The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-01-25
"Anecdotes of tine civil war"

II il now nearly nineteen years since
the war OF the rebellion came to a close.
But there seems to be no end to book
making concerning it. On the contrary,
the literature of the great struggle is re-
ceiying additions nearly every
week. The latest volume, with the
shove title, is by Major. General +. u.
Townsend, who was tor many years, and
including the duration Of the war. in the
adiutant generals Office, most OF the
time as chief. This book is not a
compilation of triling incidents or hui
Iaorous stories. 1t contains forty chap
tiers. which treat, for the most part. o.
interesting historical happenings. some
of them of grave Importance. The au-
thor's position permitted him
to become acquainted with many matters
of q emi-conidentiai nature, and p ISL
tive knowledge thus acquired enables
him TO make clear q number ef disputed
points. In one Oh the chapters in which
the author demonstrates General SCOTS
steadfastness to the National cause, when
treachery and treason p~ermeated
Washington, this incident is related:
'tAs the General was one day sitting In
his Office, the messenger announced
that q person desired To see him. A
German was introduced who, without
flourish made known that ne had been
commissioned by a house in New York to
present TO General Scotia small silk BAN
ner. 1t was very handsome, of the size
of a regimentai flag, and was made oil a
single piece of silk, stamped with the
stars and stripes of their proper colors
instead of being composed OF different
pieces stitched together as is Usually the
case. The German said the mabufac-
turers we're DESTROYS Of offering some
toEen of great respect in which General
Scott was held, and of their
sense of his importance to the
country in that perilouS time. The GEN
eral was highly pleased, and in accept
ing the Gift, assured the donors that the
flag should hang in his room wherever
he went, and finally enshroud him when
he died. As soon as the man departed,
the General desired that the stars might
be counted, to see il all the states were
repres .nted. They were ''all there
The flag was forthwith draped between
windows, over the lounges where the
general frequently reclined for rest
during the day. | went with him In his
berth when he sailed forEurope, after
his retirement, aud enveloped his coffin
when he was inferred at West Point
There is q very interesting chapter on
the Legends and Description OF Corps
Badges and another on the evolution OF
the Confederate flags, with the zine W.T.
able stars and stripes" Under the
| former heading is the following:
fhne adoptron OF Dsdges appears 70
| have originated in the "Kea-ny patch
One day, when his brigade was a strict
disci pl,narlan, saw soaLe officers stand
| ing under a tree by the road side. Sup,
posing them to be Strangers from his
command, he administered to them .
rebuke, emphasized by a few explosives
| The officers listened in silence, respect.
| fully standing in the position of q sol
der" until he had finished, when one
| of them, raising his hand to his cap,
| quietly suggested that the General had
| possibly made a mistake as tncs, none
Of them belonged TO bis command
With usual courtesy Kearny exclaimed,
" Pardon me; | will take steps to know
how to recognize my W me here
after" immediately on reaching camp
he issued orders that all officers and
men of his brigade should wear conspic.
uousiy on the front oftheir al a rounC
piece OF Teu Ciotu W uSSlSh1tc IuS.n
THIS became generally known as th'
"Kearny patch" After the battle 9
Fair Oaks, or Seven Pines, it was oh
served that the Confederate prisoner
universally wore stripes OF red. bln- o
white cloth on their caps, which the,
said were to designate the command
10 which they belonged. Gen. Kearny
in conversation with Gen. Hooker, en-
Enthusiastically ~instanced this IS illustra.
ting the utility of his patch"
Gen. T~vwnsend's book is interestin
and valuable, and is noticeably free o
the egotism which very oftsn mars vol
umes Of personal or semi-personal rem
iRiscences.