Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-06-19
CAPTURED FLAGS.
GOVERNMENTS COLLECTION 1T is
PROPOSED TO RETURN.
In Third of Century 1t Has Dwin-
died by Decay, and Disappearance
fled.
fed.
(New York Tribune.)

What shall be done with the captured
Confederate flags, is a question which
statesmen in Congress have begun TO
consider Of late. The order approved by
President Cleveland eleven years ago 10
restore the flags to the States repre-
sented by the regiments from which
they had been captured raised such
a storm Of opposition and fierce denun-
citation that he countermanded it on the
ground that the subject was one with
which Congress only could deal. But
times have changed, and most Of the
men Including Senator Foraker, then
Governor Of Ohio. whose opposition WIS
so bitter and vehement in 1887. are now
in favor of the restoration.
Unlike similar trophies captured from
the British in the war Of 1Sl2-'l4, and
from the Mexicans in the war OF 1851,
tions, and those only for time SUISSE
quent to the war;, have never been ar
ranged and displayed to the public view.
For years they were stored in boxes
in a sub-cellar Of the War Department
building. where they were rapidly falling
to pieces from dampness and decay. In
1887 they were removed TO the attic, in
which they are now kept, under lock
and key. together with sixty-one flags
and colors Of Union regiments recap
tured from the Confederates during the
war.
In 1865 the number of captured flags,
M In nf a
War Department was 5i4. OF these, only
10 remain that can be dentiied-pathetic
relics and reminders OF the Lost Cause"
All the rest with the exception of
twenty-five, whose history has been
traced with some certainty, have mystic
riously disappeared or fallen 10 pieces
from decay during the third Of a century
since they were placed In the custody Of
the War Department In the collection
of 40 flags which can be identified, every
one of the seeding States is represented,
together with Kentucky and Missouri
which did not secede, and the so-called
Confederate States Government-the last
mentioned by three garrison flags, which
respectively loated over Fort Moultrie,
the citadel Of Charleston and Secession
VILE" James Island, Charleston harbor,
and were captured in February, 1855.
OF the thirteen Alabama flags in the
collection, one-the battle-hag OF the
Thirty-eighth Alabama-was captured at
the battle of Missionary Ridge, Novem-
Der %. 1863, by the Second Ohio Infantry,
commanded by Colonel Arson G. McCook,
now Of New York. Colonel McCook
n also credited with the capture of the
battie-fiag Of the Thirtieth Arkansas, at
Murfreesboro'. in February, 1863. The
Thirty-eighth Alabama seems to have
been in the thick OF every battle in which
it was engaged, and TO have been some
what unfortunate. In the battle of Re-
SAGA, May Is, 1864, 1t lost a second battle
flag, which was captured by Captain
Box, of Company d, Twenty-seventh In
diana Volunteers. The State OF Arkan-
sas is represented in the collection by six
flags, and Florida by seven. Among the
latter are two battle-hags. which once
belonged 10 the Eighth Florida Infantry,
one Of which was captured by Sergeant
Thomas Koran, of the Seventy-second
New York Volunteer Infantry.
There are twenty-five flags OF Geor-
gia regiments, batteries, and other or
ganizations in the collection. One CT
these-the nag of Colonel Ramsey's First
Georgia Regiment was captured as early
as July l3. 1861, at the battle of Cheat
River. w. Va, by Captain Blake. OF the
Ninth Indiana Volunteers. The flag CT
the Second Georgia Battery. which was
captured by Patrick McCran, of the
Third 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 inter-
esting trophy consists Of the colors OF
the Benjamin Infantry" which was or
ganized in Clayton county, Ga. April
il 1861. the day after the fall OF Fort
--umter. aha coiors bear ths tnsor!Sfiaa.