The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-03-29
CAPTAIN CARTER
TELLS ANECDOTE
History of a Battle Flag Which
Was Returned
BELONGED TO 9Th ALABAMA
New Recruiting officer is Agreeaby
Surprised at Birmingham and
Thinks Well Of the
City.

Capt. r. G. Carter, United States army,
retired, recruiting officer, has arrived to
succeed Captain LANAI, VINO mas been
transferred to Fort Slocumb. He is one
of the most genial men connected with
the army, and has already made num-
Der of friends here. He is of the old
school of army officers, and Is veteran
of the civil war.
Yesterday Captain Carter addressed a
letter to Brig Gen. w. w. Brandon, ad-
jutant general of the state, in regard to
one of the Alabama battle flags which
has just been returned by the war depart
ment. There is quite little history con.
nected with the flag, its capture and re-
turn. Captain Carter said yesterday.
"The Age-Herald Of this morning has
the following description Of one of the
returned battle flags:
mo. 149, flag of the Sixth Alabama,
captured by B. F. Davis of the Twenty
second Massachusetts volunteers eNo
date) That was my regiment that cap
tured the flag, and l wrote to Adjutant
! General Brandon, giving him history OF
| the flag so that he can file 1t away.in the
archives of the state as history. l am
the only member of the regiment who
has ever seen the flag since it was brought
out of the woods on the morning of its
capture.
Hand to Hand Fight.
The flag was captured in a desperate
hand-to-hand conflict on the night of May
8, 1864, at Laurel Hill, Spottsylvanla, Va,
by B. f. Davis, who was the captain OF
one of the companies of this Massachu-
sets regiments, which was organized anu
mustered in at Boston.
'In that conflict that night. we fought
| han o-hand with the opponents, and 1t
was a desperate fight in the dark. The
next morning Captain Davis emerged
from the woods where the fight had taken
place, and was bearing this flag. He was
shot and killed by a sharp-shooter' and 1t
was at the same time and practically the
same spot that General Sedgwick was
killed The two men fell almost at the
same minute.
Looked Up the Flag.
From that time on no member of our
regiment has ever seen that flag except
| myself The volunteer regiments which
served in the northern army all have
| formed associations, and the association
| OF my old regiment wrote me number
| OF year ago and asked me to look up this
| flag and have a picture taken of 1t and
| write a history This | did. l was refused
permission to see the flag for a long time
but finally secured this permission
through the hdjutant general and the
| Secretary of War.
| ann. 11,,AA rAA Of
flags in the basement of the building in
Washington. All were more or less tat
tered and torn, and some were on their
original STATS, but many were attached
to sticks and poles which had been cut
in the woods
"This flag No. 149 was the last l found
| 1t was standing in a corner and was on
| a staff which had been made from the
limb of a tree or something similar.
secured its history from paper pinned
to IT, / also secured a photograph of the
| flag.
'The Sixth Alabama was a member
of Battles brigade. The Twenty second
| Massachusetts, was known as Henry
| Wilson'S regiment. He was at that time
| United States senator from Massachu'
setts and was afterwards Vice President
OF the United States. l tell this because
| believe it will interest many men, wo-
men and children in Alabama, who had
friends and relatives in that Alabama
regiment.
Likes Birmingham.
"What do | think of Birmingham
Well, 1 am about the most agreeabls
surprised man one could find. l came
here somewhat prejudiced against the
city, but | am already beginning to think
it is a very fine place. like the city ano
the people.
1--WE hear of Birmingham as dirty
lawless city. and / came here fully ex-
pecting to have to carry a couple OF
pistols in my pockets and to be always
expecting someone to shoot me. Wher
arrived found 1t a quiet city, wei
paved. clean for manufacturing city
and I find the people are cordial and
hospitable | ike Birmingham more thar
! can tell.
my family will be here shortly and
we will locate out on the South High.
lands. They will ike Birmingham I have
rarely seen more attractive residence
sections than I find here"
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