The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-05-03
IN SEARCH OF A LOST FLAG.
.Jenl1inS's< Brigade Captured it at Gincs'~
Mill
.NrM.A and fUMi.icl..

night darkness made it worse thai
two hclls. The 18th was beaten back
and took refuge on the Chckahominy
Though this last onset with the South
Carolinians did not last over fifteen
minutes the 18th lost over 22O killed
wounded and prisoners; the prisoners
were few. including Col. r. W. Il
Stockton. who was related to Gen.
Longstrcet. Therefore, your Excel
lcncy although we lost our flag. VIC
nobIy defended It. until b. oycrwhcim
ing force it was wrcstcd from u.s. and
we appreciate the fact that no bravcr,
no noblcr men ever marched into bat
tie than the Palmetto Sharpshooters
but it might yet. | hope, not appear
lnvldious for me to discriminate where
all the troops on that field fought so
well.
When Gen. Ice surrendered ut Ap-
pomattox the Palmetto boys stacked
their arms in front Of the 10Th Michi
gan One Of their officers on inquiry
learning who we were, remarked to his
men the incident Of US firing on them
iii the hollow and the capture Of our
flag. We were glad to meet on friend
ly terms and would have gladly shared
with them our last morscl Of food or
our last penny. Some time last fall a
discussion arose between several sur
vivors of that struggle as to what bri-
gade first penetrated our lines and
wound up the fight on the left. 1t all
appeared ill the Confederate,
Veteran, Of which am q sub
scriber; and to give credit to
Hoods Texans and Jenkins's South
Carolinians. l wrote the Veteran in
January last After it's appearance
received score of letters from Con-
federate Veterans very compliment
tary to me, especially one from Pal
metto boy. l have sent it to the
J Veteran for publication. The flag in
question was, by permission of Gen.
K. r.. Lee, presented to the Governor
of South Carolina, and | believe is
now in the archives of your State Capt.
tol.
And now that all sectional feeling is
| oblitcrated. the North and the South
united by the tcndcrcst ties of broth
erhood under one flag that binds with
golden links these glorious United
States through these circumstances of
glorious change, l appeal to the kind
ness OF your Excellency and the Vet
erans of the lst Palmetto Sharpshoot-
ers that the flag be returned to our
organization, and not without giving
in return some lasting memorial to it's
gallant captor that will bear his name
down the ages Of fame and the organi-
zation to which he belonged. We,
too, will have the flag, not for its in
trinsic value. but in remembrance of
those who presented it to us. Mrs.
Dunks is dead, and Mrs. Elliott,
whose husband, II. 7. Elliott. was my
captain and Major commanding the
regiment when he was killed at G Golopo-
tony Greek, Virginia, May 20, 1864:
Major Welch. afterward colonel, killed
at the battle of Peablcs Farm, Va.
September 30, 1864. Another brother
of Major Elliott, major also, was
killed in the Wilderness; one aged
brother now survives Richard Elliott,
who contributed to the flag. l learn
ed through the daily press that q
NorthCarolina regiment returned cap
turea flag 10 the l4th Michigan. which
caused me to write Col. Hill, with
the hope and prospect in view of get
ting our flag returned. Hence my
appeal to your Excellency in behalf Of
+ our association and the memory of
those loved ones now passed to the
other shore. I have given your TX
cellency all the facts in this matter as
know them, and now fully believing
that your Excellency will give them
due consideration, will await your
reply, with the hope and prayer that
the gallant heroes Of .Jenkins's Pal
metto Sharpshooters will consent to
return our long lost flag, so gallantly
captured and so honorably lost, have
the honor to be very respectfully your
obedicnt servant,
II. Il. LACKlE.
The flag was not turned over to the
State during Governor Ellerbe's term !,
and nothing seems to be known about
it at his Office. If there is anything
known about the matter Governor
Ellerbe would be glad to hear about it
and it would be well to communicate
directly with the Michigan officers,
who have taken up the matter; the
| oI1roacoS orn rs,,n~ xAo