Captured Conferate Flags

[Ole Miss]

Amid my ramblings I found this really interesting article in the August 1893 issue of Confederate Magazine about captured Confederate Flags held by the War Department in DC. I know little about the fate, restoration and collection of Confederate Flags except the Old Museum of the Confederacy had a vast collection of the old banners and was restoring them as funds allowed.

Hopefully many of our members may expound on this matter for the education of many others such as myself.
Regards
David

CONFEDERATE FLAGS AT WASHINGTON.
The following list of flags in the War Department at Washington will he perused with interest. They were nearly all captured in battle, and the hero is given in every known instance. Every fellow who captured a Confederate flag in battle was a hero, and the Veteran is pleased to give the credit. Abbreviations are made from the Government report, which was kindly procured by Mr. K. F. Dahlgren, of Atlanta. It is suggested that co-operative action be had at the Birmingham reunion in behalf of restoring these flags to the survivors of the commands surrendering them. This list to be completed in September.

The following list of flags in the War Department at Washington will he perused with interest. They were nearly all captured in battle, and the hero is given in every known instance. Every fellow who captured a Confederate flag in battle was a hero, and the Veteran is pleased to give the credit.
Abbreviations are made from the Government report, which was kindly procured by Mr. K. F. Dahlgren, of Atlanta. It is suggested that co-operative action be had at the Birmingham reunion in behalf of restoring these flags to the survivors of the commands surrendering them. This list to be completed in September.

Fifth Ala. Reg., by 111th Pa., at Chancellorsville, Va.. May 3, 1863.
Sixth Ala. Reg., by B. F. Davis, 22d Mass.
Eleventh Ala. Reg., by Isaac Springer, at Newmarket Roads.
Eleventh Ala. Inf.. by 57th N. V.
Thirteenth Ala. Reg., by Co. C. 1st Del.
Fourteenth Ala. Reg.
Sixteenth Ala. Reg., by A. Greenawalt, Co. G., 104th Ohio.
Eighteenth Ala. Reg., by Lieut. S. F. Josselyn, 13th 111., at Mission Ridge, Nov. 25, 186
Thirty-eighth Ala., at Missionary Ridge, Nov. 25, 1863, by 2d Ohio Reg.
Thirty-eighth Ala. Reg., at Resacca, May 15, 1864, by Capt'. Box., Co. D. 27th Ind.
'Forty-first Ala., by Corp. F. W. Lutes, Co. I». 111th N. V.. Petersburg. March 31, 1865.
Forty-eighth Ala.
Colors of Clanton's Ala. Brig., by 2d Ind. Cav., near Montgomery, Ala., April 12, 1865.
Sixth Ark., by Sergt. John W. Dean, Co. C.. 17th Ind., at Macon. Ga.
Eighth and Nineteenth Ark. Regs.
Sixth and Seventh Ark., by Private Henry D. Mattingly, Co. F.. 10'th Ky Reg., at Jonesboro, Sept 1 1864.
Thirtieth Ark. Reg., at Murfreesboro, Feb., 1863, by Gen, A. C . McCook.
Thirtieth Ark., inscribed, " Farmington, Miss. ; Richmond, Ky." Blue Flag with white cross.
First Ark, Reg, Art., by 1 1th Mich., near Jonesboro, Ga., Sept. 1. 1864,
Second Florida, sixth Florida, by Private Otis Smith. Co. G, 95th Ohio, at Brentwood Hills, near Nashville, Tenn., Per. in. 1864.
Eighth Fla., by Sergt. T. Horan, 72d N. V. Again.
Eighth Fla.. battle of Sailor's Creek, April 6, 1865, by 1st Sergt. A. A. Clapp, Co. G, 2d Ohio.
Eleventh Fla.. at Sailor's Creek, Va., April 6, 1865, by 1st Lieut. A. T. Lamfere, Co. B, 1st Conn. Cav.
Eighteenth Fla., at Sailor's (reek. April 6, 1865, by Private Daniel Woods, Co. K. 1st Va. Cav.
Apalachicola Guards,
First Ga. Res., at Cheat River, Va., July 13, 1861, by Capt. Blake, 9th Ind. Reg.
Second Ga. Bat., by Patrick McCran, Co. C, 3d Md. This flag has 28 bullet holes in it. and three through the staff.
Seventh Ga. Reg.
Twelfth Ga., at Chancellorsville, Va., May 3, 1863, by 102d N. Y.
Fourteenth Ga. Reg.
Fifteenth Ga., at Gettysburg, Pa., July 3, 1863, by Sergt. .lames Thompson, Co. ('. 1st Pa.
Sixteenth Ga. Reg., in attack on Fort Sanders. Tenn.. Nov. 1863.
Eighteenth Ga., by Private Ulriick Crocker, Co, M. 6th Mich. Cav.
Nineteenth Ga. Reg., Pee. 13, l s <>2. by Private Jacob Cart. Co. A, 7th Pa.
Twenty-first Ga., Thirty-fifth Ga. Reg.
Fortv-fourth Ga., at Cedar Creek. Oct. 19, 1864, by Chief Bugler S. M. Wells. 6th N. V. Cav.
Forty-fourth Ga. Reg., May 10, 1864, by 43d N. V.
Forty-fifth Ga.
Forty-eighth Ga., by Sergt. James Wiley,59th N. V.
Forty-ninth Ga.
Fiftieth Ga., by Corp. John Keough, Co, F. 67th Pa., at Sailor's Creek. Va.. April 6, 1865.
Sixtieth Ga.
Seventy-sixth Ga. Keg , at Sailor's Creek. April 6. I860, by Emisire Shahan, Co. A. 1st Va.
Stars and bars, at Crampton's Pass, Md., by 1th N. J.
Benjamin Infantry, organized April 14. 1861, Clay- ton County, Ga., inscription. "Strike for your altars and your firesides," in raid on Macon Railroad. August 20, 1864.
Stars and bars, Georgia coat of arms.
Eighth Louisiana Reg., at Rappahannock Station. Va.. Nov. 7. 1863, by Sergt. Otis C. Roberts, 6th Maine Reg., in a hand-to-hand tight on the trenches.
Second Louisiana. Mav 12, L 864, near Spottsylvania, Va.. by Sergt. C H Fasnacht, Co. A. 99th Pa.
Twelfth La., July 20, 1864, at battle of Peach Tree Creek. Ga., by 105th 111. Reg.
Thirteenth' La., Mav 12, 1864, by Sergt. Win. Jones Co. A. 73d N. V.
Twenty-fourth I. a., by 1st Lieut Win. S. Simmons, Co. C, 11th Mo., at Brentwood Hills, near Nashville, Tenn., Pee. 10, 1864.
Washington Artillery, in battle of Appomattox Station. April 8, 1865, by Lieut. Barney shields. Co. F. 2d Va. Cav.
Sixth Ky. Reg., by Co. G, 10th Mich. Reg., at Jonesboro Sept. 1, 1864.
First Miss. Keg., at Peachtree Creek, July 20, 1864, by Private Dennis Buckley, Co. G, 136th N. Y.
Second Miss., by Sergt. Evans, and kept two days by him while a prisoner.
Eighth Miss., by Private Richard Mangnum, 148th N. Y.. April 2. I860.
Twelfth Miss. Cav., at Selma. Ala.. April 2, 1865, by Private James P. Miller. Co. D. 1th la. Cav.
Eleventh Mi--.. Selma. Ala.. April 2. 1865, by Private Charles A. Swan. Co. K.. 4th la. Cav.
Seventeenth Miss. Col. Holder.
Nineteenth Miss.
Thirty-third Miss. Keg., by 26th Wisconsin Reg., at Peachtree Creek. Ga., July 20, 1864.
Forty-fourth Miss., by Corp. Luther B. Kaltenbach, Co. F, 12th la , at Brentwood Hills, near Nashville. Tenn . Pee. 16, 1864.
Forty-eighth Miss., in battle of the Wilderness, May 12, 1864, by 12th N. .J.
Wigfall Rifles. Jeff. Davis, Southern Confederacy, by Co. F. 9th Ohio, at Mill Springs, Ky.
Yallabusha Ritles. at Mill Springs, Ky.. .Ian. 19, 1862, by Corp. Albert Essen. Co G, 2d Minn.
Tenth Mo. Rat., at Columbus, Ga., April 16, 1865 by Private John Kinney. 4th la. Cav.
First N. C. Reg . by Private Geo. W. Harris, Co. B, 148th Pa., May 12, 1864.
at Sailor's Creek, April 6, 1865, by Private Joseph Kimball, Co, B, 2d W. Va. Cav.
Seventh N C , at Gettysburg, Pa., July 3, 1863, by John B. Mayberry, Co. F, 1st Del.
Twelfth N. C, by Sergt. E. D. Woobury, Co. E, 1st Vt. Cav.
Thirteenth N. C again.
Thirteenth N. C, May 6, 1864, by Sergt. S. Rought, A. 141th Pa.
Eighteenth N. C. Reg., in engagement near Malvern Hill. Va., July 28, 1864, by Private Timothy Connors, E, 1st U.S. Cav
Eighteenth N. C, near Petersburg, Va., April 2, by Private Frank Fesy, Co A. 10th N. J.
Sixteenth N. C.. at Gettysburg, Pa., July 3, 1863, by 14th Conn.
Twenty-second N. C, by Private Michael McDonough, 42nd N.Y. inscribed, "Seven Pines, Mechanicsville, Cold Harbor, Ox Hill, Harper's Ferry, Chancellorsville, Sharpsburg, Frazier's Farm, Cedar Mountain, Manassas, Fredericksburg."
Twenty-fourth X. C, Aug. 21, 1864, by Private .1. A. Read, 11th Pa.
Twenty-third X. C. Reg., at Gettysburg, Pa., July "2, 1863.
Twenty-sixth X. C. Reg., at Hatcher's Run, Oct. 27. 1864, by Sergt Alonzo Smith, 7th Mich.
Twenty-eighth X. C. Reg., May 12, L864, by Capt. .J. M. Kendig, Co. A. 63rd Pa.
Thirtieth N. C, May 12, 1864, at the battle of the Wilderness
Twenty-eighth N. C. Reg., near Malvern Hill, Va., July 28, 1864, by Private Samuel Malleck, Co. I. 9th N. Y. Cav.
Twenty-eighth N. C. Reg., Wilcox's Div.
Thirtieth N. C. again.
A battle flag, May 6, 1864, by Sergt. J. Kemp, Co. A, 5th Mich.
Thirty-fourth N. C. Reg., at Gettysburg, by Sergt. Dave Miller, 8th Ohio.
"Stars and bars," belonging to the 34th N. C.
Thirty-eighth N. C.
Thirty-ninth N. C, found by men of 3d Div., 16th Army Corps, after the capture of Spanish Fort, Ala., April 9, 1865.
Forty-sixth N. C. Reg., picked up on the picket line by Lieut. Brant, of 1st N. J.
Forty-seventh N. C. Reg., at the battle of Hatcher's Run. Oct. 27, by Sergt. Daniel Murphy, 19th Mass.
Forty-seventh N. C. by Private Joseph Phillips, Co. E, 1 18th Pa., April 2, 1865, at Sutherland Station.
Fifty-second N. C. at Wattle of Gettysburg, Pa., July 3, 1863, by 14th Conn.
Headquarters flag of Brig. Gen. Barranger, commanding North Carolina brigade of cavalry, by Wm. H. Woodall, headquarters scout of Gen. Sheridan's
residence, Lynchburg, Va.
North Carolina State colors, by Private James Sweeney, Co. A. 1st Vet. Cav., Oct. 19, 1864. It don't say in battle

Source:
Confederate Veteran
Volume 1, August 1893, Number 8
pages 247-248
https://archive.org/details/confederateveter01conf/page/246/mode/2up?q=bloody+lane

 

[redbob]

In 1887, President Grover Cleveland proposed returning the captured battleflags to their respective states, but the GAR caused such an uproar that the idea was shelved. In 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt ordered the War Department to return the captured flags to their respective states which was done. Why the change in public opinion, by 1905 many of the GAR members had passed away and they were no longer the political force that they once had been. Many of these returned flags are now held in state archives where they receive varying levels of care and this Federal return only affected the flags held by the War Department and not those held by the individual Northern States.

 

[Coonewah Creek]

Second Miss., by Sergt. Evans, and kept two days by him while a prisoner.

This is the flag the regiment carried at Gettysburg and is now part of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History collection at Jackson (if not on loan).

Hdqrs. Sixth Wisconsin Volunteers, July 4, 1863.
Sir: I have the honor to report that the accompanying battle-flag of the Second Mississippi Volunteers was captured by the regiment under my command under the following circumstances:
Shortly after the opening of the action on the morning of July 1, the regiment was, by command of Maj.-Gen. Doubleday, detached from the brigade, and ordered to the support of the right of the line of the division, which was being forced back and outflanked by the enemy. I moved as rapidly as possible on the advancing lines of the enemy, joining with the Ninety-fifth New York and Fourteenth Brooklyn on my left. A brisk fire was opened throughout the line, which soon checked the enemy and forced him to take refuge in a railroad cut. I ordered a charge upon the cut. The men moved forward, well closed and upon a run. When our line reached the edge of the cut, the rebels ceased firing and threw down their arms. At my demand, Maj. [J. A.] Blair, commanding the regiment in my front, the Second Mississippi, surrendered his sword and regiment.

The battle-flag was taken before the surrender by Corpl. F. Asbury Waller, of Company I, and sent to the rear in charge of Sergt. William Evans, of Company H, who was badly wounded. The sergeant was taken prisoner by the enemy and held for two days in Gettysburg; but with the assistance of some ladies of the city, whose names I have not learned, he successfully concealed the colors, and, finally, when the enemy retired, brought it safely to the regiment.

R. R. DAWES, Lieut.-Col., Comdg. Sixth Wisconsin Volunteers.
Capt. T. E. Ellsworth, Actg. Asst. Adjutant-Gen., First Division, First Corps.
Source: Official Records: Series I. Vol. 27. Part I. Reports. Serial No. 43

 

[Jantzen64]

In 1887, President Grover Cleveland proposed returning the captured battleflags to their respective states, but the GAR caused such an uproar that the idea was shelved. In 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt ordered the War Department to return the captured flags to their respective states which was done. Why the change in public opinion, by 1905 many of the GAR members had passed away and they were no longer the political force that they once had been. Many of these returned flags are now held in state archives where they receive varying levels of care and this Federal return only affected the flags held by the War Department and not those held by the individual Northern States.

IIRC, the directive was to return all captured battle flags in the War Department's "possession." There were several flags on loan to private individuals/organizations at the time, and those folks didn't see themselves as subject to the order. For example, at that time, Marshall Sherman, formerly of the First Minnesota, had the 28th Virginia's flag that he had captured during Pickett's Charge. Tha flag now resides in the archives of the Minnesota Hisorical Society despite some kerfuffle several years ago about Virginia wanting it back. Our Governor at that time, Jesse Ventura (the wrestler), said "no" and here it remains. https://www.mnhs.org/education/resources/28th-virginia-battle-flag ;https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2000-02-29-0002290214-story.html

 

[Ole Miss]

@Coonewah Creek I knew you would know about the 2nd Mississipp's flag history and location! Gotta take care of the local boys!
Regards
David

 

[CowCavalry]

IIRC, the directive was to return all captured battle flags in the War Department's "possession." There were several flags on loan to private individuals/organizations at the time, and those folks didn't see themselves as subject to the order. For example, at that time, Marshall Sherman, formerly of the First Minnesota, had the 28th Virginia's flag that he had captured during Pickett's Charge. Tha flag now resides in the archives of the Minnesota Hisorical Society despite some kerfuffle several years ago about Virginia wanting it back. Our Governor at that time, Jesse Ventura (the wrestler), said "no" and here it remains. https://www.mnhs.org/education/resources/28th-virginia-battle-flag ;https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2000-02-29-0002290214-story.html

In hind sight, its probably a good Jesse said no.

 

[Coonewah Creek]

@Coonewah Creek I knew you would know about the 2nd Mississipp's flag history and location! Gotta take care of the local boys!
Regards
David

It's frustrating that we only know what the two surviving colors of the 2nd Mississippi looked like. There are at least three others that I have been trying to track down without success. The first set of colors the regiment carried (First Manassas) we only have an indication of from a Harpers Weekly illustration of the regiment marching through Winchester in July of 1861. It appears to be a variation of the First National design (11 stars), but no details can be identified from the sketch. I've attached the sketch below. Its "sister" regiment, the 11th Mississippi's flag was a First National variation but with a Latin Cross in the field.

The second set of colors is the flag carried and retired following Sharpsburg. It was supposed to have presented to the Governor and retired to the capital at Jackson. I always suspected the colors may have been taken, lost, or destroyed when Sherman's Corps took Jackson in mid-May 1863 during the Vicksburg Campaign. The flag probably resembled the 11th Mississippi's colors, which were captured at Sharpsburg, but there's no way to be sure.

The third set of mystery colors are those carried by Color Sergeant Christopher Columbus Davis on July 3rd during Pickett's Charge. He was ill on July 1st, so the Color Bearer that day was Corporal William B. Murphy, who lost the colors on July 1st to Corporal Frank Waller of the 6th Wisconsin. Personal conversations with the late Howard Madaus, probably the expert when it came to Confederate battleflags, has convinced me that the colors Davis carried on July 3rd probably came from the regimental baggage. Perhaps an earlier regimental flag or even a company flag. Davis was severely wounded (both legs) during the charge and Lt. Col. Dawes found him in riding the battlefield following the repulse. But he had torn the colors from the staff and hid them under his body. Dawes had the 2nd Mississippi colors with him and Davis recognized them and called out to him as he rode by. That is what initiated the conversation.

The aftermath is interesting to say the least. Davis was taken prisoner, presumably with the colors still hidden, recovered from his wounds, became a Galvanized Yankee on Feb. 26, 1864, "deserted" his command and returned to the 2nd Mississippi with the colors he had kept hidden all that time. He was made Ensign (1st Lt.) and Color Bearer again on August 25, 1864. But if he did have those colors with him when he returned, there is no record of them. Davis committed suicide after the war. PTSD back then had to have been terrible.

The only other set of 2nd Mississippi colors we know of is what I call the Hatcher's Run, or Reunion flag. It was issued with all the other replacement flags in Heth's division later in 1863 and was carried to the end of the war, used in many reunion photos and finally presented to the Mississippi archives in 1916.

There is one more possibility of a 2nd Mississippi flag to be found on an ornamental powder horn belonging to a member of the 2nd Mississippi (also attached below)

. I have no idea if this flag simply came from the carver's imagination or could have really been an early set of colors carried by the regiment. Always fun to speculate however!

 

[UCVRelics]

The Alabama archives has a VERY nice collection of CW flags. If you scroll down to Appendix A, B & C there is some great info.
https://digital.archives.alabama.gov/digital/collection/cw_flags/search