The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1912-05-30

1868. was lying In Fairfax Seminary Hos
pital In the suburbs OF Alexandria. Va was
part OF the wreckage OF the second battle OF
Bull Run. In the ward In which I lay and to
the right Of q comrade seriously
wounded. He. too. was a son 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. I was lying that had
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 be could look out OF the window. II seemed
a strange request but without hesitation the
priest obeyed. And then. as Pat turned his
gaze upon the world without his window. We
became aware Of the reason OF his reduest-he
wished to Sc once more before he died the
flag floating at the head OF the STAFF outside!
"'Darlint. he breathed. fervently. there We
are an at tn top, Place God ye shtl wave
onchallenged from Maine to Mexico,
Then followed in a rush Of words the
things he had dreamed of It before he had
ever seen II on its native soil. lie had prayed
that he and his loved ones might come under
its beuefcent folds to enjoy the perfect liberty
Il promised Now II was in peril and he
dying for II. unable to raise his weak
ened hand and salute II. He babe the glorious
Olu DduueT SOOu-Oye, anu, turning 10 tne priest.
said:
Father yen write to her nd break ut
gintly ye kin. Sore will be her hear-rut
whin she knows thut Pat will come back no
more to her. nd tn bhoys. Till her charge
her wit me dying breat" to rear tn bhoys so
that whin manhood comes to thhim. and the
flag should ivir made thin. they will give thir
loves aven unto death. as thir fayther gives
his loife this day! N now. tayther. to me
souls salvation
TN the gray dawn OF the following morning
a commotion near my bed awoke me. Open.
ing my eyes I saw them lift his lifeless form
and carry II out OF the ward"
Did you ever hear OF Tim Regan's aag"
continued the old veteran who paid as his
price OF duty TO his country both legs. mo!
Well. Tim Regan was a son OF the Emerald
Isle who had gone to war with the 9th Msssa
chusetts Volunteer Infantry. He with many
other Union soldiers. lay In Libby prison as
that Fourth OF July drew near They chated
In spirit at the thought Of passing the Fourth
without even a sight OF the Gag Tim con
ceived the Idea OF making one. He had
new white wooden shirt and the Others blue
ones. They POOLED their slender amount o.
cash and persuaded amlable guard to pur
chase Tor them some red and white wooden
goods, on the pretext that they wanted to
make them up into shirts. Out OF this ma
terial they fashioned a flag crude In construc
tion, tut~it represented Old Glory.
They gagged well as they could the door
Of the loft Of the prison and the probable
height to which the patrolling guard might
raise bis vision. Then. the night OF the 3rd
they clambered up among the rafters and
stretched their crude flag In the apex OF the
loft. The next day they gathered In a circle
In the center OF the chamber and sang patri.
otto songs throughout the Cay. The guards
were little curious as to the cause OF the
unusual proceedings. but failed TO discover the
banner above them. That night they took IL
down. cut II into strips and divided II among
themselves. Each thereafter wore a strip Of
that dag around his body next his skin. and
as each was paroled he bore out with him bis
fragment OF the banner.
"Regan had taken the precaution to ascer.
tain the home address OF each man After the
war he correspondent with them or their sur.
vtving relatives. and nnally--it was a work
OF years duration-had every bit OF the Dag
back again. Again he sewed II together
Again he stood at salute before H. Now he
has gone TO Join his comrades In the great
beyond. but the Gag he made is securely
guarded from dust and decay 10 a glass case