The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1906-01-04
A GuidOn Of the Sd w. Va. Cav.

lTlOulle. nave
just read communication in a late
issue from John w. Greer, Sd w. Va.
Cav, that prompts me to relate an in
cident that may be Of some interest to
Comrade Greer and to other living
members of his regiment.
In the Winter Of 1868, / carried
the Union flag unfurled from Vicks-
burg to Washington, carried it on foot
and fully displayed at all times; my
object being to promote National unity,
peace and good will. To explain
wherein I expected the enterprise to
promote this greatest Of our many
great causes would require more space
than you would be willing to allow me;
therefore, will omit the explanation
and relate the incident"
l received nowhere during the
march" from the Mississippi to the
Potomac a kindlier or more patriotic
reception than that given me by the
C. large number Of ex-Confederates
met the flag several miles out from
and escorted it into the city, where, in
front Of the hotel wherein / was to be
the guest of the city, several loyal and
most excellent speeches were made, all
appropriate to the occasion. Later in
the evening a party OF ex-Confederate
soldiers called upon me for the express
purpose Of presenting me with cap
tured Union fiag-a silk 'swallowtair'
cavalry flag. When the Confederate
Government evacuated Richmond, its
archives, including captured Union
flags, were removed to Charlotte. Many
families of the city; but the victorious
Union forces were rapidly approaching,
and thinking 1t best ito be caught
with captured Union flags in possess
sion, many OF them We're destroyed;
however, some Of them were hidden
and saved, and the flag presented to
me was one of them. A spot about
four by four inches in the field of the
flag showed where the Confederate
Government had pasted Its archive Ia
bel stating where, when, by whom and
from whom captured, This label had
been removed, but the soldier that
made the presentation speech seemed
capture. He stated that 1t was cap
tured from the Sd w. Va. Cav. by (if
! remember rightly the Sd Va. Con-
federate Cav. -
The flag must have been pretty
roughly handled at the time of it's cap
ture, for it was considerably shattered
when turned over to me; since which
time this flag OF the Sd w. Va. Cav.
has crossed the Atlantic Ocean four
times. had 1t with me, but 1t Is not
the flag that I carried unfurled
through England in 1872 to promote
International amity. That was our
National Infantry battle-flag, six by
six and half feet in size. took it
to England again in 1887, making pat
riotic use Of 1t. I have also used it in
illustrating patriotic topics in many
hundreds Of free addresses delivered in
the Northern and Southern States, the
object OF which was to help overcame
the hates and animosities engendered
by the war and thus eradicate sectional
prejudice and distrust, the non-exist-
ence Of which is. as all know. absolute
ly necessary to the proper maintenance
Of the National Union. Therefore,
may say, the capture Of the gallant Sd
w. Vas flag by the Confederates did
not end its service in the cause of lib
erty, unity and material prosperity.
II the statement made to me at Char
lotte over 81 years ago Is correct; /. e.,
IL this flag belonged to and was lost
by the Sd w. Va. Cav, I would be
pleased to send 1t, or what Is left Of
it, to any member Of the regiment that
would accept and appreciate it.-Serg't
G. H. Bates, Saybrook, Ill.