Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-07-01
SALUTED GEN. LEE.
Sergt. Flaherty Tells a Capital
Story Of the Days
Before the War; Cutting of the Con-
federate Buttons.



gestions made that the Confederates have
an equal right with us of the North 10
homer their brave soldiers with fitting mon
uments, aud have been especially pleased
TO notice that the Justice of this view at once
struck the newspaper men who recently
made yisi, to Getty shurg. Nov that they
are interested in the subject, feel assured
that those historic battlefields will be thrown
open TO the admirers of Southern chivalry
and that the deeds of all the heroes of ths,
great struggle will nj no distant date be
COMMUNICATED in marble ON the field for
which they contended.
have something of a right to speak my
self upon this subject, says Sergt. Fiaherty
in the Chicago Advertiser At the close OF
the war was one of the first to salute a
Confederate officer. This impulsivc act
got me Anto some trouble, and | think the
story ofit is worth telling. Here Il is;
In 1865 Gen. A. II. Terry was in com
mand in Richmond and occupied "Jcfl''
Davis mansion on Shoeke Hill. Many of
the Confederate officers found themselves
with no other clothes than their uniforms,
and no money TO buy any, SO they were
compelled to wear them at all times. This
irritated Gen. Terry. and he issued an order
that no person should appear on the streets
in Confederate uniforms. The wearers
protested that they had nothing else TO
wear AMI could not 90 naked. Much bitter
feeling was caused by the order, and the
newspapers worked up a strong feeling of
opposition. so much so that more men than
before wore their uniforms, as if in def
ance of the order.
Gen. Terry then modified his order so
that if black buttons instead of brass were
worn il wonld answer his purpose. This
brought more opposition and rldieulc. They
said they had no money to buy black but
tons. He then ordered that all brass but
tons be covered with black cloth. This
was also resisted, for, as the people saw no
way of enforcing such an order, the,
simply laughed at it.
Gen. Terry was always known as a man
of extraordinary resources and dctermina-
ton, and when he issucd that order, he
certainly intended it to be obeycd. How
ever it was not obeycd. was then ser
geant in an infantry regiment stationed at
Camp Winder, or jackson (aftcrwarCl
called Camp Grant, and one day an order
was issued from headquarters to furnish an
extra guard of one sergeant, ten corporals
Prison. | was detailed on the first of these
guards, and on reporting at Libby Prison
waa instructed by an officer from Terry s
headquarters to station a corporal and three
men at ten different points in the city,
As remember now .oue was at the SPOTS
wood House corner, one at Main and Ninth
streets one at Cary and Eighth streets, one
at the mayors office, one Mt the postofiicc
and others scattered over the town. Each
guard was supplied with pair of scissors,
a small file and basket. The instructions
were to stop every man wearing gray coat
and brass buttons, cut off the buttons and
let him go. If he resisted he was to be
locked up in Libby. Tie file was to cut the
wire that it was expected some of the but
tons would be sewed on with.
The first man who happened along after
the guard was placed at Main and Eighth
streets was Pollard. the editor Of .he paper
most rabd in its opposition. He was grab
bed, and made terrible fuss, but off came
his buttons. When the guard brought in the
result of the first days clippings there were
over nine pecl.s of good brass buttons, which
were taken to Gen. Terry.
This was continued for three, or perhaps
four days, and the citizens were fairly wild
III, r.,.o p,ll,,rI,s n.n,- was so h;,,o,
',,,'';rs, r,rr,, ,J,a, ur iIoii,rd ,,.s ,,;v,,,
~ e., ., .,,,,, una no,,sna,,o- hoI;a,a
,r,,. sa;1.J o,,,r;cht
was detailed for this guard again on the
fourth or fiftb day. We marched in files
of two on the sidewalk all the way down
down Gary street to Libby. We always
had difficulty at this time in marching
,hr,,,,h ,bo s,rea,s 49, IN, e;,;zons would
So, ~ ,rowd. ~ a., .;ah, nr tom ,nI
bIoct a., tho s;d.,vall not ,Ilow;p, ms IN
,,,ss y;,hnu, ,,ificn,ty our ;,s,r,c,;on.
49, d, ,nsh mo-, ~ tho w.iLs ;f ,h.y dil
No, g;ve wax wc had ro d;tE,ul,y ,l,s
,norning until We arrived n, the corner n,
c.rv and eighth streo,. Whom y.c saw ,
,.r,,,.d ,e ,,,a,t,, 90 ,r ,,,,r,, ra, v,,nd;,o
-, tho do,, ,to,,, corner e,noc,,1 ,rnublo
.,nd ordcrad tho ranks cla.ad mn far j.
s,r,,,,,, ,,sh 10 ,acoss,ry ~, int a. ga
No., in ,bo middle Of Tho s,rco, the crowd
moved back mn the hill to o;,e MS the walk
,.,,,ld rot uraers,apd tb;s .s !, bad ,ovo,
heen done be fore
An oId soldier marching ,Iopos,do of me
s,;d ..There il Robby Iee had peve,
soen C;on Loo I'M, standing back from ,he
co-,ar facing ms w.s n man that once
soon would aI,x,vs he remc,nhercd and
fror, the ,,;e,ur. had soon of hin, knen
,,hn mo was Nv this ,ime was onnos;,,
hin, and s,.,n;n, b.ct gaxe the com
n,and IN ,be ,,uard Ia sbonlJer arms and
h-on,,b, me hand mn IN the sal,,,e uo tool
og b;s hal and returned the s,luto As N,
gn,rd nassed along brougl. them bsck t,
r;,,bt shoulder shift marched down Gar,
strco, wi,bo,t a solitary individual bother
inc ms on the road and placed the II, ynard
as usu,l
Thai n;sb, whom tho ooard w.s relievoJ
the Who'll, ten only had two buttons. IN,
~alu,e was renorted oyer the town Ike ligbt
niny and tho evening papers took the matte
mn Tbouch tha, gu.rd WINS pos,ed for to,
ar ,velvc days after that aav there was no
another hinton cut oy n confederate's Goa,
Thev all with one accord. accented the Il,
nation and covered their buttons.
| A soop. however. "a b,d my guar.
ros,eJ an orderly came prarc;ug down frou
CEN. Terry's bsadauarter. with an or5c
for mo to report to the adiu,an,-venersI a
once. explained to the orderly that
cou,d not leave nv guard nntiI relieved
| lie went To the retyimeutai bea,lausrtera an
| A sergeant was sent to relieve me.
| when arrived at beadauar,ers wa
told TO wait until the adiutapt- genera
| fScboonmaker. I think his name was
could see me. After waiting three or fou
hours / went To his Office. told him who
w.s and asked what was wanted of m.
n. Ia ~ f.aro,.I rarr,, ,-,,,.t - 49,