National Republican., 1883-07-04
COLORS LOST At COLD HARBOR
Gracefully Returned to the New York Authori-
ties by the Lexington Cadets
The Company Given a Rousing Well
come in the Great City.
How the COlOrs Were Lost in One Of the Memorable
Battles Of tho Late War,
Lost MS Hancock Would Have Been WILL
ing 20 Lose All His CoIors.

New York, July 3.-The Lexington (Vir-
Rinia) cadets arrived here this noon. They
were received by the 23d regiment of Brook
lin, Col. Rodney Ward, and escorted 10 their
quarters. They bring the flag of the 15ith
Now York regiment which was captured
during the rebellion, and will formally pre-
sent it to the mayor and the city government
tomorrow noon at the city hall. No New
York city military took part in the reception
or escort to-day. Col Ward, of the Brook
lyn 23d, hastily called upon his regiment late
yesterday afternoon to meet in tho evening
and arrange to receive the Virginians for the
credit of the state. The response was shown
to-day by some four hundred men turning
out with full band, and such reception
was accorded rs was worthy of the occasion.
Broadway was crowded with thousands Of
people, who cheered the visitors every block,
the affair proving veritable ovation.
NEW YORK, July 3.-The cadets are mem
bers of the Virginia state military institute
and include the graduating class who, it Is
expected, Will receive their diplomas from
President Arthur during their stay in this
city at the Madison Square theater.
The cadets are under command of Col.
Scott Ship, and accompanying them are Gen.
If. N. Smith, superin tendent of the institute
and several members of tho faculty. The
visitors will stay in town during the week
New York Herald.
Col. De Lacey now of the Goth regiment, and
Mt tho time of the capture of the flag the lieu
tenant colonel of the 164th regiment, will have
charge Of the mastering Of the veterans, and
hopes to have q very creditable showing from
among the men who underwent the terrible
hre of that morning when tho colors werc
lost. The regiment was raised as part of
the Corcoran Irish legion. 1t was mustered
In ON Nov. 10, 1862, and mustered from the
service on July 10, 1865. At Suffolk, Black
water, Spottsylvania, Tolopotomoy, Cold Har-
Dor, Petersburg Strawberry Plains, Deep
Bottom, Reams station, and Boydton road it
did good service. Its first colonel was John
IL. McMahon. He was one of three broth
ers-three young lawyers-who had gradu-
ated from st. John's college, Fordham,
and were just beginning practice. John Il.
was the oldest, and left his post Of private
secretary to Gov. Seymour to enter the SER
vice. He died from disease contracted at the
front on March g. 1868. A younger brother,
James P. McMahon, had been captain in tho
6Sth New York volunteers, serving in it with
the Irish brigade from November II, 1861, to
October 90 1862. Then, as lieutenant colonel
of the 155th New York volunteers, he served
with the Corcoran Irish legion from Novem.
Der 3, 1862, to April 81, 1863, Upon the death
OF his brother there was q consolidation of
the 155th with the 164th regiment, and young
McMahon was made its colonel. He had done
gallant work in the Peninsula campaign, and
in the battle of Fair Oaks he was excused
from his post on the staff of Gen. Richardson
to engage in the very front of the battle. At
Antietam he was in the very hottest of the
fight. Though he had previously secured his
commission to the colonelcy of the 155th regi-
ment he remained to sec the finish of the
Maryland campaign. .t., ar.,
With his zouaves of the 164th regiment
Col. Mcmahon went into the disastrous cam
paign of the Wilderness, attached to Han
cocks I'd army CORPS The battle of Cold
Harbor was fought on the Sd of June, 1864,
and 1t proved fatal to the gallant young COM
mander, then but 26 years of age. Three
corps were ordered to the attack-tho 9th,
from the command of which Gen. Sedgwick
had just been removed by death; the I'd, under
Gen. Hancock, and the 18th, under Gen
Baldy Smith. The I'd corps had the left of
the main attack. Gibbons's division was
making an attack, and leading IL was the
164th regiment. The colonel was leading, as
was his custom, and behind him % few PAGES
was the color bearer. Col. Mcmahon was less
heavily accoutred than some of his men and
gained upon them. Then piece of swampy
ground delayed ono wing of his regiment. He
swept over an outlying work and captured
about 200 prisoners, who by some error of or
ders were taken to the rear by an escort
drawn from his fighting line.
The central companies of the regiment,
however, passed on, and when very near the
enemy's works, Passing at double quick
through q severe fire, the color sergeant cried
out, Colonel, am shot"
Give me the flag" said young Mcmahon,
as he grasped the staff from the hand of the
dying sergeant, and rushed toward the en-
bankment. Up this he 4prang, and, planting
the flag with firm stand upon the top Of the
parapet, shouted back to his rapidly following
men, " Come on, boys; their works are ours
Here's your fiagw At that instant his sword
which was raised above his. head, was cut in
two by bullet, and his right hand dropped
to his side. bullet had shattered his arm.
He was during these few seconds under u
terrible fire. Another bullet struck his left
arm, the flag wavered, and as it fell for
ward into the works the rapid placing
of his hand upon his hip and then
his side showed that the brave officer was re-
ceiving shot aftor shot. At last his wounds
were too many. He fell backward down the
outer line of tho works and into the ditch
The limo wayered under the heavy fire at
short range, and breaking, IT fell back in
confusion. Tho colonel, with last effort,
rose from the bottom of the bank, and, stag
gering IA few yards, seized small tree, and,
with last struggle to rally his men, sank
down. One of his men, who had fallen
wounded near by, approached and said, "Col-
onel, you arc wounded; can | help youW
mo, no, my man." responded the dying
officer Pm shot all TO pieces, Save your
self" An officer, also wounded near by,
crawled over and offered the colonel some
whisky. He was then lying with one
hand clasping the other across his breast and
his lips moving as if in prayer. lie only re-
spOnded to the offer, "No, no l thank you.
Let me die in peace" just then some CON
federate soldiers eaped the parapet and cap
tured the union officer, who begged them to
go over again and save his colonel. There
was then cross fire from the outside, hut
one confederate private volunteered to go
over and see to the wounded officer He
came back in few moments with the words,
"It's no use he's dead man."
Tho gallant officer referred to was Lieut..
d. G. Moynahan, afterwards major of the
regiment and now one OF the mounted
squad of the New York police force
For three days the body of the colonel lay
there, rs the ncessant fire precuded any ap-
proach to il. When the flag of truce went
out on the third day the body was brought in
aud buried by his only surviving brother,
Gen. Martin II. McMahon, under cedar tree,
was at midnight, the chaplain weeping as he
read the simple service for the dead, and hun
drcds of the dead mans fighting companions
standing about, every mau shedding tears of
genuine grief year after the body was
dsinterred and brought north for burial at
Buffalo, where il now rests. Gen. Martin T.
McMahon, then chief Of stat OF the 9th army
corps, was personally offered the vacant
colonelcy by Gov. Seymour, but he declined,
and the regiment remained under the lieu
tenant colonel until mustered out. Mr..
David Gray, of Buffalo, wrote q poem OF How
the Young Colonel Died - which was read at