The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-06-30
THE CAPTURED FLAGS.
Lessons They Teach and Reasons Why
They should Not be Returned.

They should Not be Returned.
Mr.. Thomas s. Townsend. OF New York,
IN a contribution 20 the New York Iri-
buue, Of June 11tn, says:
In this hour OF oyerpowering patriot
ism, when sectionalism, II not wiped
out" entirely il silent during wars
alarms" one discordaut note strikes me
AS marring the general harmony. i re-
fer TO the action taken recently looking
10 the return Of flags captured during the
war for the Union to the regiments from
which they were taken. This. 30 seems %
me. is mistaken policy. that tends TO
minimize and detraot from some of the
bravest deeds Of that gigantic struggle
And this leads me 10 say, as the creator
OF the Townsend Library now owned
bv Columbia University and as student
for nearly forty years OF the annals OF
that period, that II We are to be IN the
future a really united country-united, In
fact as well as in name-we must adopt
a broader view or recalling the events
OF the four-year tragedy than has beeh
generally taken. The North must do
homage to the heroes Of the South; the
south must admit and emphasize the
bravery OF those who fought against
them. The North must learn 10 glory
I'm the rugged valor of Stonewall Jack
son. the calm strategy OF Lee, the nope
less heroism Of Pickett and MS men III
his immortal charge at Gettysburg the
skill and bravery Of those great war
riors the John.tons and LOngstreet. and
the exploits OF Wade Hampton Joe
Wheeler Cuho never lost a hgho, ana
other Cor ederate heroes. not because
tbev were Southerners. but because they
were Americans. and because their yalor
reflects credit on our common country
equally with that OF Grant, sherman
and Sheridan.
we 81 the North Ist remember ana
teach our children a. the South. WIN
not more than eight hundred thousand
men. strove valianuy against over wv"
million volunteers enlisted by the North.
7. Wa no blot on her escutcheen that
she had finally to succumb against ODDS
60 tremendous. but infinitely TO her credit
that che was able 20 urOlong the strug-
clio through years and months many
~ which must have been darrened in
all Southern homes by the blacknefs or
despair
Is Nttle choice between The two sections
The regiment that lost the most killed
and wounded during tho war. on either
side was the Twenty-sixth North Caro-
lima Confederate Regiment, and no noble
deeds I'm the ranks Of the Northern arm
los hut was duplicated by our brethren
at the South.
Coming 10 tho present war. we note
that the South IS still well 20 the front
Thus Hobson. who sunk the Merrimac.
is son Of = Confederate soldier and
Ensign Franklin Buchanan Sullivan
now serving on the Marblehead, Il "a
grandson OF the famous Confederate sea-
dos. Admiral Buchanan. while sons or
Generals Pickett and Longstreet have
applied TO President Mckinley for stan
appointments.
we cannot ignore these facts nor, even
~ We would wipe out the annals OF the
war for the Union. IT'S history is writ
ten I'm the blood of the bravest and best
OF the citizens OF all sections. The
struggle was apparently foreordaineu
Inv tho Almighty for the blotting out or
and atoning for a national sin for wh!cn
all OF us were in some measure RESPONSE
ble. We must. therefore. teach our chll-
dren how this inevitable cataclysm. Whlle
leaving ruin I'm it's path. developed I'm the
stricken South the civic virtues thal
make states great. while the necessi-
ties ~ the hour aroused equally I'm the
Nortb a spirit OF patriotism and self
sacrifice unfelt before. Forgetting. there
fore the bitterness and short-sighted-
tions let us remember and teach our
children TO remember the manful endur-
ance Of hardships. the unselhsh Valor.
the heroism among the lowliest seen on
| evevy battlefield.
And these are the lessons Of the cap
| tured flags, They should not be return
| cd 10 former owners either az the South
| or I'm the North. but be assembled IN
some place provided by toe government
al Washington each duly labelled WIN
its story. to which we and those VINO
come after us may from time to time re-
eort and learn the priceless lore they
teach And so long as pilgrims shall re-
| pair from all sections 10 view these relics
of glorious past-these unfadins me
ment,es OF American valor--so long Wlll
the heroic virtues they commemo-
rate he kept alive and shine as beacon
| lights throughout the land.