The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-05-29
THE PALMETTO FLAG
THE FIRST TO WAVE OVER MEXIC0S
CAPITAL.
What Mexican Veteran Says-Notwith-
standing Sherman's Objections to the
Palmetto Flag, It Was at the Front in
the City Of Mexico.

CHARLESTON, May 19.-Lewis F. Ro-
bertson, Mexic n war veteran and a
well-known bank fcer here, has caused
quite sensation.
A newspaper reporter got hold of him
and he began 10 talk about the Sherman
centennial flag incident. Robertson
served through the Mexican war as a
second lieutenant of Company F in the
regiment from this State, known as the
Palmetto Regiment. He is credited
with being one Of the first United States
soldiers to plant the colors on the walls
Of the City of Mexico. He also had
hand in the late unpleasantness-on the
Southern side. of course. He IS not an
admirer of General W. 7. Sherman.
Here is what he said to this correspond
ent:
ssThe great barn burner and hummer
chief, Sherman, ought to read up a lit
tie of the history of the country. There
are men who fought for the Union when
Sherman was in knickerbockers. i
don't know where Sherman was in the
DAYS of '4S and thereabouts, but l know
that when men were wanted at the front
down III Mexico there was regiment OF.
South Carolinians there, and they did
good service. The Palmetto Regiment
managed to do some good service IN
Mexico, although they fought under the
Palmetto flag.
Gas a matter of fact, we didn't seq
the stars and stripes from the time we
left Charleston until we entered the City
of Mexico. In those days we didn't think
it was necessary for men to wear Unlted;
States flag on his coatsleeye to prove his
loyalty to his country, provided be
proved it by fighting. Nor was it re-,
garded 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
whsse the family silver was hidden. 1ssH
ne gixSzsaR incideat5T Iliea ea2
t1e history of the Mexican
Gas have already said, the Palmetto
Regiment, which served through that
war, didn't carry the stars and stripes.
They had a plain Palmetto flag, pre-
sented to them just before they went to
the front. At Chapultepec there was
hitch somewhere. l 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, didu't move on as
promptly as the commanding officer de-
sired. So that officer sent word to Glad
den to move his regiment, the Palmetto,
to the front; and to storm the walls.
'Ihe order was given, and the armed
mob with the Palmetto flag at its head,
marched up, passed the advance -
who were lying in the trenches zSSs
stars and stripes, and with atsh and a
rush, capSgrsd the fortEss and planted
the RslaasssfSs ~ Is battlements. 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.
''The Palmetto Regiment were in adj
vance when the City of Mexico surren-
dered, and I remember the incident.
General Quitman, who was IN COM
mand, called upon US for the national
colors. We didn't have them. He was
told that they had been left behind at
Chapultepec l 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.
"sHere,' said l, is the Palmetto flag,
and I expect it will do till you can get
the national colorS.'
''The General took the flag and planted
it on the walls 1t was the first flag that
waved over the City of Mexico after its
capture"
Lieutenant Robertson says that the
facts, as he stated them, can be verified
by history. -ns