The National tribune., 1903-07-16
COLOR=GQARD OF THE 9th IOWA.
The 'sPea Ridge Flag" at Vioksburg.
By OTIS CRAWFORD, Color Corporal, Co. A, 9th Iowa.

Corporal took the flag from the place
where it fell. 1t forces friendly con-
troversy between companies; for if the
claim of Co 4 is false, or mistaken, the
testimony of their Corporal on the two
main questions is impeached and worth
less. Its relation to the credibili,y of the
present witness compels me, though reluc-
family, to introduce it here. Recently l
was surprised and perplexed by the state
ment from high authority, and by letter
which has passed through my hand say
ing that another company in the regiment
treasures a tradition that their Corporal
rescued the flag. l at once wrote to the
author of the letter, presenting my COM
pany's claim and citing proofs. l re-
qnested him to submit for my considera-
ton all evidence upon which his claim
was founded. After many weeks a sec
Ond letter to the same comrade failed to
secure one scintilla of evidence regarding
his claim. but that second letter did elicit
additional testimony refuting the allega-
| tion that the flag was rescued by the Ad-
| Jutant l am credibly informed that my
correspondent has no writings to support
his claim. ! think we must deccntly bury
| that tradition at the foot of the other
grave. There was honor enough for all
concerned. The Corporal who did rescue
the flag from its place of peril. under fire.
performed no more than his duty, and no
more than any of his comrades of the
Guard would have done under like cir
cumStances.
Now. why have these mythical stories
lived all these years? The answer lies in
| the limitations of observers. faulty impress
sions. iickleness of memory. lack of pub
licity of records and the publicity of the
myths.
TIE TRUE STORY.
l now proceed to the recital of nv
personal experience, confidently believing
that your request for my story will shield
me from suspicion of egotism or vain
gioriousness. In the Acts of the Apostles
we are given three accounts of the con-
version of Saul of Tarsus, each having
something not found in the others. there
being, however, substantial agreement, no
| contradictions. / have with me three ac-
| counts of the assault, each unlike the
others, but all agreeing, as you will see.
From these l shall first quote all that
pertains to the course of the flag, giving
them without comment. They are distinct
and clear.
THE COURSE OF THE FLAG.
Ny diary for May %. 1868, begun on the
hillside in the morning, and completed
either the following day in the barracks
hospital. or on Monday on the hospital
boat Memphis" / quote the entire en-
try. except the mention of the several
regiments:
This promises to be an eventful day
The entire army encirclins the city is to
make Il grand charge at 10 O'Clock May
God help us and preserve us. About )
O'Clock the troops were formed. We led
the charge. As we gained the summit of
the hill most terrific and continuous fire
before a hurricane. / got within 10 feet
of the works, ahead of the colors. While
crouchng down l received shot back
of the shoulders. Dragging myself back
to the colOrs, l passed them down to the
Adjutant, who carried them off"
In letter written to my aunt, nine
days afterward, from Overton Hospital,
Memphis, l said:
a- Three regiments of our brigade took
position, the 9th in the center. At the
order we leaped the brow of the hill and
rushed for the works, eight rods distant
l halted 10 feet from the works to see if
there were enough of us to charge over
them. l could see only two or three men
standing. As we had expected, the
charge was failure. The .:a,is cont:.:u-
ing to sweep the hill, 1 crouched down.
A ball took me over the shoulder. The
Color Bearer had been shot. / crawled
back to the flag, which lay in the path,
and passed it to the rear, whence it was
taken away in safety"
Three days later wrote from the same
hospital to my cousin:
'At the word we climbed up the hill
with our hearts uncOmfOrtably near our
thrOats. Leaping the brow Of the hill
we rushed for the works. Our sharp
shooters had to cease firing We We're
ordered not to fire until upon the works.
A shower of lead swept the hill. A few
of our men got close to the works. /
stopped some 10 feet from the works, feel
ing there was no use in going further, for
no one was coming up in my rear, and
l could see only two or three men stand
ing in front, they being behind n high
brush pile, looking for shot l felt pro-
vOked. 1t was no use. | could not charge
alone, so l crOuched down. All this was
seen and done in a moment. A mimic ball
came my way. l crawled back a few feet
behind pile of brush and hid my head
l saw the Color Sergeant lying at my
right, wounded. l saw the flag lying in
the path to my left. The thought occur
red to me: Pea Ridge is written on that
flag Shall the rebels get it? Neverr l
crawled out to it and slipped it to the
rear, to the Adjutant, who carried it off
in safety"
From correspondence l learn that these
records are confirmed by the recollections
of many comrades of Co. A.
To our Secretary, w. NJ. Trout, Com
rade James Hamilton, of Andrew, writes
as follows:
81 was within 10 or Is feet of Corpl
Crawford when he was wounded. He
passed the flag down to Adj't Granger,
who united it from the staff, put it un-
der his coat, and said: I'm going to hold
to the flag l know that Crawford had
the flag in his possession for time after
he was wounded. l remember the cir
cumstances distinctly. Granger was with
in two or three feet Of me when he un-
tied the flag from the staff"
The names of the other members of the
Color Guard were l.. ID. Curtis, James III.
Gipe, John Hogue, Jasper N. MoultOn,
Frank Frazier, James Smith, and Albert
d. Strunk.
COMPENDIUM.
On the hillside the Color .Corporals
gathered about the Sergeant, encouraging
him and each other with promises to stand
together Our orders were to reserve our
fire, run rapidly to the works. fire and use
the bayOnet. Upon reaching the brow of
the hill we found ourselves in a broad
path leading up from the spring, and run
ming up the crest Of the ridge, nearly
straight to the works. The fallen trees
and brush on both fanks caused the men
to crowd into the path. Looking up to
the works l saw only small force be-
hind them in our immediate front, but
bodies of men were concentrating from the
av,I