Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1912-05-24


pital in the suburbs Of Alexandria. Va |
part of the wreckage of the second battle OF
Bull Run In the ward in which | lay and to
the right of me a comrade seriously
wounded. He, too, was of Ireland He
was the life of the ward and he smiled and
joked and laughed, confident Of his recovery.
One day the surgeon notified the visiting
priest that he had better inform Pat that his
time short. ! lying that / had a
good view of his face when the priest broke
the dread news to him He choked in his
throat in an effort to master himself and then
asked the good father to wheel his bed around
so he could look out of the window. 1t seemed
a strange request. but without hesitation the
priest obeyed. And then as Pat turned his
gaze upon the world without his window,
became aware Of the reason of his request-he
wished to Sc once more before he died the
flag floating at the head of the staff outsde
'Darlint.' he breathed, fervently. there We
are an at tn top! Place God. We shtil wave
onchallenged from Maine to Mexico!
Then followed In rush Of words the
things he had dreamed of 1t before he had
ever seen It on its native soil. lie had prayed
that he and his loved ones might come under
Its benefcent folds to enjoy the perfect liberty
1t promised Now 1t In peril and he was
dying for It. unable to raise his weak
ened hand and salute it. He babe the glorious
old banner goodbye, and. turning to the priest
said:
gintly as We kin? Sore will be her hear-rut
whin she knows thut Pat will come back no
more to her. nd tn bhoys. Till her I charge
her wit me dying breat" to rear tn bhoys so
that whin manhood comes to thhim, and the
flag should vir made thin. they will give thir
loves aven unto DEATH as thir fayther gives
his lotfe this day! N now, fayther. to me
souls salvation
I'm the gray dawn of the following mulnine
a commotion near my bed awoke me. Open.
ing my eyes saw them lift his lifeless form
and carry 1t out of the ward"
Did you ever hear Of Tim Regan's fag?"
continued the old veteran who paid as his
price OF duty to hs country both legs MOI
Well. Tim Regan was a son of the Emerald
Isle who had gone to war with the 9th MHssa.
chusetts Volunteer Infantry. He with many
other Union soldiers lay in Libby prison as
that Fourth OF July drew near They chafed
In spirit at the thought Of passing the Fourth
without even sight Of the flag Tim CON
ceived the idea of making one. He had
new white WOODEN shirt and the others blue
ones. They pooled their slender amount Of
cash and persuaded amiabe guard to pur
chase Tor them some red and white woolep
goods. on the pretext that they wanted to
make them lip into shirts Out of this ma
terial they fashioned flag. crude in cnnstruc.
ton. butt represented Old Glory
They gauged well as they could the door
of the loft of the prison and the prohahl
height to which the natrniling guard might
raise his vision Then, the night nj the 2rd
they clambered np among the rafters and
stretched their crude flag in the apex NJ the
Tort The next day they gathered In circle
In the center of the chamber and sang patri
Otto songs throughout the a1Y The guards
were little e11rnns as IN he cause of the
unusual proceedings but fail To discover tho
banner above them That night they tnnk II
down. cut u into strips and divided 1t among
themselves Each thereafter wore strip Of
thaf nag around his hndv next his skin and
as each WAS rAroled he bore ont with him his
fragment Of the banner
"Regan had taken The precaution ~ 49,.
tain me nome address Of each man After the
war he rorresnnnded with them or their sur
vivine relatives. and hnallv-it was work
NJ years duraftnn-had every bit or the flag
oack again Again he sewed It together
Again be stood at salute before It. Now he
has gone to ioin his comrades In the great
oeFonh, hut the nag he made Ia securely
guarded from dust and decay IN glass case