The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-05-02
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What0Br Veterans Have to Say About
Their Old Campaigns
Col. Clay Again Makes Claim to Planting the First
Flag.

Col. Clay Again Makes Claim to Planting the First
Flag.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In your paper
OF March p, 1855, you printed a description
wrote Of the capture Of Fort Harrison on Sept.
., 1864 by the First Division, Eighteenth
CorQs. This was written after having twice.
byaUthority OF the Secretary Of War, gone over
al the papers ia the War Department bearing
on the action, and made up tabuiated list Of
killed and wounded from the nominal casualty
lists, and after much correspondence, extend
ing over years, with officers and men Of both
sides who were at the fight People continued,
however, 70 fire Random Shots and in reply
TO one Of those I wrote letter, printed in your
issue Of may p, lS6S, in which / said: The
only reason take any notice Of this is, because
/ wish 10 attract the attention OF the numerous
readers of your valuable paper TO the loose way
IN which people make statements as to events
and persons about which they know nothing,
and FOR which they have no authority" This,
repeated with more emphasis, is why notice an
article im the Picket Shots" column Of your IS
sue Of Oct is, ISIS, which only recently came TO
my attention, along with several other numbers
accumulated while ] was on my fall hunt and
while busy on my return, in which c. W. Clay
berger, Co. g, lSSth Pa. says w. i. Graul
planted the first flag on Fort Harrison, and
mentions as eyewitness " Col. Given, Serg't
Dennis9n and Private Ciayberger," deies any
one 10 meet the 1S5th Eat Fort Harrison and
prove who is right about this matter, and says
! am mistaken, for Serg't Graul planted the
blue State Tag Of the 1SSth Pa. long before the
Stars and stripes appeared on the fort" That
he is one OF the persons / mention above is
apparent upon reading what he says in THE
NATIONAL TRIBUNE Of q week or two later,
Whers be explains that what he intended to
say was that Corpl Graul planted the Stars
and Stgipes on the fort long before the blue
State Tag was handed TO him. Everybody in
our brigade knew at the time that the blue
State flag OF the lSoth Pa. was the first flag on
Fort Harrison, and that /, Of the 55th Pa car
RED il there By the time the flag was as
Olagberger says, handed 20 him." which was
after / bad carried il il and was done with it,
there were plenty OF flags in the fort. 1t is not
necessary 10 go 10 Fort Harrison to determine
SO simple a matter. My account Of the e ht was
not published as part Of any petty controversy
going on among lot Of the " Random Shots
people, but TO give them information on sub
Ject as 10 which they betrayed much ignorance,
and save their further waste of time over it.
For the satisfaction of Dir Ciayberger and the
-eye-witnesses," viii be glad if you will pub
llsh tie accompanying athdayit-CECIL CLAY,
formerly Colonel 5SBh Pa.) Brevet Brigadier-
General, Washington, ID. c.
], Cecil Clay. DO swear that on the 29th day of
September, A. d. 1865, was Captain in the 5stii
Pa. IN tie service Of the United States, and was
with my command al Chapns Farm, Va. on that
Gay, alc was the senior officer present with the
regiment during the assault on Fort Harrison.
The Division ithe First Division. Eighteenth Corpsl
was formed IN three columns each Of the three bri-
gaaes being IN column by division, with regi-
llent In line at the head The 5Sti Pa was in line
81 the head O. the Third Brigade column. Fort
Harrison Was rectangular; three sides projected by
large ditch and heavy psrapet the rear or fourth
side open 80 as TO be commanded from the next
me a huge traverse dividing the interior into two
equal parts. The Third BTigs&ie was on the right
q The Division, and struck the fort the angle
lurthesl from the river. that the 58th in line
oFerlapped the angle swung around 10 the left and
Went over lie p2rapet The first two men OF the
brigade who mounted the paFapet were Billy
BOurke Of Co d. 5Sth Pa. and 1. We climbed up
high enough 10 look over and see a number of
men standing ready 10 FIRE, when shot struck Billy
across the forehead, he fell over against me and
we both rolled back into the ditch. The blood ran
into Billy eyes so he could not see and then
look from ui The blue Stale flag OF the lSSth Pa,
which he had carried when we first climbed the
pafapet, having picked il up when its proper
bearer was shot, and elm bed the parapet he push
ing and helping me. Meantime Private Otis Cope
land, OF Co Il, and Lieut. Johnson Of the 5sth had
climbed up ahead Of me- Copeland was shot and
killed johnson, already hit IN one arm, shot
10 The other jumped down inside the fort took the
inst two prisoners taken there. and was then
knocked down by shot in the breast. received
Two NeAias WINE on the parapet ana when
jumped down on the banouette, third. When
Copeland, Johnson and mounted the parapet not
another person TO be seen on il. A few min
utes atter received nv third wound / stoned
Serg't Nathaniel AIcKown, Of Co. B, 5sth Pa. and
asked him 70 cut OF my gloves and sleeves and see
how much damage had been done While he was
doing that / stood the flag against the parapet
close 70 and il stood there for some time before
4 was turned over 10 the lSSLh people. Serg't
AlchoWn, ~ recent letter to me- says after stating
that carried the first flag on the work: Ii was
the State flag Of the lS5th Pa Atthat time lie was
severely wounded. > > While was cutting his
gloves Of from his bleeding arms it was leaning
against the parapet. = The coIors of the
1sSth Pa there by my side for some little time
before they called for it." IN letter addressed to
Gen. Ord, dated Dec 30, 1872 stated that at Fort
Harrison carried Ia the first COLOR Gen Weitzel
Endorsed this: Jan. y, IsS0-Dear General.
lie did ali that he claims to have done
Yours truly. q. WeiizeL" Gen Weitzel
took command OF the corps not long after Gen
Ord was wounded, having hurried u p from Fortress
Monroe, and knew all about this matter On Jan
81 1854, Gen. :. II. Roberts, who Colonel Of the
18Th n y commanded the Third Brigade at Fort
Harrison, wrote me a long letter about the action
IN which he said: " The Third Brigade was the
trst in the work, and you took the first Union flag
upon The breastworks which happened to be one
belonging to the lS3th Pa. These are all
plain facts which no one would have thought OF
denying al the time" cecil cay
sworn 10 and subscribed before me this 18th day
Of March, A. D. 1855.
lsEAL-l FRANK a. BRAEAGAE, Notary Public