The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-03-11
The Flag of the Third Mississippi

+ rom the very full account or COn
necticut Day" at Worlds Exposition
February 26-published in the New
Orleans papers, we make the following
extracts:
The exercises commenced in the Music
Hall at ? o'clock, but long ere the hour
arrived the vast hall was filled 10 over
flowing by an immense audience. When
the Mexican Band arrived and took UP
its station on the platform, loud burst
OF applause went up from the great
gathering, who knew the oft proved ex
cellence of the musicians about TO enter
tain them.
Tn the platform were nearly all the
United States and States commissioners
IN town, large number of lady com
missioners, several ladies of the city, and
also many representatives of the Army
OF Northern Virginia, the Army of
tennessee and the Grand Army of the
Republic.
On the front of the platform stood 6
table draped with the Stars and Stripes
In front were suspended the two guidons
of Mississippi and Connecticut, and on
the table were a bronze equestrian
statue of Gen. Robert Z. Lee, a statue
of a national standard bearer, and a
bronze medallion of Gen. Washington
All these bronzes were made by the
Ames Manufacturing Company, of Chi
copce, Mass, and belong to the Bay
State exhibit, having been loaned to
Connecticut for this occasion.
Several appropriate selections were
rendered by the Mexican Band, and the
exercises were opened by Acting Com
missioner I. r. Pickering, of Connecti
cut, who presided He remarked: "The
object of this meeting has been 50 well
portrayed, by the press and otherwise
that | will not detain you by any re-
marks, but at once introduce TO you
Col. John G. Healy, of the Ninth Con
necticut Volunteers"
Amid the applause of the audience
Col. Healy stepped to the front. He
said:
BOYS of the Ninth Connecticut, of the
Third Mississippi. and my friends:
Twenty-three years ago the Ninth Con
necticut Regiment, and a section of a
battalion of the Sixth Massachusetts,
visited Pass Christian, Miss. Twenty
three years ago you were the boys in
gray, and we were the boys in blue
The war is over. The fires of the bivouac
have been extinguished. May they never
again be lighted, unless a foreign foe
should interfere with this united coun-
try. Applause. There seems to be
but few of your boys left. There are
fewer of mine. In few years we will
have passed away. There are none to
take our places. Our ranks cannot be
hla1 To, mill hara
Joined the army above, and before we
go, before we answer the last roll-call
let us shake hands, and remember that
though we have fought on different sides
in the same field, we are all citizens OF
a common and united country.
The speaker here advanced step and
took the extended hand of Col. Dyer, of
the Third mississippi. They shook
hands cordially amid hearty cheers, and
Col. Healy concluded his remarks as fol
lows:
If in the restoration of this flag your
thoughts go back to days when you
received it from the fair hands that
made it, and the remembrance of those
days makes you happy, then you Ger.
tainly give happiness to the boys OF
Connecticut, who carried the harp and
the shamrock.
THE FLAG HANDED OVER
Then while the immense audience
sent up a continuous cheer, and the
Mexican Band rendered the stirring
strains of the national air, the old flag
that had been twenty-three years in
captivity, passed from the hands of Col
Healy into those of Cap. B. Curran oi
the Third Mississippi.
Only few tattered remnants of the
flag, ARE left but these have been mounted
on piece of white silk, and an inscrip-
ton on the mount explains this tc
lookers-on in the.following words:
The blue field with the white star, the
magnolia leaves, and the ragged border
and fringe are all that remain of the
old flag of the Third Mississippi Volun
teers.
On either side of the magnolia leaves
at the bottom of the mount are the
words:
Restored by the favor of the Nintl
Regiment, Connecticut Volunteers, Feb
26, 1885"
Captain B. Curran received the fas
with the following remarks:
In behalf of the surviving members o.
our command, as captain of the Dahl
gren Guards, of Pass Christian, Miss, j
is with sincere pleasure that / receiv,
the flag captured by you from them a
Pass Christian ON April 4, 1862. w,
were then Company H. of the Thirc
Mississippi, performing guard servic'
along the unprotected Gulf Coast of ou
State Afterwards we became attached
to Featherston's Brigade, in Loring''
Division. Of the Army of Tennessee, ane
as such served through the war, laying
down our arms under Gen. Joe Johnston
in North Carolina. This day, sir, re
calls another day and another presenta
ton. 1t was proud day for us, whel
full of patriotic ardor, we first receives
this flag, the work and gift of the fail
hands of the ladies of the Pass, our kin
dred, friends and neighbors. We wer
not permitted to serve under its folds
\ ou took it from us before it had don
service in battle, yet it spoke to US thel
and it speaks to US now of the spirit o
our people ,and the courage of our soldiers
In returning it, you show spirit whicl
does you honor, and to which we hear
tily respond. Brave men respect tn
brave, and the war over, are ready t
pursue the paths of peace.
In this return you show that you re
cognize our deeds in the past, and W
accept it as symbol of peace and goo
will in the future. We fought you, a
you know, long and well. You gained tn
day. We accept the issue and welcom
| YOU as as citizens of a common country
And now, sir, / turn to the chaplain G
our brigade, who knows how to SPEAK
| and who shared with us the fatigues G
the march and The dangers of the field
| and will ask him to give fit expressio
to the feelings that to-day move ou
| hearts.
This flag which you have returned
us, restored to its former beauty, h
will transfer to the lady commissioner
of Mississippi, who win have it in charg
until it is delivered to the authorities 0
their State.
The flag was then by Capt. Curran
placed in the hands of Mrs. Nj. ID. Lee
nora, of Port Gibson, Miss, and Mis-
Maggie Kidd, of Aberdeen, Miss, VIII
| will act as its custodians in the Mis-
/ sissippi department of the Goyernmer
Building.
An eloquent speech was then delivere
by Rev. Thomas r. Markham, chaplai
of the Third Mississippi.
He expressed the pleasure it gave hil
to express the sentiments of the Thir
Mississippi, upon receiving their oil
flag back from the hands of its captor
It was especially pleasing to him, b
cause he was Mississippian born an
bred, and he spoke for his State and fs
his comrades. He appreciated to ii
full the spirit of magnanimity show
by the people and the Legislature ,
Connecticut, and the knightly courtes