The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1888-03-08
THE BArTLE FLAGs

Carroll at my house,
S 1855
THE BATTLE FLAGS.
Secretary Endicott Furnishes tho House an
Exhaustive Reply to the Resolution Call
ing for Information.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 2O-The secretary Of
war to-day returned to the house his answer
to the Boutelle resolution calling for tmfor-
nation az to the flags captured by the United
States The secretary says:
OF the whole number captured and de-
posted with the department., 236 were
United States flags originally captured by
Confederates and recaptured from them, and
were Confederate flags taken by the
in the custody Of the department. When re-
celved they were deposited in a vacant at
tic room of a building IN Seventeenth street
occupied by the clerks of the adjutant gen.
erals office. In 1867 the superintendent Of
the buildings, without instruction, SO far as
can be ascertained, had them removed to his
office. where a few were placed upon the
walls and the remainder upon shelves or In
pigeon holes. At this time an inventory of
these flags was entered In a book in which
history of the capture of those hat could be
Identified as belonging to particular organ
iZations. They remained here until the lat
ter part of 1874.
1t is stated that while some of the Con-
federate flags have since been given the
companies or regiments capturing the m, no
flags have passed out of the custody of the
department. that were in such custody
when Secretary Endicott assumed charge of
the department. The order to return the
flags and the order revoking it are given and
the statement is made that no flags were
actually returned under the first order
ON EXHIBITION.
The secretary then saws:
As to the law requiring the public exhibit
ton of capturing flags and trophies, it is as
sumed that the construction put upon it by
former secretaries of the war and navv was
that the law applied to trophies taken from
a foreign enemy and not to those taken dur
ing domestic hostilities. In the autumn
Of 1871 portion OF the flags were removed
Of the war department buildings,
it is presumed by the oral direc.
ton OF the then secretary of war, to the
ordnance museum in Winters building and
there placed on exhibition. and others were
sent to the same place in 1875. The larger
part Of the flags, 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, We're by direction of the secre-
the endorsement of the new state war and
navy building then first occupied by the wal
department., where they remained until jan
uary, 1887. They were quite. inaccessible
in this p.ace and difficult to find and identify
when it became necessary to do So It was
also found that they were decaying rapidly.
and by direction Of the present adiutant
general they We're taken from the boxes and
placed in a room in the upper story Of the
war department building, where they can be
well known that in many cases
United States troops with the implied,
II not the 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
ured flags to be restored to the captors Dur
ing the whole period Of their custody in this
department it has been the practice of the
secretaries of war, from time to time, to de-
liver up recaptured Union flags on applica-
served in the armies of the United States, or
to organizations, or to distinguished soldiers
OF the wal on the Union SIDE Upon such ap-
plicatton 1T was, prior to March, 1885, the
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 reflect discredit upon the SOL
dierly and gallant conduct Of the troops, 1t
was returned; and in accordance with this
rule such flags have been returned since
times been refused, and, in some cases, SUBJ
sequently granted. Nineteen Union flags
nave thus passed from the custody Of the de-
partment by order from the secretary Of war,
and three have been delivered up on joint
resolutions of congress
ADETAHED LIST.
A full list of the same, giving q triet
history and at whose request, and to whom
delivered, and by whose authority, is an
nexed Twenty-one Confederate flags were
also given up prior to May, 1867. A list of
these is 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 MI. Stanton;
two were given upon an order signed by
Assistant Adjutant General Nichols, and nine
were disposed of under instructions not now
ascertainable, 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 c~oncludes:.
In January. 1887. a Confederate flag wak
war, to W. T. CLARK, late brigadier general
United States volunteers, who had originally
deposited 1t 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 at any time
passed from the custody of the latter to any
Of the states lately in rebellion. In April, |
1887, the adjutant general addressed a let |
IcI W Cuc soCIcGdIy u u III WHICH, u0 SuK-
gested the propriety Of returning all the
flags Union and Confederats) to the author
titles OF the respective states in which the
regiments which had. these colors were Or
ganized for such final disposition as they
may determine. This proposition was sub |
mitted to the president and approved by |
him Orders .thereupon issued that letters
be sent to governors of states whose
troops carried the flags deposited in the war |
department., proposing to return the same,
Gyrnn Iotf4rc Ry1A~ ro~N e khr - |
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 consideration, determined @that
the return of these flags in the manner con- |
templated is not authorized by existing. law
OF the department was at once revoked and
notice thereof duly issued. None Of the
flags were given up. No flags have been re-
moved from the place where they were dis
retaries Stanton, Belknap, McCrary, Ramsey
and Lincoln and the present secretary de- |
livered up altogether some nineteen re-
captured Union flags. s.y
A full description Of the flags remaining In
the department. that can be identified &C.
companies the report ID:
Thomas Ryburn Buchanan, the 81 ad. |
.stonian candidate. vas reelected to the
house of commons for the west division Of
Edinburgh. He, received 1924 votes
againsts, 248 forhis opponent, Mr.. Raleigh,
a Liberal nionist,
Bismarck has obtained from Count
Sohovaloff, the Russian am bassador at
Berlin, a definite dectaratio on of the czar's
demands with references to Bulgaria. No
secret ia made of the exactcharacter ofthe 4
proposals nor oil. the official opinion that
they viii be snmnlarily rejected. Tie car
asks d substantial recognition to therights