The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1905-01-20
CALLED HIM A YANKEE.
Sergeant Seannell Was So Surprised
That He Surrendered the
raIorc4


Sergeant scannell Was So Surprised
That He Surrendered the
Colors.
A white-haired elderly man stood in
Doric Hall at the State House the other
day intently gazing at the battle flags
of the Massachusetts regiments that
fought to preserve the Union from
1861 to 1865. He fingered long and
seemed to be greatly interested in the
torn and tattered standards. A visitor
noticed the man, and stepping up to
him, said:
You appear to be interested in those
iflags?"
Il think I have right to be, Sir"
replied the old gentleman. THAT flag. -
said he, pointing to the shot riddled
colors of the Nineteenth Regiment, 9
was captured from ME in front of
Petersburg by tho rebels, June %, 1864.
Thirty years afterward, by an act of
Congress it was returned to the State,
and had the honor of delivering it to
the Governor of the Commonwealth"
That's remarkable" said the Wis
itor, and the two fell to talking about
the stirring days of the war, and the
different engagements that the old
Nineteenth Regiment participated in.
The color bearer was Sergt. Michael
Scannell of Lynn, who, although rs
years old, is hale and hearty, and is
known by every Grand Army man in
Essex County. Little by little Scan
nell was induced to tell the story of the
leapture of the colors at Petersburg.
I'VE were brigaded with the Forty
second New York and the Fifteenth
Massachusetts," said Sergt. Scannell,
"and we were ordered to advance.
There was evidently some mistake, as
when we moved out 1t left a gap that
Gen Malone was quick to see and
take advantage Of Without any idea
of the perilous position we occupied
we moved forward in the best of
spirits. H.. .4#z.s
Quicker than it takeks to say Jack
Robinson the rebs swooped down up
on us, and we We're poWeless to resist
capture. 1t was all up with us, and
there was nothing to do but surrender.
A rebel officer rode up to me and. with
a long oath, demanded the colofs
Give me those colors, you Yankee
blankety blank. said he, with his gun
pointed at my head. {.
Il looked at him coolly, and straight
ening myself up, said: Sir, / have been
in this country nearly 20 years, and
you are the first man to call me a
Yankee. Take the eolors. You're well
come to them, asA ~.
scanned, with therest Of the regi-
ment was hustled off to Andersonville
and spent nearly AZ months in rebel
prisons, suffering untold misery. One
day while at unreasonable a rebel Of
ficer came through shouting the name
of Sergt. Scannell That's me-" re-
piled Scannell. He was ordered to make
shoes for the rebs, as he had been a
shoemaker at Haverhill before the war.
Never" said Scannell; 'inever.is2
The rebel officer argued with him
and told him that he would get better
food and treatment if he went into the
shoe shop, and that he would have a
chance to recover from the scurvy
that had attacked him. But Scannell
was firm, Never" was the reply. DO
you think that am going to go back
on the flag of my adopted country and
make shoes for rebs? Not while I
have my senses about me-"
Sergt. Scanned was one of large
number of Irishmen in the old Nine
tenth Regiment-Bost Globe.