The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-02-18
AN HISTORIC COLOR.
Regimental Flag of the "Royal Auieri-
cans"

Icllos
An instance of international goodfel-
lowship was celebrated Sunday, Jan. .,
in eolorful setting on the parade
grounds at Governor island and i'm
pressively concluded in the quaint lit
tie chapel of ST. Cornelius the Centu-
rion. 1t was the formal acceptance by
the rector, wardens and vestrymen OF
Trinity church Of the original colors OF
the Kings Royal Rifle corps OF Great
Britain, which vas first known as the
Royal American regiment and which
was stationed at Governors island
from 1856 until 1888.
The formal presentation of the coiors
was made by Emile A. Hart, great
grandson Of General Aaron Hart, who
was commissary to General Sir JET
frey Amherst OF the Royal American
regiment. The colors, which were pre-
sented to the first battalion of the Roy
al American regiment in l78S, were for
mallv accepted by Rev. DIR. William /.
Manning, rector OF Trinity church and,
after being blessed and dedicated, were
hung with appropriate ceremonies
above the high altar OF the chapel
The Royal American regiment was
established in 1856 by order of King
George II. 1t was differed by foreign
ers recruited entirely in what now are
the states of Maryland, Virginia and
Pennsylvania. Its object was to meet
the advances Of the Indians by com
bination of the training of experienced
soldiers and the experience and wood
craft of scouts. The regiment had an
honorable record 1t was in engage
ments at Bushy Run, Pa, under Col
onel Henri Bouquet; at Louisburg in
1858, at Quebec in 1889 and later at
Montreal and Charleston. Following
the fall of Quebec in 1850 and the cap
ture Of Montreal by the British the
then regimental commander, Colonel
Haldimand, was selected as military
governor of Montreal. The regimental
march, which was composed during
Colonel Colonel Haldimand's tenure OF
command, was played yesterday at the
conclusion of the ceremonies.
The historic colors were carried by
the regiment in Canada, in Jamaica
and to the Cape of Good Hope. In 1915
they became the property of Lieuten-
ant Colonel Alexander Andrews, the
commanding officer. A descendant of
his later presented the colors to Colonel
Walter Holbeck, a succeeding com
mander, and Colonel Holbeck's widow
presented the colors TO the regiment,
now known as the Kings Royal Rifles.
II was through the courtesy of Colonel
Butler, commanding officer of the
Kings Royal Rifles, and Field Marshal
Grenfell, colonel conmandant, that
the colors are now returned to America
to be hung in the chapel of Governors
island, where the regiment was sta
toned in the early days Of its exist
ence
The deed Of gift by which the trans
fer is made follows:
"The officers and men OF the Kings
Royal Rifle corps have the honour to
request that the accompanying regi-
mental colour which was presented to
the first battalion in l7ss, under its
original name of the Royal American
regiment, may be taken in charge by
the rector, church wardens and vestry-
men Of Trinity church, New York, and
be deposited in the chapel of St Cor
nelius the Centurion, Governors is
land, in memory of the fact that Gov
errors island was the depot of the
regiment from 1856 to 1888. and Trim
ity church that in which the officers
and men habitually worshipped.
1T is hoped also that this colour may
serve as a memento Of the fact that
the Royal American regiment and the
regiments of New York fought shout
der 70 shoulder not only during the
many years of warfare which ended in
the conquest of New France and the
subsection Of the Indian tribes border
ing on the Great Lakes; but also, after
the lapse Of a century and a half,