The National tribune., 1907-07-04
FIRST FLAG IN PETERSBURG.

->dtIOlldl Lie lapse
of years makes ducks and brakes" of
history.
/ am prompted to this remark by
reading an item in a recent number of
The National Tribune in reference to
a soldier of the Goth iatea. as having
been in ''one of the first regiments that
charged into Petersburg at 4 a. m,
April 3, 1865
InaSmuch as / was one of the first 10
(the others being Adjutant-afterward
-Colonel-Buckbee and the
members of my color guard) to enter
the city on the heels of Lees retreating
army, / feel qualified to make the as
sertion that there was nc Charge" but
perfectly unopposed occupation: not
\ shot being fired. Perhaps you would
,ike the story, and l promise you to be
so exact as to challenge controversy.
Shortly before midnight of the
I'd / had made a personal reconnais
sance along our front, being on volun-
teer picket duty in place of Serg't Alvin
Jones, of my company, who was Suf-
fering from q bump on the head, re-
seived the morning previous during
demonstration against the enemy's line.
may say here that our regiment occu-
pied the extreme right of the line be-
leaguering Petersburg, the Appomattox
River being on our left flank.
Lieut.. Brakeman, also of ny own COM
pany, who was Officer OF de Picket, re-
ceived orders from Col. Ralph Ely
(Sth Mich) commanding our brigade.
through member of his staff to detail
a commissioned officer to make the
reconnaissance, and as l was standing at
Lieut. Blakeman'S elbcT when the or
ders were receivSG he Immediately
transferred them to me, at the same
time handing me his rsvoiver as the only
weapon l could carry. The object of
the reconnaissance was TO ascertain, if
possible, whether the enemy was max
ing any move toward eEacuatinS on our
frorG, but the only thing discovered was
quiet-absolute quiet, in fact too much
quiet-all along the line. An hour or so
later, however, we got tangible evidence
that the enemy was moving out when
Fort Chesterfield, Confederate work
some distance to our right, and across
the AppomattoX, was blown up, and the
glare of suddenly rising flames from va
rious points in Petersburg told of an
effort to destroy what could not be car
ried away, the flames being punctuated
by repeated explosions.
Immediately there was something do
ing along our line Our pickets We're
called in and my regiment-the list
Mich. pshooters-received orders
to pack knapsacks, stack them and fall
in in light marching order. Meanwhile
the fact that the enemy was evacuat-
ing was becoming more and more ap-
parent to ears trained to the sounds o.
moving hosts.
In army movements, as in other af-
fairs, there is usually a reason for every
movement, and the reason our regiment
was chosen for the post of honor was
that by successful demonstration
against the enemy's extreme left early
on the morning of the I'd we had fur
nished the key to the breaking of the
enemy's line by the First and Third Bri-
gades of Wilcox's Division of the Ninth
forms aided hy ff,10nc further their
: left: break that the most strenuous
efforts on the part of the enemy all day
Sunday failed to repair.
The I'd Mich. was selected as our sup
port, the two regiments being under
command of Maj. Lounsbury, of the
Goth Mich, Adjutant-General on the
brigade staff.
About a. m. we received orders to
move out and began our march to
Petersburg. After passing the deserted
Confederate picket works, which we
had successfully assaulted the morning
before, and which now contained but.a a
few superfiuous rifles which could not
be carried away, Maj. Lounsbury came
up to our regiment and gave us the tip
that the I'd Mich. was figuring on get
ting their colors in Petersburg first,
Ind so rob US of our glory. Instantly
myself and color guard were ordered to
fall out of the column by Adj't Buck
bee, who explained the situation to us
and asked US If we We're willing to take
chances with him in going into the city
ahead of the regiment There was only
one response possible from Michigan
men, and the next minute we were on
the double-quick and were soon in the
city, headed for the Court House, our
way lighted by the glare from burning
tobacco warehouses. Everything was
quiet on the streets, the only persons
seen being a few negroes who ventured
Il ftnfN atrlsr
Old Glory in the hands of Marse Lin
coins soldiers sweeping through tie
streets of the ng-beleaguered city.
Arriving at the entrance 10 the short
street leading up to the Court House
front, we were met by a gentleman
dressed in solemn black (said to have
been the Mayor, who offered the sur
render of the city to our little handful
Of men. We had more important busi-
Eesz on hand, however, and referred
him to the commander of the force that
was following us up
II was yet dark when we made our
way into the Court House and up the
winding stairs into the clock tower. For
want OF a better place TO display our
colors we opened the door of the clock
face and thrust them out through 1t.
and there, for the first time in years,
fioated the dear old flag: and when,
shortly after daylight, the brigade band,
which had come across" Saluted II
with The Star Spangled Banner" our
hearts were too full for utterance, SO
Ie clasped hands and shed tears OF
Joy, for we knew that the beginning OF
the end had come.
We were in the Court House fully 20
minutes before the column arrived, and
how the boys did make the welkin ring
with their cheers, and how the darkies
did cut up" in their exuberance.
The rest of the brigade, including
the goth Mich. and the Sth Mich, came
over in orderly fashion and took up the
task Of policing the city and endeavor.
ing to extinguish the fires, while the
rest of the army at once took up the
pursuit of the retreating Confederates
You can judge for yourself whether
there was any charge" 1t is as wei
to set things down correctly if one
knows the facts. / would not detrac
one iota from the glory of the gallant
old goth, for they were next TO us on tht
battle line, and / had some dear friend.
in the regiments ranks. Hank Mulher.
on. its Color Sergeant, and were bosom
friends.
For the correctness of what / have
written / refer you to Maj-Gen. .. B
Wilcox, U. S. A. (retired), who ! be
lieve resides in Washington.-Willian
T. Wixcey, Color Sergeant, 1st Mich
6harpshooters, S440 Pestalozzi ST., ST
Louis, Mo.
4 Spanish War Soldier.
Editor National Tribune. I am Z