Capture of Confederate Flag by 35th New York

Miles Krisman

Sergeant
Joined
Feb 15, 2012
The Capture of the Confederate Colors of the 9th Alabama by the 35th New York at Antietam, is noted in a letter that was reprinted in a newspaper article. The person that wrote the letter committed a pair of murders in Quebec after supposedly returning from serving in the Federal army. In another article it is stated that he in fact had boasted about jumping his bounty and had engaged in the crimping business. The article/letter is reprinted from another paper, the Montreal Witness.

Top of second page, middle column:

The Last Hope of Barreau.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=vuU-T12QLgwC&dat=18651027&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

It is unlikely that the 35th NY met the 9th Alabama at Antietam, but the 35th NY did capture some Confederate Colors. Can anyone provide details on the capture? The man that said he made the capture was Stanislas Beneaux (aka Stanislaus Barreau).
 
The Capture of the Confederate Colors of the 9th Alabama by the 35th New York at Antietam, is noted in a letter that was reprinted in a newspaper article. The person that wrote the letter committed a pair of murders in Quebec after supposedly returning from serving in the Federal army. In another article it is stated that he in fact had boasted about jumping his bounty and had engaged in the crimping business. The article/letter is reprinted from another paper, the Montreal Witness.

Top of second page, middle column:

The Last Hope of Barreau.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=vuU-T12QLgwC&dat=18651027&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

It is unlikely that the 35th NY met the 9th Alabama at Antietam, but the 35th NY did capture some Confederate Colors. Can anyone provide details on the capture? The man that said he made the capture was Stanislas Beneaux (aka Stanislaus Barreau).
They were in Marsena Patrick's brigade so it would have been in the West Woods/Cornfield area. There was a 9th Louisiana in the area but I don't know if they lost their colors or not.

R
 
Just to clarify the OP is based on a topic that I started on a different message board, in particular the following post:
9th Alabama at Antietam
As you can see some of it is taken word-for-word from what I posted. I certainly have no problem with the subject getting wider attention, but plagiarism - even if only a few lines from a message board - and not citing sources is poor form. Thanks to the assistance on the other board the Alabama regiment in question appears to be the 47th. I still have other sources to consult, unfortunately since they are not digitized in some cases it will take some time before I get to them.
 
Ken, I sincerely apologize for the "plagiarism" from your query on the other message board. I assure you my intent was simply to seek the "wider attention" you noted. For expedience sake, I copied and pasted. Sorry....just trying to help!
 
A quick scan of the roster of the 35th New York shows Henry Rich served as Captain, Company E from July, 1861, until his resignation on December 12, 1862. No record of a Stanislaus Barreau appears, but there is an entry for Dennis Barrow, aged 18 when he enlisted in 1861 and also in Company E. Both men enrolled in Watertown NY, which is 20 - 25 miles from the St. Lawrence River and the Quebec border. The roster indicates Barrow mustered out with his company in June, 1863, and later enlisted in the 18th Cavalry (NY). The 18th New York Cavalry shows an August 1863 enlistment and October 1863 muster in. The 18th shows no further record of him.
 
From the New York Civil Regiments website.
http://dmna.ny.gov/historic/reghist/civil/infantry/35thInf/35thInfCWN.htm

COMPANY E OF THE 35TH REGIMENT.—A correspondent of the Utica Herald furnishes these particulars concerning this Company which reached home yesterday.

It originally numbered 84 enlisted men. It has had 32 men added to it by recruiting, and comes out with only 43 men—a loss of 68 men, made up as follows:
Transferred, 25; killed in battle and died, 13. deserted, 7; discharged for wounds and physical disability, 23; total, 68.
It has participated in all the battles of its regiment, and has lost more men in battle than any other company of equal numbers in the regiment. The rebel flag captured at Antietam by the 35th, was taken by Stanislaus Berreaux, of this company. The flag is on exhibition at the Great Wardrobe Clothing Store in Watertown.
The final organization of the company was as follows:
Captain, John A. Haddock; First Lieutenant, John Budlong; Second Lieutenant, James H. Cramer; First Sergeant, Minor Moran; Second Sergeant, Henry Baird; Third do., Gustav Porst; Fourth do., James Camron; Fifth do., Thomas Farrell.
Most of the man will re-enlist. Capt. Haddock, it will be remembered, was dismissed from the army on the demand of Lord Lyons, for arresting deserters in Canada. He has remained with his company, however, to the last moment, in order that their muster-out might be satisfactorily completed, and returned to Watertown with them. The President has given Capt. Haddock a new commission as Captain, over his own signature, and he has been assigned to duty under the conscription act.
 
I'm the one who needs to apologize for my over-reaction.

Ken, I sincerely apologize for the "plagiarism" from your query on the other message board. I assure you my intent was simply to seek the "wider attention" you noted. For expedience sake, I copied and pasted. Sorry....just trying to help!
 
Thank you for the information in both posts. I googled "Dennis Barrow" along with "Maine Cavalry" and ended up with this from the CWSSS:

Baseau, Stanlius
BATTLE UNIT NAME: 35th Regiment, New York Infantry
SIDE: Union
ALTERNATE NAME: Dennis/Barrow

The CWSSS is almost impossible to work with on my computer now, so I'll have to wait to get to another computer to investigate further. So he was in the cavalry, but not with Maine after all, and not as an officer.

A quick scan of the roster of the 35th New York shows Henry Rich served as Captain, Company E from July, 1861, until his resignation on December 12, 1862. No record of a Stanislaus Barreau appears, but there is an entry for Dennis Barrow, aged 18 when he enlisted in 1861 and also in Company E. Both men enrolled in Watertown NY, which is 20 - 25 miles from the St. Lawrence River and the Quebec border. The roster indicates Barrow mustered out with his company in June, 1863, and later enlisted in the 18th Cavalry (NY). The 18th New York Cavalry shows an August 1863 enlistment and October 1863 muster in. The 18th shows no further record of him.
 
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If a unit had their colors taken does that mean they were just completely decimated and overran? Or could they have just been really unlucky and the color bearer dropped it or was killed as the unit was moving or something and it got snatched by the enemy? I suppose any of those is possible and everything in between.

I can't imagine what losing your colors would do to a group of soldiers morale.
 
This flag was captured by the 35 NY and is identified by the New York State Military Being as being probably the flag of the 47th Alabama.

https://dmna.ny.gov/historic/btlflags/other/CSA_1stNational_47thAlabama1995.0303.htm
According to the American Civil War Museum in Richmond, this flag of the 47th Alabama is the one captured at Antietam. It is Richmond Depot second wool bunting issue, which would have been correct for the the time period.

wd%20081.jpg


Flag of the 47th Alabama Infantry (tentative). Believed captured at the battle of Sharpsburg, Maryland, September 17, 1862 by the 35th New York Infantry. Identification based upon modern research.
http://moconfederacy.pastperfectonline.com/webobject/65253A0D-8CFB-489E-B1BA-411419027300
 
If a unit had their colors taken does that mean they were just completely decimated and overran? Or could they have just been really unlucky and the color bearer dropped it or was killed as the unit was moving or something and it got snatched by the enemy? I suppose any of those is possible and everything in between.

I can't imagine what losing your colors would do to a group of soldiers morale.
Often that was the case - the color bearer or multiple bearers shot down and the flag left behind in all the smoke and confusion. In other instances the colors were snatched right out of the color bearer's hands or the bearer killed or captured in close-quarters combat and the flag taken. Or a large portion of a regiment overrun, captured and the colors surrendered. Most regiments went through about 3 or 4 flags throughout the war, either through capture or replacement. Those that were always in the thick of things tended to go through a number of them.
 
Taking the colors of a Confederate regiment meant you were eligible for a Medal of Honor. Was he awarded one?
 
The records of the Basilique Notre Dame in Montreal as shown on Ancestry.com show the enterrement (burial) Stanislas Barreau. The record states, as far as my limited ability to read French script goes, that Barreau was buried on the 18th day of November, 1865, and was aged twenty three at the time.
 
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