The National tribune., 1911-01-05
THE FIRST REBEL FLAG.

THE FIRST REBEL FLAG.
The Flag Captured at Columbia-Tht
Display of the Rebel Flags, Picture:
and Other Relics of the ..Lost Cause
at Washington.
Editor National Tribune: In reply tc
Comrade Ed. d. Lunt Co. B, 18th Iowa
1t is plain he is not familiar with all the
facts relating to the capture of Colum.
bia, S. c. The National Tribune has
been full for years of letters from com
rades about the first regiment thai
camped around the Capitol Building ir
Columbia, S. c., Feb. II, 1865.
/ confess l did not see everything go
ing on that day was in Columbia, s
C.-aiso that 1 did not see every Union
soldier who was the first in that city
There is one thing / am certain Of;
was in the best of health, in my right
mind, eyes open, hands on my gun, and
ready to shout IL any excuse for so do
ing was presented. The inaccuracies
the comrade mentioned are the result
of his lack of knowledge of the facts
and his intense desire to clear the name
of Lieut. Goodrell.
1t is stupid for cOmrade to quote
the report of Belknap and not see that
to reach Columbia, S. c., Belknap COM
manding Third Brigade, Fourth Divi-
sion, Seventeenth Army Corps" A de-
tachment from that brigade was the
first to enter the city, part of which was
in possession of the Johnnies, and they
planted the u. S. Flag over the State
House, and it did not occur to Belknap
to report that Goodrell captured the
traitor flag from the State House, or
which one of the State Houses, for
there were the old State House and the
new Capitol, a distinction made at that
time in which the rebs designated the
old building as the State House, as 1t
was occupied by them. and the new
as the new Capitol, it not be-
ing finished There was a company of
young mcn-the Capital CadetS-guard-
ing the new State Capitol.
Now this friend and comrade of
Goodrich says, 1T is a safe bet If Lieut..
GoodreIi took rebel flag" etc, he
captured 1t from the Johnnies. | read
the memorandum of Goodrich on the
palmetto flag in Iowa City, Iowa, Muse
um Hall, and IL stated. Captured by
w. H Goodreil," and / think he told
me he got it at Columbia. s. C. l knew
Goodrich while he was Assistant Post
master in Iowa City, Iowa, and we talk
ed over the Columbia (S. c. affair. He
admitted to me he got the flag from a
man in the new State Capitol, who was
out of the building, and he
thought he was going to burn it, and
he told him it was Governme Mt
property and that Gen. Belknap order
ed him to get that flag. if Bill Good
rell pulled that flag down, why did he
not say so on the tag he placed on 1t
when he gave II to the Iowa City Mu
scum, and why did not Belknap report
the fact that Goodrell took flag from
the new State House?
The Two Capitols.
Many letters have been written by
of the 18th WIS, who claimed
to be the first soldiers stationed around
the State House: then also many let
ters written by soldiers of the 31st H.,
stating that they were the first soldiers
stationed at the Capitol Now, ] re-
well seeing both the 18th Wis.
Capitol, the other-was at the old State
House. would not say for sure. but my
now is that the nth Wis.
was at the new Capitol and the 31st
i'll. at the old State House, but other
regiments came afterward and camped.
I know that my comrade and l stayed
In the City of Columbia, 8. c., all day
until s p. M, and then went to our
regiment.
Goodrell did not report his capture to
Belknap, and II he did, he and Belknap
decided to conceal the fact and keep
the flag. for Goodrell did say to Elder:
That flag is United States property,
and / am chief of Gen. Belknap's staff,
who Is in command of this city"
Thomas Elder was a Sergeant of Co.
G, goth Ohio. He and l were on forage
detail, Lieut.. Phillips, Co. G, goth Ohio,
In command, and we entered the city
before a single cotton bale was set on
fire. / wore Confederate Majors uni
form coat: Elder was in a Union blue
suit, and we passed many Confederate
soldiers and citizens. None questioned
us. We stood in front of the big Cath
gade march in the city, Gen. Belknap
and that, of all the war,
is in my mind fresh, for we did not in
dulge in any red liquor, but saw many
who did and perished in that fire. The
inference is correct, as Comrade Lunt
says. He claimed the flag as the Off
Ger of Belknap's staff for and as the
captured property of the u. S. Govern
ment converted to his own use, and
claimed the credit of capturing IT, as
the only man who had anything to do
with it. The part he took is a matter
OF history. On that flag is written BY
Bill Goodrell himself and disputed by
myself personally with Goodrell in 1881,
which was properly a history OF John
son County, Iowa, and / had access to
the Iowa Historical Society rooms and
the museum when the flag was then
disputed, being manager of the work of
writing the history of Johnson County.
Iowa, 1881-1882.
One fact is on record in the war Office.
was there Feb. II, 1866, on military
duty. The only record of Goodrelrs
nVn IN
himself on that flag. VIII Comrade
Lunt please tell us why Belknap and
Goodreil did not report the capture of
that flag, how they got it and when
and where and why 1t was taken to
Iowa City, Iowa? No report even made
of it, only Goodrell's memorandum
made In 1879 when he placed 1t in the
Iowa City Uowa) Museum.
You will observe Goodrell was on
Belknap's staff. II that flag had been
captured by any company or regiment,
the report made officially by the COM
pany officer would show who person.
ally engaged In the conflict but Good
rell tells his own story. He got the
flag is fact, but he does not tell how.
Do you suppose for a moment If Good
rell climbed up In the steeple of that
new State House and pulled down that
flag, he would fail to tell how he did
it7 That report of Belknap's says
that William 81. Goodrell and H. c.
Macarthur. Of the 18th Iowa, both on
Cen; Cen 6slknnp' Hak -. stat, sta planted the y. s.
certain they did. for Elder and 1 both
observed two officers going In the old
State HOUSE and putting up q nag,
There was no Nag up on the new Capl-