The Raymer enterprise., 1912-05-23

iooo, ! WaS lying III ralrIaf 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 | lay and to
the right OF me was 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 was short was lying so 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 he could look out OF the window. 1t seemed
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 request-he
wished to SO once more before he died the
flag floating at the head of the staff outsde
"'Darint.' he breathed. fervently, there ye
are an at tn top! Place God. ye shtill wave
onchallenged from Maine to Mexico'
Then followed In rush OF words the
things he had dreamed OF II before he had
ever seen It on Its native soil. He had prayed
that he and his loved ones might come under
Its benefcent folds to enjoy the perfect liberty
II promised. Now It was In peril and he was
dying for II. unable even to raise his weak.
ened hand and salute It. He bade the glorious
old banner goodbye, and. turning to the priest,
said:
Father. yell write to her nd break ut
glnty as ye kin! Sore will be her hear.rut
whin she knows thut Pat will come back no
more to her. nd tn bhoys. TIL her charge
her Wit me dying breat" to rear tn bhoys 80
that whn manhood comes TO thhim. and the
Tag should ivir made thin. they will give thfr
loives aven unto death. as thir fayther gives
his loife this day! n now. fayther, to me
souls salvation
I'm the gray dawn Of the following morning
commotion near my bed awoke me. Open.
Ing my eyes | saw them lit his lifeess 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 egp mo,
Well. Tim Regan was a son OF the Emerald
Isle who had gone to war with the 9th Massa.
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.
ceved the Idea Of making one He had a
new white wooen shirt and the others blue
ones. They pooled their slender amount Of
cash and persuaded an amiabe guard to pur.
chase for them some red and white woolen
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.
ton. butt represented Old Glory.
They gauged as we'll 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 Ard,
they clambered up among the rafters and
stretched their crude flag In the apax Of the
loft The next day they gathered In a circle
In the center OF the chamber and sang patri.
otic songs throughout the day. The guards
were little curious MS TO the cause OF the
unusual proceedings. but failed to discover the
banner above them. That night they took II
down. cut II into strips and divided Il among
themselves. Each thereafter wore a strip of
that dag around his body next his skin. and
as each was paroled be bore out with him his
fragment Of the banner
"Regan had tnken the precautIou To ascer.
tain the home address Of each man After the
war he corresponded with them or their sur.
vving relatives. and nnally-it was A werk
OF years dnration-had every bit OF the anv
back again. Again he sewed II toee,ber
Again he stood at salute before It. Now be
has gone to Join his comrades In tho great
beyond but the nng he made Ia securely
guarded from dust and decay In a glass cass