The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1902-12-20
FLAGS OF THE coNFEDERAcY
Captured tanners Stored In War
Department At WASHINGTON.

I ~ ton.
Since the wave of excitement which
swept over the country when Cleveland
broached the subject ofreturning the can
tured flags of the COnlederacy these col
ors have reposed in the top of the Wal
Department. Year by year they hay,
grown dustier, resting undisturbed. Re
Gently one of the officials inaugurated 4
thorough cleaning mp OF the garnet il
which the flags were kept. The dirt o
summers wasswept out, and now in clear
aud tidy array there repose "a group o
hundreds OF banners, each furled around
Its stan and all resting back against tn,
whitewashed wall of the tiny room at the
War Department. Against the side of the
wall nearest the door are many of those
once taken by the Confederates. but re-
captured aud sent TO the department.. The
great aumber comprises those which once
| led the C0nfederates to battle and now
rang along the length of the room.
IN TINS array there are 100 flags, 13 hay-
ing been captured from Alabama reyi.
ments. from Arkansas, Z from Florida
22frOm Georgia, > from Louisiana. from
Kentucky, / from Mississippi. 20 from
North Carolina, s from South Carolina. Z
from Tennessee, from Texas aud 81
from Virginia.
Among the most famous standardsisa
Confederate battle flag OF the Sixteenth
Georgia Volunteers, which was captured
by Burnside's men from those of Long
street at the attack on Fort Saunders
Tenn, in November, 1863 Then THERE'S
the flag which was borne by one of Gen.
Heth's regiments the flag OF one of Gen.
Gordon's regiments; a banner taken from
South Carolina regiment at the battle
of Ant s.fo Il, q.
captured at Malvern Hill in July. 1862
by Pennsy lvania volunteers. This stand
ard was taken after a most desperate
conflict, which the Carolinians made a
fort OF the bodies of their dead and tonight
like tigers from behind the human bar
ricade
Other interesting relics are the flag of
the Sumter Flying Artillery, which was
captured by Custer's men; the standard
taken by Sheridan force from the Eighth
South Carolina Infantry; the garrison flag
OF the citadel OF Charleston. S. C.;garrison
flag OF Fort Moultrie. Charleston Harbor.
and the flag OF the second Virginia Infan-
try-StOnewall JacksOn's old brigade
The only banner the whole history of
whose capture Is knOwnis that once borne
by the Thir,ieth Virginia, W hich was taken
by George } Shapp, Company +. 19lst
Pennsylvania Volunteers. Shapp was on
the skirmish line, and, seeing that the
Coniederates were rallying in force about
their colors, he sprang forward with a
dismounted caValryman as a comrade,
both eager to capture the banner of the
enemy. The rebels shot the cavalryman
dead, but Shapp seized the colors Just as
their bearer lied before the onset of the
! Federal force
/ just what has become of the flags taken
by Uncle Sam in his various wars would
be interesting reading. OF those captured
during the revolutionary war there isno
record. but a lew flags taken from the
British in 1912 were sent to the military
academy at West Point
After the treaty OF peace in ! : Is, Presi-
dent Polk ordered that the flags and col
ors taken from the enemy in the war
with Mexico, be deposited also at West
Point
From the beginning to the end OF the
civil war the generals commanding the
Federal forces sent On to Washington all
colors, flags, and standards taken from
the enemy. Among these were 236 fiage
recaptured from the Confederates and "a 4
Confederate flags, making $50 flags ia
all. Many were returned to the captors
at their request, but the great majority
are now stored in the War Department,
and further gifts Of them will not be made
-Washington Poet.