The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-22
"BLACK FLAG" IS
 GIVEN REGIMENT
Interesting War Story Is Told
 By Captain Draper
BATTLE IN NORTH ALABAMA
Two Weeks After the Surrender of Lee an Engagement Was Fought at Oxford and Several Were
 Killed on Each Side.

Anniston, February 21.-(SpeciaL)- | recent article sent out from this city with reference to the Misses Todd and the fact that Mrs. Abraham Lincoln was in this state at the outbreak of the Civil War has inspired a sentiment of reminiscence within Capt. Joshua Dra- per, veteran of the Lost Cause, resd- ing at Oxford, who tells most interest ing story of that sanguinary struggle, citing what he considers the only incl , dent during the war in which the "black flag was presented. the presentation hay ing been made by Miss Todd, the sister of Mrs. Lincoln, who later married L. H. R. Dawson, national commissioner of education under Cleveland.
 It is said that this incident took place about July l, 1862 The F1fty-first Ala bama cavalry, the regiment of the late Gen. John T. Morgan. was bivouaclSing at Oxford at the time, and Miss Todd came up from Selma with a party for the special purpose of presenting the flag. It was beautiful piece of work, Captain Draper said, but on the bottom of it was a black strip, bearing these words:
 I've will Neither Give Nor Receive | Pardon.''
 Both the acceptance and the presenta- tion were attended by considerable pomp, it is said, the address of the young lieu l tenant who received the emblem being particularly eloquent. The ceremonies | took place near the present site of Ok l ford college and in making his address of acceptance the young officer mounted stump He stated that he would ac l cept it on behalf of his company, and would give the assurance that 1t would never be trailed in the dust, but that und0 the terms of civil war the black appel ,age would have to be removed, which was done.
 Some Unpublished History. l Captain Draper confirmed the story of Mrs. Lincoln's visit to Alabama and fur nished some interesting data on General Croxton's raid through this section of the state, an authentic account of which 1 has never been completely given. One of 1 the last battles of the war was fought here, he says, two weeks after Lees sur render, General Croxton having arrived on April 22, 1865. After burning the old 1 Alabama furnace, then leased by the
 
 of manufacturing munitions of war, l Croxtons band engaged a number of l wounded Confederates in the streets of l Oxford, as 8 result of which one Federal soldier and his horse were killed and two Confederates taken prisoners.
 An Exalted Friendship.
 Oxford was at this time a commissary post and it was Captain Clark officer in charge, who shot the Yankee soldier, 1 he and his secretary a private by the name of Lloyd, likewise being the prison | CTS; and in connection with their capture | Captain Draper relates an Incident of exalted fraternal fidelity which rivals the beautiful story of Damon and Pythias In the swirmish Captain Clark and Lloyd were widely separated, Lloyd be- ing the first captured, his death follow | ing a few hours later. As soon as he | was taken he was accused of shooting the Federal, and while denying the deed, he refused to give the name of the per- son who did the shooting, who he knew was his beloved captain. He was offered his life for the information but his faith toward his friend was steadfast and, after being given an opportunity to run for his life,' in which he almost effected his liberty, he was shot to death in an old | alley, thus dying a vicarious death through the love he bore for the man under whom he fought. Captain Clark was later paroled by his captors and on his return to Oxford he furnished the first news that that post had received of the end of the war.
 i After the first engagement at Oxford. Croxton went north to Jacksonville then to White Plains, returning by way of Oxford and proceeding to Choccolocco. where he destroyed Mallory's thread mill and Wilson's factory on the Tallapoosa river.