The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-05-03
CAPTURED BANNER.
A Confederate Soldiers Story Of
Gaines Mill Fight.
BRAVE MEN FROM MICHIGAN
Their Flag Will be Returned if 1t
Can be Found. A Palmetto
Sharpshcoter Tells ct
Can be |
Sharpshcoter
the Battle.

In the Greenville Mountaincer, Col.
James \. Hoyt, who was member Of
Co. c., Palmetto sharpshcoter<, gives
some personal "reminiscences Of the bat
tie of Gaines Mill, in which the Pal
metto Sharpshooters captured the flag Of
the Sixteenth Michigan.
1t will be remembered that Gov. I'll
leIbe recently received a letter from
Lieut.. r. T. Lackie Of Detroit asking
fer the return of the flag and 40 lnfor-
nation was at hand in resaru to the
whereabouts Of the captured banner.
On this point Col. Hoyt sa!s:
we can speak with confidence for
the survivors Of the Palmetto Sharp
shooters that, were it possible for the
aag to be returned, every man Of them
would gladly give his consent, but along
with other captured flags the beautiful
>ilken banner of the Sixteenth hlchl-
ran was destroyed in the couaagrauoa
which swept Columbia on the I7th.o
February, 1868. This dag had been
deposuei for safe keeping in the Old
state house, a wooden building, which
was among the first sacrifices IN the
memorable fire which laid waste the
capital IF South Carolina The writer
remembers the inscription as it is given
by MIR. Lackie, aud recalls the admlra-
,ion which he felt for the men who
stood so molly beneath the flag and who
surrendered it with such reluctance.
The fate of war had overtaken them.
and now after 81 years the remnant OF
heroic band are searching IN vain Tor
this emblem Of their state and country
which had fallec into the custody of
erstwhile enemies.
Before the publication Of Mr.. Lack
les letter, Col. Hoyt had prepared for
publication in the Confederate Veteran
an account of the battle of Gaines Mill,
and because of the publication OF Mr..
Lackie's account Col Hoyt has pub.
lished in The Mouutaineer his story OF
the fight which differs very SLIGHTLY
from the report given by the Michi-
gan soldier. Col. Hoyt writes as fol-
i lows:
Editor Confederate Veteran:
In the February issue Of your excel
lent magazine l find the report OF a
Federal soldier as to the part borne by
his brigade on the extreme left of their
line at the battle Of Gaines Mill, Va,
on the 9th Of June, 1852. As was a
member of the Palmetto Sharpshooters,
which captured the flag of the Sixteenth
Michigan to which Mr.. Lackie belong
ed, | will give you brief account OF
the action of R. H. Andersons brigade
in that fight. Mr. Lackie is mistaken
in saying that Col. Micah jenkins (not
Jennings, as he has iO, was in command
of the brigade, as will appear later on.
Andersons brigade was composed OF
South Carolinians, and the five regl,
menss are properly designated, except
that the Fourth was only battalion at
that time. The Second rifles had ar.
rived only a few weeks before from
South Carolina, and was participating
for the first time IL an engagement
! This brigade was one of three forming
Longstreet's original division as ii was
organized at Centerviile, and had been
held in reserve all the afternoon. Gen
Longstreet says it was near sundowr
when this reserve was sent forward tt
reclaim the day which was then vel
nigh lost, but the intense fighting hac
thinned the enemy's ranks and foulec
their guns so greatly that our las
charge won The field, which gave The
victory to the Confederates and com
PEELED Gen. Mcclellan to make for HI:
guuboats on the James river.
In going forward with the assaultlnE
column, Auderson's bsigade was on th'
extreme right Of the Confederate line
aud dashed down the slope aud into ia;
ravine, above which were the enemy
batteries and lines of infantry viii
temporary entrenchments. AuderSo'
pressed up the steep ascent across th
riv;ue and met with little resistance, al
though under constant fire, while tn
bat lie was raging with more vlgor o.
our left where Hoods and Pickett 5 b'l
sades were engaging the Pcderals. w
press 20 the front IN pursuit OF broke
liIes which We're moving towards tn
main body of Mcclellan army an,
hence getting il fcobt Of Hopd an
Pickett. who drove everything b2tIT
them. 1t was moment OF lDseos
anxiety. The sun had set, arl tn
smoke Of battle was driftinS of TO til
valley Of the Clickahominy just oeneat
the hill. on which We had charged til
enemy lines.
Gen. Anderson, with the gallen
Sixth, the Second rifles and the Fourt
battalion, moved straight forward IA
everaI hundred yards after We Geache
the open on the crest Of the hill, az
he had directed Col. Micah jenkins, c
the Palmetto Sharpshorters, to take III
own command aud the Fifth South Cal
DINA under Col. Jackson, and move It
wards the Chickahominy, IN order t
protect the right flank Of Lees army
[, was not imagined that there were an
Federals in that vicinity, but 1t va
rapidly nearing night, and at the tin
was accepted only as wise precautlo
which soon resulted in brisk aud d,
, cided engagement. Stockton sSlxteeut
Michigan regiment and the Eighty
: Thi.l Penusy lvania, under Col. job
W. McLane, had been completely CT
0 off by our movement from their arm,
; and Col. Stockton assumed command {
5 the semi brigade, undertaking to e:
. tricate his command from the perilol
position. His troops came from tt
woods and on the slope towards X
Chickahominy, and it was suppose
: that he was seeking an escape down Il
5 valley, under cover Of the smoky atmo
/ phere and the fast falling shadows
i the evening. Col. Jackson with II
II