Valdez daily prospector., 1916-05-06

covered the little 1aa'hnr with boats, and the sheen of the .muskets, the uniforms of the officers, with the dark and lofty mountains ias "a background, ,N presented a novel and impressive pic ture. A short TOW and the Stars and Stripes were landed for the first time on our new territory. As soon as the soldiers were all landed, Gen eral Davis, with Hhe guard of honor, proceeded to the Governors house, the latter taking Iheir position on the left of the flag staff. Our soldiers now filed past, and ituDk ;thelr posi- tions on the left of the Russians, the latter presenting arms and ours re- turning the salMte.
 s.The battalion of United States troops was commanded by Brevet- Major C. O. Wood, of the Ninth in- fantry, the guard of honor by Lieu tenant J. E. Eastman, of the Second artillery: Company H, of the Second artillery, was commanded by Brevet- Captain J. B. McIntire; Company F, of the Ninth infantry, by Lieutenant M. c. Foot; Lieutenant c. P. Egan, of the Ninth infantry, and Lieutenant w. B. Livermore, Second artillery were with their respective companies. General Davis was attended by mem- bers of his staff, Brevet-Lieutenant- Colonel G. H. Weeks, assistant quar- termaster; Assistant Surgeon A. H. Hoff, and Lieutenant s. H. Kenney,, assistant adjutant general. The Rus sian infantry were commanded by Captain Helrousky.'
 And after describing the ceremon- ies of lowering the Russian flag, this says:
 "Our flag was now bent to the hal
 lizards by two American sailors and George Lowell Rosseau, lad of fif- teen and son of General Rosseau, as- sisted by a midshipman, raised the Stars and Stripes" slowly and sure l. to the head of the staff"
 Many of the soldiers and some of the officers who took part in the transfer remained in Alaska and be- came well known here. Edward Lu- decke, now in the Alaska Pioneers Home. who was then in the Ninth in- fantry, and member of Lieutenant Foote's command on the day of the transfer. is authority for the state ment that the flag used by the United States in the ceremonies of transfer was carried ashore by Corp. John Me Kinnon, afterwards well known in Juneau. Lieutenant Livermore was killed in a duel, oyer school teacher, by Lieutenant Foote, and is buried at Sitka. Lieutenant Kenney became short in his funds and committed sui eide at Sitka.
 William H. Davis, now in the Pio- neers' Home, who was member of the crew of the U. s. S. Alaska" when that vessel relieved the British ship Osprey" in the protection of the white people at Sitka from the In- dians fin 1879, states that when the Alaska was relieved by the James, downtown in 1880, Captain Maxwell was in command of the marines that came in the Jamestown and estab- lished the marine barracks at Sitka This is confirmed by William Marrett, also in the Pioneers Home, who was then a member of the U. s. s. Wau- chusetts. the ship that relieved the and also by old residents of Sitka, who were here at that time. It is not known whether or not Cap tain Maxwell was member of the Jamestown company at the time of the transfer, though it could be as- certained from the Navy Department, but it is certain it was not he who first raised the American flag in Alas ka.
 The flag used by our people in the was immediately returned to the State Department at Washington, where it has since been kept along withother historic souvenirs such as the Declaration of Independence.
 The cannons used by the Russians in firing their salute on the transfer are now mounted on the grounds of the Alaska Pioneers Home.
 
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