The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1888-03-02

The secretary then says:
As to the law requiring the public exhibit
ton OF capturing flags and trophies, 1t Ia as
sumed that the construction put upon 1t by
that the law applied to trophies taken from
foreign enemy and not to those taken dur
ing domcstic hostilttiea In the autumn
OF 1s74a portion Of the dags were removed
from tho Office Of the superintendent
Of o. :. tho ,,r..N war department buildings,
ton of the then secretary Of war, to tie
ordnance museum In Winters building and
there pnccd on exhibition. and others were
sent to the some place in 1879 The larger
part Of the daga, however, still remain in the
office Of the superintendent. Such was their
custody and place of deposit until October.
1882, when all the flags. including those in
| the museum, were by direction Of the secrc.
tary OF war boxed and stored in room in
the subbasement Of the new state war aud
department., where they remained until Jan
nary. 1887. They were quite inaccessible
In this pnce md difficult to find and identify
when 1t became necessary to do 30 It was
also found that they were decaying rapidly,
and by direction of the present adjutant
placed in room In the upper story OF the
war department. building. where they can be
easily visited md examined. 1t ia
well known that in many cases
United States troops with the implied,
# not tho express, consent OF the war
department. retained the flags taken from
the Confederates in battle. and during the
war the secretary Of war ordered several capt
lired flags to be restored to the captOra Dur
ing the whole period Of their custody in this
department 1t has been the practice of the
secretaries Of war, from time to time, to de-
liver up rccapturcd Union flags on applica-
ton by governors Of states whose troops
served In the armies of the United States. or
to organizations. or to distinguished soldiers
Of the war on the Union side. Upon such ap-
practice OF the secretaries Of war to make in
quily concerning the loss of the flag asked
for, and IL it occurred under circumstances
which did not refiec5 discredit upon tho SOL
was returned; and In accordance with this
rule such flags have been returned since
March, 1875. Such applications have at
times been refused. and. In some cases, sub.
sequenLly granted Nineteen Union flags
have thus passed from the cnstpdy Of the de-
and three have been delivered up on Joint
resolutions Of congress-
ADETAMED LIST
A full list of the same, giving a trief
history and Mt whose request, and to whom
delivered, and by whose authority. IL an
also given up prior to May, 1867. A list of
these ia annexed. Ten of those were taken
from the custody OF the war department and
delivered to individuals. associations or
states upon the written order Of Mr.. Stanton;
two were given upon an order signed by
Assistant Adjutant General Nichols, and nine
were disposed of under instructions not now
ascertaihable, but probably originating with
Mr.. Stanton. Some OF these were given up
ON promises that they would be returned,
which appeared not to have been kept The
secretary concludes:
In January. 1887. q Confederate flag was
loaned bv Gen Bennett. acting secretary of
war, to W. T. Clark. late brigadier general
United States volunteers, who had originally
deposited it at the war department and who
promised in writing to return it. but has not
done SO. Since the date last mentioned no
Confederate or recaptured Union flag has
been issued or loaned by this department,
and no Confederate flag has ut any time
passed from the custody Of the latter to any
Of the states lately in rebellion. In April,
1887, the adjutant general addressed let
ter to the secretary of war In which he sug-
gested the prOpriety OF returning all the
flags Union and Confederate) to the author
tiles of the respective states In which the
ganized for such final disposition as they
NAV determine This proposition WINS sub
mittcd to the president and approved by
him Orders thereupon issued that letters
be sent to governors Of states whose
troops carried the fiugs deposited in the war
nSP,AA o'.se''e' P.opooiuS " .couAh VIC batlc.
Such letters were sent to the governors of
| states referred to in the order. But before
any OF these flags were sent or delivered
under the order thus issued the president,
upon further reconsideration, determined shat
the return of these flags In the manner con-
tcmplated is not authorized by existing law
or justified az IN executive not" The order
OF the department was at once revoked and
notice thereof duly issued None of the
flags were gwen up No flags have been re-
moved from the place where they were dis
played and concealed from the public. Sec
retariee Stanton. Belknap, McCrary. Ramsey
livered uD altogether some nineteen re-
captured Union flags
A full description of the flags remaining in
the department that can he identified nc
companies the report