The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-06-24
PRICED As HISTORIC RELIC
Widow Of Lieutenant William w. Pet
tit Sends Back Flag to be Placed in
Public Museum When One Is Built
For the Kenosha People.

A priced historic relic of the ante
bellum days in Kenosha the banner
which the Park City Greys, the most
famous Of the old time military or
CARNATIONS of Kenosha, the banner
carried by the members of the old
company in the ffties when the Park
City Greys were members Of the Sixth
Regiment Of the First Brigade of the
second division of the Wisconsin
State Militia in those olden times
when there were rumors of war, came
back to Kenosha ON Thursday and it
Is being made part Of the interesting
historic collection Of Frank III. Lyman.
Mr.. Lyman is hopeful that some time
his collection will form the nucleus for
q great public historical museum in
Kenosha and the old banner of the
Park City Greys will be one of the
most interesting Of the contributions
to such museum. The beautiful dark
I blue silk banner, bearing on either
side thirty-two golden stars represent
ing the thirty-two states then in the
Union and having on one side an oil
painting of the great seal of the state
Eof Wisconsin and on the other a por-
trait in oil of Washington, has been
treasured keepsake of Mrs. William w.
! Petit of Brocton, New York, since the
days Of the civil war. Her husband,
the late Lieutenant William w. Petit,
was first lieutenant of the Park City
Greys in the old militia days and when
the company responded to the call to
60 in defense of the nation the ban
ner which had been presented to the
company by the ladies of Kenosha way
back in the ffties was placed in the
keeping Of Mrs. Petit. She had
guarded it with zeal ever since and
while more than sixty years old it is in
an excellent state of preservation.
The silken banner, while never
battle flag will awaken many mem
cries in the minds of the pioneer resi-
dents of Kenosha. The Park City
Greys as militia company were the
pets of Kenosha of the olden time and
many of the most prominent of the
women of the city aided in the making
of the banner which was carried on
all state occasions. At the head of
the company was Captain Donald
Cassius McVean, who led the Park
City Greys from Kenosha to Washing.
ton when the war broke out and who
gave loyal service for the Union arms
during the civil war. He lost a leg at
Chickamaugua and he was mustered
out a major; William W. Petit was
fthe first lieutenant of the company and
he won honors in actual warfare
lSecond Lieutenant Levi Rowland, now
living at Green Bay, also won fame in
the great.civil strife and he came back
with the title of major.
I The Park City Greys had the honor
lof being the first company of the Wis
Econsin state militia to offer it's serv-
Ices for the defense of Washington af-
ter the fal of Ft. Sumter. Within
an hour after the news came telling
of the fall of Ft. Sumter, Captain
McVean had wired the governor of
the state offering the services of the
Park City Greys to the nation. The
Emonths' service as Company G Of the
First Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry.
\ On the return from Washington MANY
of the members of the company rein
listed for three years as members of
! Company p Of the First Wisconsin
and others went out as members of
the First Wisconsin Cavalry which had
its recruiting ground near Kenosha.
There are less than a dozen of the
members of the old militia company
living now, but most of them are in
Kenosha and the sight of the old ban
ner, which is to be made part of the
military display for the Home Coming
will bring to these men flood of
memories of their boyhood and young
imanhood.
Members of the Park City Greys
now living in Kenosha include Philip
! Harman, Charles A. Leonard, Ezra
Simmons, John Frenz, Myron A. Baker
The other two survivors of the company
ARE Major Levi Rowland of Green Bay
and James Brigeman, who is living at
Chamberlain, s. D. Of the members
of Company E which was recruited
largely from the lists Of the Park City
Greys there survive Isaac Knight, vii.
liam Newhouse, Philip Wade, Philip
Harman, Frank DeDiemar and Horace
Chaffee.
Another jitney accident was report