Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-06
M|SSIN6 tUR ItAA
Whereabouts of Sheridan's
> Battle Flag Discovered.
HISTORY OF THE COEORS
Finally Restored to the Heirs of the
General.
SOME UNUSUAL EPITAPHS
Illiteracy Of the South Compared
With Some Countries of
Europe.
HISTORY OF THE C0L0RS
ME UNUSUAL EPITAPHS
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
NEW YORK, February 4, 1908.
The battle flag which Gen. Sheridan car
ried in the Shenandoah valley and at the
battle of Five Forks has been missing
for many years and nobody knew what
had become of it. There were frequent
inquiries from the War Department.
from societies Of officers of the cival war
and from various sources, but they could
not be answered. Mrs. Sheridan has
had in her home at Washington nearly
all the other relics Of her husbands mill
tary service. but the most important and
1ntere sting was not among the number,
and seemed to have entirely disappeared.
Gen. Michael V. Sheridan and other men,
bers Of his staff recollected that he had
presented the flag he had carried in the
Shenandoah valley to. some friend, but
could not recall the name or the circum-
stances.
And so the mystery continued until
last fall. when New York dealer offered
for sale at the price of $3.50 an autograph
letter of six pages. beautifully bound in
N
written by Gen. Sheridan to the wife of
the late, Edwin w. Stoughton. a promi-
nent member of the New York bar, and
at one time minister to Russia. This
letter was recently purchased by Mr.. w.
K. Bixby, president of the American Car
and Foundry Company of st. Louis, who
has a very valuable library and collec-
ton OF manuscripts and autographs at
his residence at the corner Of Lindeil
boulevard and Kings highway, in that
city.
sheridan's Story Of the Flag.
The letter gives the history of the, flag
and Is particularly valuable because Sher-
idan writes In his own hand: when it
was necessary that we should win 1 took
1t from the color-bearer and it led the
troops to. victory"
The entire text is as follows:
Chicago. Mar. 23d, 1873
MY Dear Mrs. Stoughton-
when last in your house in New York
of the Star Of the West draped with ever
greens and under its union the words
FIVE FORKS written in beautiful flow
ers.
Il cannot express to you. Madam, the
emotions and many thoughts crowdinE
each other which this delicate representa-
ton Of interesting National Events Gre
ated. I thought perhaps that It would
not be inappropriate to let you replace
the flowers which fade. by the battle flag
OF Five Forks and then you could drape
together the first and last flags fired upon
in the great struggle for our National ex-
istence.
my proposition was most gratefully &C.
cepted and send you by express today the
Flag. 1t has always been very dear to me,
but this onlv serves to increase the pleas
ure l have in giving 1t to you. The flag
was new when I left Winchester in the
Shenandoah Valley. February 9th, 1864,
and from that date commenced its active
service. 1t took the place OF its old and
faded comrade OF Opeguan. Fishers Hill
and Cedar Creek. At Waynesboro the
remnant of General Early's army Of the
Shenandoah surrendered to tat the
crossing Of the James River at my COM
mand on the 25th of March. 1865, it was
lowered to Mr.. Lincoln as he passed
through the bridge over which we were
crossing. When General Grant passed
through the gate to Mr.. McLean's house,
to receive the surrender Of General Lee
at Appomatox Court House. 1t was low
cred to him. It has never been lowered in
salute or otherwise to any one else. At
Five Forks. when 1t was necessary that
we should win I took It from the Color
Bearer and It led the troops to victory.
The bullet hole in the white was received
then. At Jettersville it stood in front of
Lees Army to oppose its further progress
until the arrival Of the Army of the Po-
tomac. At Sailors Creek Ewell and his
CORPS surrendered to it. On the morning
of the 9th Of April. 1855. it stood opposite
the White flag which the Army of North
ern Virginia raised in token of surrender.
and while I was advancing to meet the
ENJOYS representing the enemies flag. 1t
was upon by a. brigade OF South Carolina
troops, receiving the last shot from the
Army of Northern Virginia.
II am dear Madam
Very respectfully your
ob'd't servt
P. H. SHERIDAN. =.
Lt.-General."
Gen. Horace Porter. commenting upon
this letter. said: II once heard that Sheri-
dan gave his flag to some friend in New
York, but I had forgotten to whom 1t
was given. l was near him when he
snatched this same flag from color
sergeant and waved 1t to rally the line
which had staggered under heavy fire
from the Confederates at Five Forks.
The color-sergeant was killed a few mo-
ments after and several officers fell Inn
mediately' around Sheridan. But the
charge he led was splendidly successful"
Who the stoughtons Were.
Mr.. E. W. Stoughton was the uncle of
Gen. Charles B. Stoughton, who was
comrade of Gen. Sheridan in the Michi-
gan regiment of cavalry with which he
first entered the volunteer army. They
maintained their relations all through
life although Sheridan. who was a sub
ordinate at the start, very soon shot by
Stoughton and became his commander.
Stoughton has the credit Of firing the
last gun at the battle of Chickamauga.
He commanded a brigade under Sheridan
at Missionary Ridge and under Sherman
during 1.-The march to the sea-" He was
breyetted a major general, and after the
war served in the House Of Representa-
tives from Michigan for two terms. He
was the hero of story told by President
Lincoln which is often quoted. Early in
the war. while Gen. Stoughton was going
to the front in an ambulance drawn by
six mules, he was captured by raiding
party of Confederates. When the news