The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1907-02-15
BATTLE FLAGS
OF FLORIDA
Now Occupy Prominent Place
at State Capital
THE HISTORY OF EACH
Interesting Account of Their Capture
Told by a Fluent State Writer
OF Interest to Veterans.

Miss Jefferson Bell, writing from
Tallahassee, has this to say regarding
Florida's battle flags:
General Foster has received and had
placed in the hall at the head Of the
stairs in the capital a handsome case in
which will be displayed the battle flags
of Florida. The last legislature made
an appropriation for suitable case for
the flags which were returned by the
general government. The case is of
heavy plate glass joined by narrow
frame of oxydized bronze. The base is
of marble which furnishes a back
ground for plate Inscribed in large
type, Florida Battle Flags"
Here will be displayed the tattered,
faded rags, torn by shot and shell and
stained by the blood of Southern he
roes. Around them cluster memories
too hallowed and sacred to be put into
words. The colors of "the storm Grad
led nation that fell"
The battle flags in the custody of the
Adjutanl General in 1904 were the bat
tie flags of the Second Florida Regi-
ment, of the Fifth Florida, of the Ninth
Florida, previously the Sixth Florida
Battalion, the regimental flags of the
First and Fourth Florida Regiments,
and the headquarters flag of the Florida
Brigade in the Western Army
In March, 1905, Hon. William H. Taft,
secretary of war, acting under a joint
resolution of congress returned to
Florida the following battle flags:
/. The battle flag of the Second Flor
ida Infantry.
2. Battle flag of the Sixth Florida
Infantry, captured at the battle of
Brentwood Hills, near Nashville, Tenn.
December Is, 1864.
3. Battle flag of the Eighth Florida
Infantry, captured by Sergeant Thomas
Koran, Tend New York Volunteers
Third Excelsior Brigade.
4. Battle flag of the Eighth Florida
Infantry, captured in the battle of
Sailors Creek, April 6, 1865, by First
Sergeant A. A. Clapp, Company G.
Second Ohio Veteran Volunteer Cavalry
First Brigade, Third Cavalry Division,
General Custer, commanding.
5. Battle flag of Eleventh Florida
Infantry, captured in the battle of
Sailors Creek, Virginia April 6, 1865,
by First Lieutenant A. T. Lamfere,
Company b. First Connecticut Cavalry,
First Brigade, Third Cavalry Division,
General Custer, commanding.
6. Battle flag of Fifth Florida In
fantry, captured in the battle of Sail
or's Creek, April s, 1865, by private
Daniel Woods, Company X, First Vr-
ginia Veteran Volunteer Cavalry, Third
Cavalry Division, General Custer, COM
Z. Flag of the Apalachicola Guards.
Col. Fred Robertson told me some
stories of the old battle
flags; particularly interesting was the
story of the missing flag of the Third
Florida. At some engagement where
the Confederate forces suffered defeat,
Samuel Spaulding, the coIor-bearer.
ore the flag from its staff, stuffed it
nto the BOSOM of his shirt. That
hight comrade, McIlae, sat between
him and the sentry while Spaulding lay
IN the ground and quilted the flag into
his jacket inside the lining. After.
wards they made their escape and
'paulding carried the flag proudly back
% his command,
At the battle of Brentwood Hills, the
First and Third had been engaged but
we're thrown in reserve, General For
est rode up and asked why the flag
vas not at the front and started to
AXE it from Spaulding, who drew back
'aluted and said 'I'll put the flag
wherever you say, sir; IN carry it as
'ar as any man living can" So i'm
pressed with his tone and look was the
general, that he said, saluting II beg
your pardon, SIR" and rode away.
the brave Spaulding was
silled in battle l did not learn, but at
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