The daily Alaskan., 1916-05-12
WHO RAISED THE
 FLAG AT SIEkA
sITKA RESIDENT SAYS A BOY
Brings Forth DocumeptaFT Evidence That American Flag was Raised During the Transfer Ceremonies By Son of General Rosseau.
 "a srrFi U. 70 rffh'H.-

The story recently puoIBnen ln a number of Alaska newspaperB of the death, at Urbana, Ohio, of Mar cellus Jennings Maxwell, who was credited with having been the man in Alaska brings the following in- teresting communication from sitka who ri.st raissd the, American flag to the Juneau Empire: =.
 A good many Alaska flag raisers have been reported from time to time. and, in the interest of accu- racy, l think this matter should be put straight. In Executive Docu- ments No. 97 to No. 1SO, Second Session 10th Congresa 1S67-6S evsry Incident connected with the transfer from Russia is officially chronicled in detail
 The ships in Sitka harbor at the time of the tranOter were the Flag sgiD Osstpee, Captain Emmons, troop ship John L. Stephens, Cap tain Dall; men of war Resaca, Caotain Bradford, and Jamestown, Captain McDougall; Revenue Cut ter Lincoln, Captain White; Mer- chant ship Buena Vista from san Francisco; merchant ship Name luke from the Sandwich Islands, and two steamships and three sailing vessels belonging to the Russian American Company.
 Major General Lowell H. RoS- seau, the Commissioner of Trans fsr on the part of the United States, 'n his report of thetransfer to Sec retary Seward said:
 The command oF General Jeff c. Davis, about two hundred and fifty strrng, in full uniform armed and handsomely equipped, were landed about three o'clock, and marched up to the top Of the emiRence on wnic', stands the Governors house, whsTe the transfer was to be made. At the same time, a company of Russian soldiers were marched on the ground, and took their places up Cu the left of the flagstaff, from which the Russian flag was then floating. Tho command of General Davis was formed, under his dIrec- ti9n5 on the right
 "The United states flag to be raised cn the occasion was in care of color guard-7a lieutenant, sergeant and ten men of General Davis command
 After decribing the double nation- al salute from alternate guns from the Russian and American batteries, General Rosseau continues:
 "The United Stats flag (ths one giyen 10 me for that purpose, by your direction at Washington was thep. properly attached and began i's ascent, holsted by my private secretary, George Lowell ROsseau, and again the salutes were fired as before, the Russian battery leading oft" l. ,,
 The correspondent of the Alta California, who accompanied the expedition, n his letter describing the transfer, said:
 "At three o'clock the Russian troops took their position directly in front of the Governors house, on the right Of the government flag staff, fir mast, 100 feet high. At the same moment, our troops embarked in the launches belong ing 10 the meu-of-war, the boat of General Davis, with the flag and guard of honor, taking the lead. This movement covered the little harbor with boats, and the sheeR of the mueke+s, the uniforms of the officers, with the dark and lofty mountains as Q background, pre- scented a novel and impressive pic ture. 4 short TOW and the Stars and Stripes were landed for the frs time ca our new territory. As soon l as the soldiers were all landed, General DaYia with the guard oi honor, proceeded to the Governor house, the latter taking their DO, sition on the left of the flag staff Our soldiers now filed past, and | took their positiona on che Jeff 1 of tfe Russians, the latter present l ing arms and ours returning the | salute. | "The battalion of United statel | troops was commanded by Brevet | Major c c. Wood, of the Ninth in, | fantry, the guard of honor by ' Lieutenant J. E. Bastmn, of thC i Second artillery; Company H, of tn | Second artillery, was commanded b, ! RreVet-C CaDta}u q R McIntire. Com