Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-01-29
4 Flag story.
(Staunton News.)

Saturday we received a marked copy
Of the Stamford Comm Telegram of date
of January eth, containing an article pur-
porting TO describe the circumstances OF
the capture at Cedar Greek of SIX
standard by ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Sergeant David H. Scofeld. Of the Fifth
New York Cavalry, a native of stamford
Tor which Congress awarded Scoheld a
gold medal. the flag being preserved tn
the War Department with ScOheld's name
written on IL in India ink. The Ieie-
gram thus describes the occurrence:
AT the battle Of Cedar Creek in Octo-
Der. 1861 after General Sheridan had
driven General Early's army over the
creek. Early placed the Stanton (Na)
Regiment at the Pike road on the rising
ground south Of the creek. and with the
rest Of his army fell back some dis
t2rCe ana encamDed.
THE Confederates on the Pike ROAD
were exhausted from marching rearly all
! the previous night and fighting all day.
/ and began TO lie down in the fields on
| tho side OF the road. so that in snort
time only the Standard-bearer was stand
ing i'm the road holding the flag which
| was a silk standard presented TO the
! regiment by the ladies Of stanton.
"About SHUTDOWN General Clusters BIZ
| oode Of cavalry proceeded 10 tordlne
! place and crossed the creek Tor the pun
pose Of a night attack on Early's camp.
"KVbUe the brigade was crossing ano
forming I'm the fields Regimental quar-
! tormastor-Sergeant David II. Scoheld' q
the Fifth New York Cavalry. made his
w9v TO the Pike road and riding Tor
ward saw the flag He fired and shot th'
bearer. and rode forward 10 capture the
flag. As he seized il the COnfederate'
were aroused and crowded around MN
I'm reply TO their declaration that ne was
| their prisoner. he cO0uy informed theu
that they woulu soon be his prisoners
because our cavalry corps Is all on tn'
side Of the creek. Custer holds the PIX
road and we haze got your whole army.
rho Confederate officers We're declar
ing IL 10 be a Yankee lie (as II was II
facO. when the head Of Clusters column
appeared close at hand i'm the rapidly IN
.-easing darkness. and needing Scoiield
declaration that III is an right. boys 81
don't fire the Confederates surrendere
without giving an alarm thus leaving IN
road TO Earlys camp unprotected
We have looked into the matter an
T are very well satisfied that while Ser
geaut Scohed may have captured a VII
ginia regimental flag Of some sort, unde
circumstances 20 mark his act as one o
great bravery the flag did not belong L
, the Fifth or the Fifty second Virginia In
fantrv regiments the only ones chief
made up hereabouts
In the first place. the ladies Of Staun
ton never all present a regiment su
flag or any other kind Of flag. They dt
present the West Augusta Guard SIT
State nag just before they went TO Har
uer's Ferry on the John Brown anall
/ but that flag was not carried I'm the wal
{ was brought back 20 Stauuton, and
{ now here or hereabouts I'm the possessio
I Of some one Captain James Bumgale
s ner made the presentation speech. CON
s pany flags We're not carried ln the va
, and this was the only flag presented D
the ladies Of Staunton
Neither the Firth nor the Flity-secon'
e we arc informed by soldiers of the.
D | regiments. ever lost flag Do paltle' q
the Bloody Angle Color-Bearer Grim
, the Fifth Regiment. was captured h
e tore the nlg from the staif. put D. lnsi'
y. the lining Of his coat kept il hid thel
while I'm prison in Fort Delaware, Dbl
u afterwards. 10 is understood. surreuder'
IT, This regiment was az Cedar Cree
but did not lose a flag there.
The Fifty-secOud Regiment was also
Cedar creek bur did not lose a flag.
30 IT. I.HDkeN. or kOrhDili-tt an "h'i'
.e the stanton Lackcys, was color-beaie
is and those who know him laugh at %
ID idea Of his surreudcrins the flag TO mo
e.. TN man or men so long as life was
y him. He wasn't built that way. No coo
j er or more desperate fighter was IN u
= Confederate army. captain BumgaIdhe
"a i'm referring 10 tie matter used some
A. the picturesque and forclhie language u
IF which he is noted I'm characterizing 1t
l. "a fabrication. $50 far as the FIFTY -secoI
ID Rcgiment is concerned.
We may close by saying the ladies'
'l Stanton never gave any regiment a ia
q There was no sucn thing as Stauntt
- regiment. but the Fifth and Fitty-secof
n we're mostly from stanton and August
e. county. These two regiments never io
10 n flag 20 the enemy. Moreover regimen
lr were not in the habit Of carrying ST
10 flags I'm those days but simply plain. Co
20 federate battle-hags. and though %
T. story may have "a basis OF truth. so n
e. as Sergeant Scohelds capturing a nag
j. concerned. it was not 81 flag from ID
H. part of the country