Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-07-29
VERMONT KEPT ITS coLoRs.
Lost None In Civil War-Ninth Cut FLAG
Up to Save It-Statement by Gen. Rip



Vermont claims to be one of the few
northern states which lost no colors 10
the Confederate forces during the Civil
war. Mrs. Mary a. Livermore's state
ment of this fact recently aroused queries
as to its authenticity, and evidence in
its support has been forthcoming. In her
book. THE History of the Flags" Mrs.
| Livermore writes:
mo soldiers performed more valiant
service in the rebellion than did the Green
Mountain boys. Not a single flag did
they surrender to the enemy during the
four years of the rebellion"
Gen. Theodore S. Peck of Burlington
gives Vermont's contribution to the
Union armies as follows: Sixteen reg
iments of infantry, one regiment and one
company of heavy artillery, one regiment
of cavalry and two companies OF cavalry,
three companies of sharpshooters and one
band.
The 9th regiment was captured at
Harper's Ferry Sept. 10, 1862, and there
has been considerable curiosity as to what
became of its colors. Gen. Edward II.
Ripley, former colonel OF the regiment
denies that the regiments colors or any
portion Of them fell into the enemy's
hands. He writes:
AT the time the white flag went up
Stannard swore bitter oath that we
would never surrender without an effort
to escape. He double-quicked the reGi-
ment down the bank of the Shenandoah
with the intention of rushing the pontoon
bridge into Maryland When within 400
or 800 feet of its head we were intercepted
by a Union and rebel 4. d. c., and
ordered back to our place in line for the
surrender
while Stannard was engaged In a
vigorous refusal to obey the order we
officers got about the colors and dis
cussed what was to be done with them.
The first proposition was to wind them
about the bodies of the color sergeants.
This was an old trick and might not
work. We then took out our knives and
slit them up. I got my share, and
piece of ii can be seen in my war col
lection in Memorial hall. Rutland.
Some years after the war a story was
in circulation that a portion of the colors
of the 9th regiment had been found in
Richmond and returned by the war de-
partment to the state Of Vermont.
This was a profound mystery for
years and / could not see how II could
be true. I have since been informed by
Gen. l. G. Kingsley, who was quarter
master general OF Vermont at the time,
there was a blue state flag OF either
Maryland or Virginia among them, which
may have given rise to the rumor.
1T wish to state positively that the 9Th
regiment lost no colors to the Confeder-
ates at Harper's Ferry. and consequently
the claim that the state never lost
color is true.
Let me add that the 9Th regiment did
not participate in the formal act Of sur
render as the parade was all over and
the troops dismissed long before we re-
turned to our camp, which we found
filled with Confederate troops.
1.-THE 9th Vermont had a personal and
private surrender. after making the only
effort to escape or have fight first, and
if not interrupted, we would have been in
Maryland in 10 minutes. where we would
have found our fight, as Armstead's brig
ade was in position around the point OF
MARYLAND Heights on the road to Fred
ericlS."