The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-13
OHIO RETURNS FLAG.
Confederate Battle Flag Will Be Re-
 stored To Alabama Regiment.

 To the Editor of tho Courier Journal
 A few years ago an interesting incident occurred at the Noyes-McCook Grand Army post, in Cincinnati, when Gen. Basil ". Duke of Louisville, a veteran of the Confederate army. acting in behalf of the Confederate soldiers returned to the Union soldiers of this city the cap tured battle flags of the Twenty-1rst, the Fifty eighth and the Sixtieth Ohio Vol unteer infantry regiments, which had been captured by the Confederates dur ing tn war, 1S61-1s65.
 General Duke, who was the spokesman on the occasion of the return of the battle flags to the three Ohio regiments, was, during the civil war, second in command of Gen. John H. Morgan's division of 10 Confederate cavalry regiments, and when General Morgan was killed succeeded to the command of "Morgans Men, and held this command to the end of the war and he is now the commander Of the Association of Morgan's Men,"
 In the newspaper reports of the day when the flags of the three Ohio regf- ments were returned by the Confederates,
  in most eloquent terms, with a feeling which brought tears to the eyes of many of the old Union soldiers and he was roundly applauded and given hearty cheers by his former enemies
 Now the veterans of the Fourth Ohio cavalry, many of whom reside in Cin- cinnati, are about to return to the Con- federate veterans of Alabama a battle flag which the Fourth Ohio cavalry cap- tured in the spirited engagement at Selma, Ala. in the spring of 1865. The Fourth Ohio cavalry at that time was serving under Gen. James Harrison Will son, on what was known as the Wilson raid," when this distinguished cavalry officer led about 18,00O veteran Union horsemen on a great campaign through the Confederacy, ending with the last battle of the war, which occurred at Co., lumbus, Ga, on the night of April 16. 1865
 This action of the veterans of the Fourth Ohio cavalry in returning to the Alabama regiment the battle flag cap tured at Selma has the approval of the Ohio legislature andof Governor Harmon. The men selected to carry the flag back to Alabama are John A. Pitts, who was private soldier in the Fourth Ohio cav airy, and now a well-known and wealthy retired merchant of Cincinnati. MT. Pitts enlisted in the Fourth Ohio cavalry when he was only about 19 years old and served until the end of the war, retaining the high rank of private. Nowadays he is the commander of the Fourth Ohio Cav airy association. Another member oflthe Fourth Ohio cavalry selected to accom- pany MT. Pitts is Capt. William W. Shoe- maker of Dayton, O., who also served during the entire war of 1S61-1S65 in the Fourth Ohio cavalry. He was desperately wounded, being shot through the body, a mimic ball entering his breast just below the breastbone, passed through his body and was cut out from just under the skin of his back.
 The time selected for the return of the battle flag is May F. at which time MT Pitts and Captain Shoemaker will carry the flag down to Selma and return it to it's former owners The fact of the return of this battle flag from Ohio to Alabama has created much interest here in Cincin- nati among those who are acquainted with the incident, and one distinguished lawyer of this city, in talking to MT. Pitts on the subject, expressing his hearty approval, said: 'I would give $50 to be permitted to go with you on this occasion and stand beside you and hold your hat while you return the flag to the Alabama veterans"
 A VETERAN OF 1S61-1s65.
 Cincinnati. O.. April [. 1909.