Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1893-10-18
TORE DOWN THE FLAG.
Major Brown Tells of His Ex-
plot at the Worlds Fair.
IT WAS A CONFEDERATE BANNER.

He Thought 1t Was Ills Duty to Remove
1t, and He Climbed Upon the Locomo-
tive and Broke the stan-Does Not Be.
lIcve 1t Was Relic.
HARRISBURG, Oct. ls-Major Isaac b.
Brown, deputy secretary of internal af,
fairs, is the man who tore down the Con
federate flag from the old Andrews loco
motive in the Transportation building at
the Worlds fair. He is the president of
the Survivors association, Hartranft's di-
vision, Ninth corps, Army of the Potomac,
and has an excellent war record. He has
the Confederate flag and will present it to
the Cory post of the g. A. r. The flag is
by feet in size and made of bunting.
Major Brown made the following state
ment:
In the news columns of Il PHILADELPHIA
newspaper of Oct. 10 is an item regarding a
Confederate flag that was taken down from
the famous Andrews locomotive at the
Worlds fair, and for which, | believe, a
search is now being made To assist those
who are making the search Idesire to make
this statement
Major Browns Statement.
II belong to the post of the Grand Army
of the Republic at Cory, Pa, that was
named after j. J. Andrews, the leader of
ZIG DttIlu VI ~ I ilbh SOlUlcTS VINO went
through the Confederate lines in 1862 and
at Big Shanty station captured the loco
motive known as The General and made
perilous trip through portions of Georgia.
Tennessee and Alabama. While the eN-
petition was failure as to results the his
tory of warfare produces no more thrilling
incident, greater daring, truer heroism or
grander sacrifice than is found in the alI-
thentic accounts of the raid made by J. j.
nIr is In h., ,F u
diers. The old locomotive belongs TO the
state of Georgia and is now on exhibition
at the Worlds fair.
"A week ago last Friday, when passing
through the Transportation building in
company with my little boy, happened to
run across the locomotive, and as the COM
rades of my post had always taken a great
interest in everything that pertained to the
Andrews raid gave the locomotive a care
full examination. l had not been there
long before 1 discovered the Confederate
flag in question, which was attached to a
staff securely fastened in the steam escape
of the locomotive. The staff, should say,
was or s feet long, and being placed so
high on the locomotive it gave the flag a
most prominent position. Twas astopshed,
at least, to see it there, perched away above
any Union flag, and l made inquiry to as
certain why in the loyal state of Illinois it
able to explain.
II called the attention of an old soldier
of the Thirteenth Ohio to it and also point
ed it out to n number of ladies, all of whom
seemed greatly surprised that 1t should be
there.
Thought He Did His Duty
II do not know who placed it there, for
what purpose it was done or by what au-
thority. l did not believe that it was right
for it to be there. The more thought of
it the stronger became my conviction that
it was my duty to tear il down 1t was
then after o'clock, and went to my room
at 344 East SiNty-third street, and leaving
my boy there returned to the fair grounds
for the flag. | entered the grounds, arriv-
ing Mt the locomotive aLfive minutes be
fore 6. There were a few persons looking
at the locomotive, but climbed up and de
liberately broke the staff off and took the
flag down
Il did not feel like returning to the com
rades of my post to tell them that had
seen a Confederate flag on the old locomo-
tive without at least attempting to tear it
down. l have no particular hostility to the
men who carried the flag during the war,
but why any one - years after the war
should deliberately display flag in the
loyal state of Illinois, or indeed anywhere
else, which never did and never can mean
anything else but treason, rebellion and
human slavery, could not understand. |
have learned since that it is claimed that
the flag was simply hosted as relic.
THE story is hard to believe, but even if
there is any truth in it we can get along
without any exhibitions of such relics.
There are enough Union soldiers with
empty sleeves, wooden legs, crutches and
broken constitutions to answer any rea-
sonable demand for relics. believe that
the flag was placed in position in defiance
of the patriotic sentiment that ought to
find place in the heart of every loyal citi-
zen, and such ielief impelled me to take it
down, which l did on Friday afternoon.
Oct 4, at five minutes of 6 o'clock One
and one flag rs a good motto for
all loyal citizens"