress, and II was
ordered by It to be deposited in the Depart
ment Of states aud the list ofJuy following letter
written by Brevet Lieut.. Benjamin $. Roberts,
OF the Mounted RIFLES was presented to the Senate
and laid on the table. This letter was addressed to
GEN rWiggs, aud contained statement as to how
the Dag came into his tRoberts's hands, and under
what instructions lie had received It, In this letter 10
GEN Twiggs, Roberts says, "Your instructions have
been executed and the dig Is returned, or words TO
that effect. The nag he wr1te was the first American
nag that ever noaed tbs Palace Of tbs Capital OF
Mexico the frsi planted the ave gun battery near
the base OF Chepultepec, sormed 10y his tRoberts's)
asslullng party, the first on the four-gun battery
stormel hy the ribs regiment between Chepnltepec
and the Girlta AMI also the fSt on the batteries at
the Glrltl. aui the frst on the citadel of tie city
The report OF the COMMITTEES was made March u,
1856 and In resolution OF January preceding, re-
qulring the report made by Col. Roberts to Gen.
TwIggs on returning to him the American hig, which
a. a.. a.. ~, fro taastNl
and had been displayed conspicnousy on the 18Th OF
September to he taken from the ilcs In the once Of
the Secretary Of the Senate and printed, and that
tbs President prO teatp0rs OF the Senate cause an
engrossed copy thereof to he deposited In the De-
partment Of STATE with the flag whose history II gives
etc; aud the 9TH Of February preceding a
iont resolution u. u. No. - was also referred To
the committee which enacted that the President be
requested TO cause sword with suitable devices, 10
he presented to Col. benjamin S. Roberts, In testl-
mony Of the high sense entertained by Congress OF
his glllantry aud good conduct at the storming OF
Chepullepec aud the taking of the city of Mexico.
The report OF the committee was adverse Neither
resolution was adopted the letter not engrossed,
nor was Roberts presented with sword. IL was as
certalned BY the committee that the letter did no
give correct account OF tho flag; that Col. Roberts had
remained behind at Chepultepec with prisoners and
having TO rely upon others FOR the history OF the flag
during TIL remainder of the day, had fallen Into err
ror. The Comuittee reached conclusions from in-
formation derived from officers who were present In
the assault upon Chepultepec and the batteries near
Its base aud who went along with and shared the
dangers Of the spirited advance down the aqueduet
leading through ths Giria dc Belen Into the
city. Letters were addressed by the committee to
six officers who ch lncel to be In Washington at the
time and their replies printed with the report 1t
was through these mainly they reached their conclu
I1ne. The purpose Of the committee was to get at
the truth NJ the statements In Roberts's letter about
the hug given him by Gen. TwigEs. Satisfied on
that point, they went further, and made their report
complete by stating what dag was first displayed
at the Garta de Iieen, and what first over the Ma
ilona palace In the city nf the displayed at the
gate the report says
The only nag raised at the Garlta de Belen was that
under the personal orders of Gen. Quitman by Lieut..
Seleck. (who seriously wounded In doing the
South Carolina regiment.
The present writer was with the army In the valley
of Mexico, Of the aides-de camp Of Gen.
Quitman, at the Garlta de BE len when the Pal
metto flag was displayed and knows that 1t was,
ported by the committee " the only flag ralsed at
that point" The report ITSELF enters into none OF
the details does 1t refer to any OF the Incidents at
tending this display of the Gag; theGe npar given
In the letters accompanying the report.
Several historical found In the report will lie
Cittt, ana Tue
mittees always, and Justly, received with great
respect and accepted the best authority on the sub
ject about which they report For the purpose OF
clearnass In their report, that 1t might be more
readily understood and Its recitalof events connected
they described briefly the dispositions made for hat
tie, as follows "Afier the unsuccessful lombard
ment Of Chepultepec on September 10, 1917, the
general-n chief (AIaj. Gen. ScotD determined to
storm the works on the succeeding day. detail WAS
u,fA FAT
Pillow and Qaitman, " etc ;and they refer to Capt.
Roberts as commanding the detail from Smiths bri-
gade, as II 1t belonged to the command to of
these generals when, In fact, the brigade
posed Of regular troops and belonged to Twlggs's
division. 1t supposed by Gen. Scott or HI
artillery officers that with the ordnance at hand Che
pultepec could he reduced By cannonadiug or bonn
bardment or by both; and those who witnessed tile
skill with which the artIllersts directed their fire all
day of the 18th and up to A. NJ of the 18th regarded
1t as most effective preparation for aud contrlbut
ing greatly the of the Infantry assault that
followed.
In his oncial report Gen. Scott says: 40 pre-
pare for assault 1t foreseen that the play OF
the artillery might into the second day. Q3th,
etc. az was therefore In no haste In ordering
sault before the works were crippled by oui
mlssiles.n
with reference to lhs details " from Pillows and
Quitman commands, ~ 1t trae that there were
100 men detailed from Qultman's division n storm
ing party and a smaller parry to carry ladders,
pickaxes etc. Int In this reports OF both Gems, Scott
and Quitman mud they each refer TO n storm
ing party Of $50 men and thirteen officers detailed
from Twiggs's division NJ regulars. These reported
to Quitmln for duty on the 18Th, anu 1t thi;
party that led tho attack made By Quitman.
The reports OF Gems. Scott and Pillow refer
also to a Hike party detailed from WORTH
division OF regulars, that reported to the latter and
acted With him In his assault on Chepultepec. Gen.
Pillow states the number to have been 260 rank and
file. Capt. 8. Mackenzie, Second Artillery, who
commanded the stormng party with Pillow VS. dlvi-
sion reported small party Of 1.-TWO com
mssioned officers and twenty men Of the battalion o
the Second Artillery TO carry axes crowbars, etc
that acted with his stormers Capt. sias Casey,
Second Infantry, commanded the storming party de
| tailed from TwIggs's division
A few facts connected with the displaying of Tia
Palmetto Nag at the Garita dc Been, and hereto
fore generally known, viii he given Before doing 81
II may be promised that Of tho six officers then IL
| Washington to whom the committee addressed let
| ters and all Of whom replied, Ave referred 4
the raising of the flag at the Garita. Extracts vii
now be made from these letters beginning with III
| one OF Gen Qnltman. The General says;
| Anxious TO wave M the whole column. with tn
view Of entering thu citadel pel with the enemy
| | called for colors The Palmetto flag was the frs
/ "
the South Carolina regiment then on my stan ord
nance oilcer ordered to display that flag on TIA
| Garita; lie was severely wounded,
| Other references were made by him 10 scenes an
incidents about the gate. To he exact the Palinett
flag was only the fret but the only one that re
ported to him. and II was displayed, not from III
| Garlta. but from shed resting against the aqus
duct on the right side, and thirty Ave or fort
! feet inside The Garlta
Col. GearY, then lieutenant colonel OF the secon
| Pennsylvania, and IN command of It, owing TO tn
sickness OF Col. Roberts, after tho gate had beel
| reached, SAYS
Gen. Qutman then called for eolOrs, which be wa
| DESTROYS 10 have raised symbol OF victory owe
the GaIita Tor The benefit Of other portions Of tn
/ Army. Ielt. Selleck, of the Palmetto regiment
then acting OF the General staff officers Grongh
| forward the cOlOrs of thar regiment, aud, with TN
assistance OF Capt. MAYOR of my regtniont place,
| them above the aquednct In the Gariti. Will
| holding the flag ia that position Lieut.. Selleck wa
| seriously wounded
| Capt. Eaylor ala not assist IA placing the color
| above the aqueduct, but myself and two or three
soldiers believed TO have been Of the South Carolina
| regiment, assisted selleck upon shed against III,
| aqueduct, and from this the nag was waved.
Lieut., Lowell, Fourth Artillery, aide -de-camp I,