Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-05-22
COL. PEGRAMS FLAG.
A MOTHERS GIFT TO THE SURVIVORS
OPACONYEDERATE BATTALION.
Presentation Address by Captain MccaDe
Speech Of Acceptance by Major
Brander-Banquet, Toasts, &c.

No reunlon Of old Confederates in Rich.
mond has had clustering around II more OF
tender memories and heroic associations
than that Of the old Pegram battalion.
Their reunion last night in the irlli OF
the House Of Delegates and banquet al
singer Hall formed an occasion OF pccu.
liar interest, because the old battle-li1g
was presented 10 the keeping OF the
bronZed veterans over whom it.had flOated
on 30 many glorious fields. =,
AT the appointed hour the hall was filed
with one Of RichmOnd's best audiences.
and there was carried out with a spirit ana
rare interest which thrilled every heart
the following programme
I. Members Of the battalion met in the
Office Of the clerk Of the House and
marched IN the hall together.
.. Buglc call lAssembly).
8. Pr1yer by the chaplain, DR.. j. VIII
liam Jones.
4. Music" sweet by and By"
5.rSddresS by Captain W. Gordon Nc
Cabe. former adiutant of the battalion.
G. Music" pi~ric."
I. Reception Of Il c flag by Major 7. A.
BTander.
3. Music. Auld Lang Syne"
o. Benediciion by Rev. DR.. NJ. d. Hose
THE PRESENTATION ADDRESS.
Captain NcCabe was greeted with loud
applause. and was frequently applardcd to
the echo a. he delivered in clear voice and
graceful style his superb Grafton, OF which
the following are eXtracts:
" CtmradeS Of Pegrdm's Battalion:
"On behalf Of the mother oi Colonel VIII
liam johnson Pegram give into your keep
inc this tlag-for two campaigns the battle
flag Of his old battery. 'the Purcell; after
wards the headquarters battle-aag Of the
battalion.
"To those who do not look upon il with
cur tyos, it /, hut faded BIZ Of bunting.
reut and torn and grImy. But to Us The
rents are the rents Of shot and shell. cacn
with its stirring story, and the grime i the
noble crime Ot battle, aud faded though II
| he hv Time. every shred Of il j. n,iigIrej
! and glnriGed by memories which time can
not touch-memOrics OF great deeds grcatJ
donc-of victory wicstcd time and agaii
| from desperate odds by skill and daring
| OF hardness endured ~ good soldiers ~ q
| good cause-Of noble blood nObly shed Tor
hearth and home and country: and our
| blood taking fire at the sight OF il, even a.
| Dayid's blood took fire when he saw in the
hands of Ahimclcch the sword which re-
called the unequal contest aud glorious
victory in the Valley Of Elah, we r'echo
the CIV Of the warrioy-kIng Of Israel three
thousand years ago: There IS none IKE
this
AS / unfurl the tAttorci remnant il
seem, but Yesterday that we saw our boy
colonel riding along some CRIMSON he!d,
followed iy Morton bearing tai- 'i1Z, the
sweet gustority oi biz grave face liz mp with
the i0y of battle. ~ he was greeted 10y the
Eoar.c che, ring 0f his hattcrie, and the
irou.throaled plludits of hiS guns-it
-ocns but Yesterday. men Oi the Fur-
ccll.' that in the dusk of that glorious Au-
gust evening. on Cedar Mountain, when
vcu unlimhercd within eighty yard, % the
masses Of Pope swarming through the
corr fields straight for the guns, 'Oll jack
son sat on lis soirrl hard by this dag.
sucking the inevitable lemon and nodding
! APPROVAL ~ yOur canister tore through
he huge columns, while captain Pcgram
cried out in great Clcc: 'Ptfct ~. men,
G,l,rdt .JGcISoH'S foOL'ng dt yOu - II
.ccmS but Yesterday that \. Il. Hill paused
near this fng amid the fiery pfng OF
shells, on the slopes OF Gettysburg 20
,balc hands With M1jor pcgram. who.
with the fever still upon him. had ridden
ninety miles in an ambulance To- command
his guns on those fatelul three dayS-it
seems but yesterday that We saw Lee and
Gordon and \. +. IIil and Early group i
about this Gag ~ il dhlied defiance IN tDe
centre Of TIE forty guns. commanded by
LieHfndHi- COlOnd Pcgrlm, crOwniDg the
heights at SpotSyyarIa, WhOcan ever for
get the stirring scenes n the enemy gll-
hullv dehouched from the woods on that
/ day, brigade front, moving across the open
/ ground 10 attack, cOlOrs hying, and men
cheering. ON the Confederate front all
! was silent; dozen rounds Of canister had
been run up TO each gun. the gun'
| already sboued, primers fixed, lanylTds
taut-all waiting for the word. oar
Young commander rode SONly up and
| down his imc, his glorious boyi-h face
! finishing through IT. bronze, his voice deep
with The JOY Of hotly-imponding fight,
/ sucakiug briefly to each battery COM
| mandcr: captain. shoot the first man
! who pullS a LANYARD before | raise my
/ sabre rs the signal" Can yOu ever forget
! how he waited and waited. until the enemy
seemed almost IN the guns-then hi sabre
| flashed suddenly and swiftly in the cir and
|
! curacv through the cheering lines which
| seemed To iall a. one man. The remnan.
! breaking sought the cover OF the woods.
where. reinforced by fresh troops, they
| once more tried the desperate venture, bu;,
| lecoilng a second time under the wither-
| ing fire, broke again and finally fed, leay-
! Ing their dead aud dying on the field along
the whole front. Yet third time did these
! gallant fellows attempt 10 reach the beights.
! Then it was that the men Of this battalion
| seized a. il were by a sort of dellrium OF
di,dainiul daring, dropping sp0ngc-stAii
ard lanyard. sprung upon tue parapcis aud
| bedr them tome on with such a roar Oi
| defiance that the whole attacking line.
| without a shot being fred on our side,
| broke and fed under that fierce yell, which
| no man ever vet heard unmOycd on field
| Of hattie; Yet once more, comrades.
| il seems but Yesterday that A. Grant
| att,mptfd To force the passage o.
| the North Anna. following this ilag we Fal-
| lorfd into acfiOn NJ jericho Ford, all twenty
| guns. Niih cannoneer. mounted, while ths
| men of Harry Hetb's division, on whose
| front we came into battery, roared ont Their
| rough soldiers greeting WIKI Make way.
| men: make way right and left, here comes
he .tghting tanQ!ioHH
But time would fail did attempt further
! 10 recall all the glorious scenes with which
| Memory. plying her busy loom, proudly tll-
| up every rent in these tat.ered cOl0rs. Often
in ourmotherllnd beyond the seas-in the
| great cathcdrals Of Chester and Worcester
| and Canterbury and Winchester-haye
| passed all unheeding bv the tOm6s OF bei
| princes and her kings aud paused With
| beating heart and bead uncovered before
the hattle-grimed standards Of her flmou'
| regiments blazoned with battles Won IN
| every cline by English constancy and
yalor-but neither there nor IN the Inca
| EdeS at Paris, nor yet In the Gdrnt,on
| hircke at Potsdam, do | remember ever "a
have seen the colors OF any single regiment
or battery which bears upon it, iold' "a
many pitched fights as this battle.tlag l. en-
| titled 10 bear.
ITO those who do notknow it. history a'
well as we do, this may sound the mere eX'
irayagance OF rhetoric. There are but few
| n,ues left upon this dag, but Ommltiins
many minor cOmhats and counties al,
fairs there belong upon il Of right ana
with honor: First Manassas. Mechtnlc''
Vile, Galnos's Sill. FraZer's Farm tGirh'
dale, Malvern Hill. Cedar Mountain. War
rentOn Springs, Second MauasSa, lboth
days. Ok Hill c Chantilyl, Harper's Ferry
ShaITsburg (Antietam). shcpherd,'own'
| Fredericksburg, Chancellorsyille thll three
days., Gettysburg (all three days. Bris'
toe station, Mine Run, Wilderne>s, sp't,
| sylyania Courthouse (May 10th, llta, ana
18th. Is64l, Jericho Ford North Auna)'