National Republican., 1883-08-31
RELICS OF THE CIVIL WAR.
Arms and Flags from Gettysburg, Rich
mOId, ana Famous AppOmnttox.
lP.Gsb,rg Comm .rcidi Gasciie.1


ended and the armies of the north marched
back, with their campaigns in southern fields
closed, the mon who had worn tho blue brought
with them many mcmentocs of fort, field and
siege. In many homes these relics of the war
can he found, each year growing moro valu-
able in their owners estimation. But few of
the veterans can show moro interesting col
lection than can Gen. A. j.. Pearson. His
opportunities were wdencd by his active ca
rcer in the war, and his friendship with other
officers enabled him to add to his store until
II grew to n goodly size. Last night reporter
of the Commercial Gazette sat in the generals
paror and looked over the signs of military
life that were scattered about,
In the corner Of the room silk guidon was
standing. 1t is tattered and torn, the blue
field is almost all gone and the stripes can
scarcely be distinguished. II was the first
union flag carried into Richmond aftor tho
surrender. aud was presented to Gen. Pearson
at a reunion held in Washington after the
war At the same time he was given another
guidon, which stands facing the one mcn-
toned. 1t is a plain bunting flag on pole,
surrnounted by wooden acorn. Black with
dirt and full of holes it looks commonplace
enough, but when the remains of President
Lincoln were borne out of tho white house for
the last time, that guidon moved on the right
of the line and on it the column dressed
crossed. Ono of them Gen. Griffin, as gallant
o soldier as ever threw leg across q saddle,
carried at Malvern HILL when with his arJil-
lery he fought that famous battle. 1t is a
plain saber OF tho regulation United States
pattern, n steel blade, q wrapped leather haft,
and brass handle with an iron scabbard. Gen.
Griffin wore IL through the battle, and after
it was over presented it to Gen. Pearson.
The other saber was taken from one of Lees
wagons after tho Surrender.
Below these sabers arc two crossed muskots,
illustrative of tho old and the now. One of
them, flint lock, was used against the red
coats in the war of 1872. The other is a
breeeh loader, with all tho Improvements. A
cartsidge box and bayonot picked up at Get
tysburg COMPLETE the group
Standing against the mantelpiece are two
guns, one Spencer carbine, the other q
Sharpes rifle. The Spencer was surrendered
at Appomattox, the Sharpe Gen. Pearson cap
tured himself on q skirmish line at Gettys-
burg. 81 got that rifle" the general said,
while obeying orders to feel the enemy con-
siderably. The adjutant general told me to
throw my men out as skirmishers, giving me
certain points as boundaries. l went out and
| found tho ground covered, so fell back to hold
my command for an emergency. We laid
there all night, and in the morning was on
q worm fence wishing that the cold rain that
was falling would cease. Just then up rode
| n group OF OIDCerS, ana one OF tneI0 asked me-
Whose men are these p and l answered, Ny
men, What are you doing hereY Sitting on
this fence DO you know who amp No; and
l don't care.' He was pretty mad, and he
threw back his coat and l saw he was gen
eral officer. He told me he was Gen. Sykes
and / crawled off that fence. We had just
been assigned to his division, and 80 l did not
know him even by sight, but explained why
we were there and how | saw no use in cover
ing ground other troops were on. He an
swered sharply, I'll do the thinking; take
your men and feel the enemy considerably
and keep on feeling until toll you to stop.
/ was as mad as he was and l started The
enemy was retreating, and we kept gobblini
up men and sending them back until
hadn't handful of mon left. l rode up to
house and three rebels sprang to the door
One of them had that gun and pulled it oil
me- He had it cooked and up but called
out il he fred he was a dead man, reaching
for my revolver, and one of tho men will
him knocked the rifle down, saying they sur
rendered. Just then an aid rode up on
gallop and asked what l was doing. / tol'
him Sykes had told me to feel the enemy con
siderable, and / was doing it, Where's you
regimentP p he demanded. Most of it's gon
back with prisoners How many have yo
with you I? Half a DOZEN Wen quit, 70
you're too far ahead That did me, and
went back The rife should have turne,
III, Dut III nau pech Puhcu Oh ING anu Bop
bled it,"
As he finished this story of Sharpe's rifle
Gen. Pearson produced a sand box. 1t was
little tin box, showing traces of the greer
paint that it once bore, when sand boxes wer
used instead of blotting paper. THAT box,
said the general, was used at the surronde
of Lee at Appomattox. Gen. Griffin, VIII,
was one of the three officers appointed b,
Grant to arrange the terms of capitulation
gave it to me-" With the sand box was
pair of silver epaulets found in his headquar
ters wagon. They arc very handsome, ant
probably the only thing of tho kind il
America
One of the most interesting things in tn
collection is rebel battle flag. 1t is ahOu
three by four feet, and was evidently made O
old silk dresses. The field has the seve
stars of the south, and there are two rcd an
one white stripes. The flag WAS throug
many a fight, as the rents and holes in it tei
tify. 1t came when Lee laid down his swor
at AppomattoX. Another relic that tells @
the sorest spot in Hartranit's record is
volume of Byrons works taken from Co
, Pegrams house, near Petersburg, on Oct. 81
1864. Pearson, with his brigade of 5000 mer
was called off line to let Hartranft 20 i
with his division. Tho Johnnies sent Hart
| ranft's fighters back where they came fror
r on double quick, and got into Pegram
r house. where the sharpshooters had goo
, position. Then the little brigade went il
: whipped the men who had chased Hartrant
: and Pegram's house, with the finest librar
in the south, was burned The Byron and
], copy of Little Dorrtt" were saved, and Il
day tell of how Hartranft stood and watche
u brigade do what his division failed to accon
plish.