The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-05-22
SHERMAN AND 1.-THE FLAG"
How South CarOlinians have Upheld the
Honor of the Flag-The Palmetto Flag
at Chapultepec and MeXico-The Great
Barn Burner Taken to Task.

Inc CeQCenultll OteILuau nag lNcl-
dent has by this time passed out of
the minds Of those who read about it,
the great American public being noted
for forgetting a sensation of the kind
in less than four days, or half the
traditional ssnine days" But it was
recalled yesterday in a peculiar way
bv a gentleman who had the honor of
fighting uuder the Stars and Stripes
on the soil of Mexico, and who was
rather disguised at the remarks Of
Gen. Sherman anent the South Caro-
lima troops at the New York Centen-
NAL celebration. The gentleman is
we'll known in Charleston. He has
served in several wars, including ':the
Rebellion" and the Mexican war, and
in his declining days there is no more
devoted American citizen than he, al
though he was "a rebel" He was
talking with one or two ex-rebe!s and
Ex-Mexican war veterans when a Re-
porter for the Ne,rs and Courier, who
| is also an ex-rebel of tender years,
happened to join the group.
''The great barn burner and bum
mer chief" said this ancient soldier,
as he pulled out faded bandana of
the Jacksonian era and mopped his
silver beard, "ought to read up little
of the history of his country. There
are men who fought for the Union
when Sherman was in Kniekerbock-
ers. Let me tell you one thing. l
don't know where Sherman was IN
the days of AS and thereabouts, but
| I know that when men were wanted
at the front down in Mexico there was
a regiment of South Carolinians there,
and they did good service, though l
say it who shouldn't. The Palmetto
regiment managed to do some good
service in Mexico, although they
fought under the Palmetto flag. As q
matter of fact, we didn't see the Stars
and Stripes from the time we left
Charleston until we entered the city
|of Mexico. I don't exactly know
whose fault it was, if anybody was to
blame, but in those days we didn't
think it necessary for man to wear a
United States flag on his coat sleeve
to prove his loyalty to his country pro-
vided be proved it by fighting. Nor
was it regarded necessary to prove
ones loyalty to the flag by burning
barns, destroying homesteads and
! Hanging negroes up to the limbs OF
trees to make them tell where the
family silver was hidden.
; "No, the Palmetto regiment didn't
:! carry etES she,Sta tie Stars and Stripes Aver-
theless they were generally found at
the front, and that too at times when
other troops who had the Stars and
, Stripes were mile or two in the rear.
Let me give you an incident which
can be verified by the history of the
Mexican war.
Gas I have already said, the Pal
metto regiment, which served through
that war, didn't carry the Stars and
lStripes. Exactly why they didn't I
don't know-but they didn't. They
bad plain Palmetto flag presented to
them just before they went to the
front. At Chapultepec there was a
hitch somewhere. I don't want to say
who is to blame, but the troops who
were at the front, and who had the
Stars and Stripes with them; 7s Co. 90.
move on as aSqmptly ~ So that 0 Of.
cnssnoluS S5Ss1oSd o@5Sd to GLADDEN. to move
lis tiiTe Tegiment-the Palmetto--to the
, front and to storm the walls. The
order was given and the armed mob,
with the Palmetto flag at its head,
marched up, passed the advance
troops who were lying in the trenches
with the Stars and Stripes, and with
a yell and rush captured the fortress
and planted the Palmetto flag on It's
bastlements. The troops with the
Stars and Stripes came up later. Then
we pushed forward to the City Of
Mexico, leaving the Stars and Stripes,
which had come up later, flying over
Chapultepec.
sefhe Palmetto regiment were in
advance when the City of Mexico sur
rendered, and I remember well the
incident. Gen. Quitman, who was
in command, called upon US for the
national colors. We didn't have them.
He was told that they had been left
behind at Charultepec. I was there
at the time with our old Palmetto flag,
and said to him that the only national
flag we had had been left behind at
Chapultepec. Here said I, is the
Palmetto flag, and I expect it will do
till you can get the national colors.
The General took the flag and planted
the walls. It was the first flag
waved over the City of Mexico
its capture.
This is history. You'll -&6d it in
& the Congressional Record, T expect,
for remember thaS something was
kaid about it ipIS6ngress at the time.
mat wnat makes me sick when
, hear Sherman talking about the old
flag because a parcel Of boys who
went to New York on picnic hap
pened not to have national flag. The
people OF South Carolina attempted
departure in 1861, it is true, but they
: have a right to be back in the Union
which they fought for-and fought
against, it is true-and for which
they have now as great a love and 10y
altr-res an2 rarhans q crraater-