New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-05
cApTURED SOUTHERN FLAGS.
rrr GOVERNMENTS COLLECTION,
WHICH IT is PROPOSED TO RETURN.


Kindred AND FoRTY-FOUR TO ONE
HUNDRED AND SEVENTY THAT
CAN BE IDENTIFIED.
what shall be done with the captured Con-
,sssrate flags is question which statesmen
t. congress have begun to consider Of late. The
oras- approved by President Cleveland eleven
.vssrs ago to restore the flags to the States
.a,-esen,ed by the regiments from which tn y
,oa been captured raised such a storm OF oppo-
..,or and fierce denunciation that he counter
,,orded il on the ground that the subject Was
ono with which Congress only could deal But
.-as have changed. and most Of the men In
,,udinc Senator Foraker. then Governor of Ohio
.,oss opposition WIS bitter and vehement in
,ss- ere now in favor OF the restoration.
Unlike similar trophies captured from the
ur-sh In the War OF 1S12-14 and from the
N.xicans in the War OF 1s4647. the Confederate
e.rs with few exceptions. and those only for
time subsequent 10 the war; have never been
arranged and displayed to the public view. For
Years they were stored in boxes in a subcellar
NJ the War Department building. where they
we're rapidly falling 10 pieces from dampness
and decay. In 1887 they were removed TO the
tho attic in which they are now kept under lock
and key. together with sixty-one flags and colors
OF Union regiments recaptured from the Con-
fsdsrates during the war.
In 1868 the number Of captured flags, stand
seds and colors in possession Of the War De-
partrnent was 544. OF these only 10 remain
that can be identifed-pathetic relics and
rr,nders Of the Lost Cause" All the rest with
the exception Of twenty-five. whose history has
been traced with some certainty. have mysteri-
ousy disappeared or fallen 10 pieces from decay
-,i~ @ba,-
placed in the custody of the War Department.
In the collection Of 10 flags which can be
identified every one Of the seeding States is
represented together with Kentucky and Mis-
souri,. which did not secede. and the so-called
Confederate States Govenment-the last men
toned by three garrison flags which respect
fully loated over Fort Moultrie. the citadel OF
Charleston and "Secessionville." James Island,
Charleston Harbor. and were captured IN Feb
ruary. 1855
OF the thirteen Alabama flags in the colleo-
ton one-the battle-hag of the 3sth Alabama
was captured al the battle of Missionary Ridge,
November q. 1853. by the % Ohio Infantry,
commanded BY Colonel Arson G. McCook. now
of New-York. Colonel McCook is also credited
with the capture OF the battle-fag OF the 3oth
Arkansas at Murfreesboro in February. 1865
The 3sth Alabama seems 10 have been in the
thick of every battle in which 1t was engaged
ard TO have been somewhat unfortunate. In
the battle Of Resaca. May 10 1864 II lost
second batte-Aag. which was captured by Cap
tain Box. Of Company d. 27th Indiana Volun-
teers The State OF Arkansas is represented in
the collection by six flags. and Florida by seven.
Among the latter two battle-has, which
once belonged to the sth Florida Infantry.
Of which was captured by Sergeant Thomas
Koran OF the 72d New-York Volunteer In
fantry
There are twenty-five flags OF Georgia regi-
ments batteries and other organizations In the
collection One Of these-the flag OF Colonel
Ramseys LIST Georgia Regiment-was captured
as early as July Is. 1851. at the battle Of Cheat
River ". Va. by Captain Blake. Of the
9th Indiana Volunteers. The flag OF the ID
Georgia Battery. which was captured by Patrick
McCran OF the Sd Maryland Volunteers, is one
Of the most interesting in the collection There
are no fewer than twenty-eight bullet holes
through the flag itself and three through the
staff Another interesting trophy consists Of
the colors Of the benjamin Infantry" which
was organized in Clayton County. Ca April IA,
1861, the day after the fall Of Fort Sumter.
The colors bear the inscription. Strike for Your
Affairs and Your Firesides"
COLONEL TAKEN WITH FLAG.
Kentucky is represented by a single flag. that
Of the 9Th Infantry Volunteers. which, together
with the colonel Of the regiment was captured
II the battle Of Jonesboro. September /. 1864.
The six Louisiana flags in the collection were
III taken amid the smoke OF battle That OF the
sth Volunteer Infantry captured in a
hand -to-hand fight in the trenches" at Kappa
hammock Station. Va. November 7. 1858. by Ser
geaut Roberts Of the 9th Maine Volunteer In
fantry. The battle-fag OF the 18th Louisiana
was taken in one of the battles Of the Wilder
ness May r. 1864 by Sergeant William Jones,
Company A. 73d New-York Volunteers, and
Corporal John l. Reynolds Company F, 4th
Excelsior Regiment, Birney's Division, Second
Army Corps Sergeant Jones was afterward
killed" presumably IN the same battle
Mississippi contributed twelve flags and colors
10 the collection. The legend attached 10 NO.
40 o. the collection reads follows: "Confed-
crate battle-fag Of the I'd Mississippi captured
with the entire regiment Of the 9th Wisconsin
Volunteers, and was kept two days by Sergeant
Evans while a prisoner IN the hands or the
enemy" Missouri is represented by a single
flag. that Of the ION Battery which was
captured with It's bearer at Columbus, Ga,
April Is. 1865, by Private Kinney. 4th Iowa
Cavalry. who had O struggle With the bearer
for its possession" North Carolina regiments
suffered heavily. not only In losses OF offlcers
and men in battle but in flags and colors'-
twenty mine in all One Of these. that OF the
sSth North Carolina Infantry was found by
men OF the Third Division. Sixteenth Army
Corps after the capture OF Spanish Fort, Ala
eama, April o. 1865" Another. that of the 18th
North Carolina Volunteers. was picked ap on
Inc picket line by Lieutenant Brant. lst New
jersey Volunteers" The collection contains
three battle-Aags Of the 2sth North Carolina
one captured Nav IL, 1854: in an engage
msnt near Malvern Hill. July rs. 1864 by Pri-
Vate samuel Malleck 9th New-York Cavalry.
ana third. the date of capture OF which is not