The herald., 1896-09-02
CAPTURED COLORS
Confederate Battle Flags at the War De-
partment

CAPTURED coloRs
| Confederate Battle Flags at the War De-
partment
The flags taken from the southern troops
are now reposing in an attic in the top of
the war department, but came first to the
care Of the government in 1867, when they
were deposited in the old war department
on Seventeenth street. They were then
about 800 in number, 286 being recaptured
Union standards. These flags were obtain
I'd from the commanding generals of the
United States armies and were catalogued
and identified whenever it was possible.
In 1874 q part of the flags were placed on
exhibition in museum in the Winder
building, but in October, 1852, all Of the
flags were boxed up, and by the direction
of the secretary Of war they were stored in
the basement of the new war department.
When it was found, in 1887, that the flags
were rapidly decaying, they were taken UP
into the attic, where they are at present.
The fact that many of the colors origi-
nally deposited are not now in the care OF
the department is easily explained by the
fact that flags have from time to time been
returned to their owners, applications being
sometimes made for them by governors Of
states or by organizations. Nineteen stand
ards have been returned to Union troops
by orders of secretaries of war, among
those returned being one sent back by Stan
ton. Prior to May, 1857, there were 81
Confederate flags returned, ten being taken
from the war department by Stanton's 8 di-
rections and nine being taken out by in
structions which came from him Indirect
ly. But since 1887 there have been no
flags Union or Confederate, allowed to
pass out of the custody Of the war depart
ment.
Some years ago an effort was set on foot
by IN officer of the war department to re-
turn all colors to the regiments, north and
south, by whom they were originally borne,
but several individuals became discomfort
ed at the suggestion, and nothing ever
came Of the movement. AS consequence
they have been little spoken of since, and
the department is unwilling to make any
move in the matter. In fact, the orders
arc that no one shall be allowed to inspect
the fagroom for the purpose of making any
publication about its contents, this step
being taken to prevent arousing any Sec
tional feeling in regard to the matter. As
a consequence no one is permitted to even
examine the flags for any such purpose,
and the secretary of war refuses permission
to have the colors photographed.
OF the flags returned to the Union regi-
ments which carried them there are over
go, Pennsylvania having received five for
her troops, Massachusetts, getting three,
Michigan two, New York three Ohio two,
New Jersey two, Illinois two and Vermont
and Connecticut one each.
Of tho flags returned at different times
by request to southern regiments there are
20, among them being the Union flag
which was taken at Newmarket Cross
roads by tho Pennsylvania troops, the Con-
federates having used it to deceive the ene-
my. A great many flags were loaned out
years ago by officers, and as they were nev-
er returned the department is unable to re-
place them.
OF the flags taken from the southern
troops and now in the attic of the war de-
partment there are about $50 whose his
tory can be obtained, while the number Of
Union banners recaptured and identified is
62 The room in which they are kept is
narrow, light and dry one, and the colors
are standing all about, resting against the
walls, some of them furled, while others
hang limp about the staff, all of them be-
ing torn, dusty, ragged and faded and often
spotted with blood.
Other standards which have lost their
staffs are rolled into bundles and packed
away in holes in cupboard whose doors
are off the hinges, and the shabby little
packages of dirty bunting remind one of
junkshop only the realization of what they
all mean comes to one so forcibly that it is
hard to believe that men once fought like
mad to possess the bit of colored rag now
lying in dusty heap. The blues and reds
are too dim to be pretty, the paintings are
cracked and torn, the stripes are coming
apart, while the tiny bits Of stringy bullion
still gleam amid the tarnished heap of
former glory. The wood used for the staffs
Is of various kinds, while others are pieces
of broken sticks and broken scantling
bound together by strings and ropes.
As no allowance has been given the de-
partmcnt with which to preserve tho flags
they will likely rcmain in the attic of the
department indefinitely. If any move were
made to return them to the south, it would
awaken the old opposition from many
northern soldiers who fought so bravely to
capture these very colors. And if it were
intended to place them on exhibition in
some public museum, most of the southern
soldiers would object to their flags being
PidSCu OA NlCW VI
So the management of the matter is an ex-
ceedingly delicate one-one which the pres
ent administration of the department
thinks can best be arranged by letting the
flags rest in place where they will not be
open to the public, yet will be preserved
from decay.
Among the most interesting banners
shown is that captured at Antietam from
the Stonewall men. The colors of the
Nineteenth Mississippi, Mahone's division,
General Longstreet's corps, is another
relic Of value. Others arc the flags taken
by the Union troops from the Ninth Vir-
ginia infantry at Gettysburg, this standard
being in the thickest of the fight, where
Pickett made his famous charge and Gen
eral Armstead fell; the banner of the Sew
enth North Carolina regiment, which was
displayed and captured in the same part Of
the field during the fight at Gettysburg;
the flag of the Second Virginia infantry,
known as Stonewall s Old Brigade, taken
at Winchester by Massachusetts troops
the colors of the famous regiment feared
for its savage bravery, the Louisiana I'll
gers; a flag taken at Malvern Hill on
July 1, 1852, by Pennsylvania volunteers
from North Carolina regiment, the fight
In haiy, cc 1oc-,oro IN that bo CorPo1or-