The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-09-26
DEPENDED TIE FLAG.


TO death. all at the same time. and yet
living to tell the tale. Il seems almost
Incredible, ana yet William Gardner, Of
Sacramento, bears on his head and
body the lnsdiputable evidence Of his
thrilling experience, and the array Of
long-healed wounds Is to him badge
of honor. for he received them while de-
lending tho STARS ana strlpes."
william st. Glare Gardner came 70
California with Commodore sloat as a
powder Enonkey'''on the United States
ship Congress. During the lombard
ment of Vera Cruz he received wounds
for which he was afterWard honorabty
discharged from the navy
Like many other pioneers, William
Gardner, or BILL" as he Is familiarly
called, has made and lost two or three
fortunes. IN the capital city's golden
days he was associated with Frank
Rhondes In the draying business, and
IT was poor days work that brought
In only SIS.
His life has been fun OF adventure
and halrbreadthi escapes. The incident
above alluded to is best told in his own
words: tE
yes, 1 have had some pretty close
calls but that little scrap in Carson
City was one OF those affairs that a
man doesn't care to run up against
more'n once in HIS life.
''You see, It was this way. was
running q saloon over In Carson City,
New, In 1861. It was regular red-hot
tennis OF the inhabitants were south
arunFS
zone day, about the 1St Of August,
the messenger rode into town, his horse
covered with foam, and before he was
fairly on the gr0Ure the news Of the
battle OF Bull Run had spread through
that camp like prairie IRE.
fright in the middle Of the town the
boys had put UP pretty good sized
haE-stRH, and the next days after the
newo came Of the battle OF Bull Run l
heard that some Of the ladies had met
and were making a rebel flag, which
was going to be run up In place OF
the Stars and Stripes told EN-
nj the time, says /, II you try to take
down that American flag You'll have to
do It over my dead body
" was only one of handful OF Yam
KEGS in Carson City, but made up my
mind I'd try to prevent that rebel flag
from going up or die a-trying.
"WeH about noon OF the 9th Of Au-
gust, '6l-that's when It happened-6th
Of August, '61. word was brought to me
that that white flag with. the palmetto
tree embroidered on 1t was to be I'M
furled to the breeze that very day.
when l heard that l just locked up
the store, and says 1slf1ot Il William
st, Glare Gardner lives long enough
there won't be no rebel flag run up to-
day. nv
was at the foot Of the Aagstah. The
crowd was already there ahead Of me,
and ! had only Just Tine to see that
the red. white and blue KRs still float
ing above our heads, at1d4then made
. grab for that rebel flag.
"Yss--I got 1t all right, and quick as
a fash I wound 1t abode my hand.
After that was beiltN pretty busy
Tor a few minutes, didn't have no
gan nor nothing, but, ifnfdo say 1t my
sell. in those days there wasn't many
who could stand up before me in Il sin
gls-hand to hand fight 10
"The fight was lIttls6uneveR that
day however. Fists iddf't count for
much against bowie k1l5es and pistols,
and three of the wors~d esper2does In
tic country had undertaken TO do me
~.
prE.v sIashed and cut at me until the
0,a, which was still stound my arm.
md with which I had projected my face
IA some extent. was sdrlppinG with
blood. The flag was butthd afterward:
"r5inslrv one Of themW drew Z pistol
and nlgcfng II right here. over my heart,
1rri esttcss Providence must have
had bis ryc on nc that day. for the
iuIlef Won't 10 ono side.
"pno, JohD blackburn was United
s,{ts,. ,,,arsi,.i nj that time, and ne
90 rho oyly man in the whole crowd
no. stood IN me. or tried TO help me.
III. vic nv the wav. wlk one Of the
iaGirF Vim made tho retsei Tag. He was
irvine To mi nm end to the unequal
St.Hp9-Ic when thn long 'ESGn blade OF n
ho,,-Ie-lsrif5 was burisdbInl his heart
Tocr falinu,, He vns a brave man, John
We loin
"Nbout m, Same time Inn poor John
fo,i eor1e ono Nil ma a i0lLo ON top OF
~ 49, ,II"t ,r,Isbn6 in nv sk,iff. and
VII 80 TaSG%', know nnyt6i1g more un-
~ 7 uoka nm in fbe bosritnl.
VI ..S" """T Np sr ~ 90 "a i've. But I
,o,i ~, y,bor tbe,. oil pnmS stringin'
~ H"'t IN ~, Sas,ttst ~ zoe fTes told 'em
~, Iii It, ,,,.e,,t,sgvn Tears flor the
tsi,ows tba, tried 10 kiIl-Sme we're in
their graves. tJJt
see. BIN Mayfeld was kIped, not long
after, in PluceTvllles idaS by i,I gam M
OleF, ana IleTOkec IOb Nl2 9NAuuH ~