The Princeton union., 1905-06-22
old BATTLE FLAGS.
For the Last Time They are Flung
to the Breeze and Wave Over
the Veterans.
Old Soldiers Look With Loving Eyes
on Banners Which They Fol-
lowed on to Victory.

More than nine hundred veterans
OF Minnesota regiments and civil war
organizations marched in the flag day
parade in st. Paul on. June IA.
Brackets battalion had twenty
five men in line, and there were
also survivors of the four artillery
organizations, the Second cavalry,
the Minnesota Rangers and Hatch's
battalion. Cheer after cheer greeted
the veterans as they marched once
more behind the flags which they had
followed through many bloody bat
ties and their old enthusiasm seemed
to awake within them as once more
the step was left, left, along the line.
There were many veterans in the city
who, because of disabilities or old
age, were unable to march, but they
Joined the spectators on the sidewalks
or gathered at the new capitol, wait
ing for the main column to come up.
The veteran organizations gathered
at the old capitol, the civil war veter-
ans on the Exchange street side of the
building, and the Spanish-Aperican
and Philippine war veterans on Cedar
street. The color-b bearers Of the eleven
regiments which were to escort their
flags to the new capitol gathered in
the rotunda of the old capitol, when
Colonel c.. 7. Trowbridge, on behalf
of Governor Johnson, delivered the
flags to the bearers. The bearers then
joined their regiments on the lawn.
After the regiments had been
brought to attention General J. W.
Bishop delivered a brief address, COM
mitting the flags once more to the men
who followed them in battle.
C. 81. Rines of this place is closely
connected with the history of the flag
of the old First Minnesota regiment,
and Sam. Blumer of Saltwater, and
Ellette Perkins of Clearwater also
helped in preserving it during the
stirring times ar round Getty sburg.
Blumer carried the flag to Antietam
and Perkins got it there and carried
it to Gettysburg. When the remnant
of the regiment came home C. H.
Rines brought the flag to Minnesota
and left it at Fort Smelling. He says
that relic hunters made SAD havoc with
it, cutting away the greater portion.
1t is on the same old staff which had
the lower part shot away, but it has
been spliced to it's original length.
Mr.. Rines was chosen flag bearer at
St. Paul on the 18th and once more
lifted the banner under which he had
fought and which he carried so many
hundreds of miles to be preserved as
a memento of a great and glorious
struggle.
The old First Minnesota had los
men in line.
The Second Minnesota. commanded
by Thomas Downs, carried six flags
and a drum that had seen four years
service. The Second had l3O men in
line.
The Third Minnesota, commanded by
j. M. Bowler, had 73 in line and es-
corted two flags.
The Fourth Minnesota, commanded
by Thomas 81. Reeves, had eighty
five men in line and two flags.
The Fifth Minnesota, commanded
by w. A. Van Slyke, escorted six
flags and had seventy-six men in line.
The Sixth Minnesota, commanded
by A. P. Connolly, was 100 strong
and escorted two flags.
The Seventh Minnesota, commanded
by Judge L. W. Collins, had forty in
line, with three flags.
The Eighth Minnesota, commanded
by Thomas Darlington, escorted two
flags and had eighty eight veterans
in line.
The Ninth Minnesota, commanded
by j. Il. Albeit, had sixty in line
and escorted four flags.
The Tenth Minnesota had fifty men
in line.
The Eleventh Minnesota, command
ed by W. c. Wilson, had two flags.
and fifty-eight men in line.
The eleven veteran regiments were
followed by small detachments of the
First, Second and Third batteries of
light artillery, and these in turn by
the First regiment Of heavy artillery,
fifteen in line.
Brackett's battalion, j. w. Cramsie.
commanding with twenty-five veterans,
was followed by a few survivors of
the First Minnesota Rangers, and
these in turn by detachment of the
Second Minnesota cavalry. Hatch's
battalion, which claims the distinc-
tion OF being the last Minnesota mill
tary organization mustered out after
the civil war, brought up the rear of
the civil war organizations.