Confederate museum gets stolen flag back

[Glorybound]

Expired Image Removed

Stolen Civil War flag headed back to Louisiana Confederate museum

Published: Wednesday, October 05, 2011, 5:30 PM

By The Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. -- A stolen Civil War battle flag recovered by the FBI is heading back home to Louisiana's Civil War Museum in New Orleans. FBI agents from the Richmond division recovered the stolen 14th Louisiana Infantry Regiment Confederate Battle Flag in late September.

AP Photo/FBI This stolen 14th Louisiana Infantry Regiment Confederate Battle Flag was recovered by the Richmond Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The flag, which was stolen in the 1980s by a former volunteer at the Confederate Memorial Hall Museum of New Orleans, will be turned over to the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, Va. which will return it to the New Orleans museum.

Officials say the flag was stolen in the 1980s by a former volunteer at the Confederate Memorial Hall Museum in New Orleans. An investigation found that a collector purchased the item in 2004 without knowledge of it being stolen and voluntarily turned the item over to the FBI.
It was presented to board members from the Confederate Memorial Hall in Louisiana at a ceremony Wednesday at the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond.

The museum released this statement:

Like many members of the original 14th Louisiana Regiment who were taken prisoner during the war and later released, their flag, a prisoner of a 20-year-old theft, is being returned home to New Orleans thanks to the efforts of the FBI.

The flag was stolen in the mid 1980s by a former museum volunteer (now deceased) and efforts made by the museum for its return were unsuccessful until last week when the FBI's National Art Crime Team received a tip that the item may have been at a home in Caroline County, Va.

The flag was in the possession of a collector who purchased the flag in 2004 without knowing that it was stolen. He cooperated with the FBI and immediately turned over the flag.

The 14th Louisiana flag was carried by a regiment largely composed of Polish immigrants from New Orleans and led by Gen.Valery Sulakowski. The flag was issued to the unit in the spring of 1862. It is known as a first bunting flag of the Army of Northern Virginia pattern. This was the first "battle flag" carried by the regiment. It saw action at the Battle of Gaines Mill on June 27, 1862, near Richmond. Two color bearers were killed while carrying it and the entire Color Guard became casualties of that battle.

The flag remained in service until the color bearer, Frederick Sontag, was captured with the flag at Gettysburg. Rather than surrender the flag, Sontag concealed it under his clothing. Sontag kept his secret until he was released from prison and he returned to the regiment with the flag.

In the meantime, the regiment, thinking its flag has been captured, acquired a new one. The old flag was placed in storage where it remained until the final surrender at Appomattox. The flag was given to a young lady for safe-eeping. She kept the flag until January, 1889, when she returned it to the former commanding officer of the 14th Louisiana, Col. David Zable, who presented the flag to the Army of Northern Virginia Association, a veterans organization located in New Orleans. It was then donated to Memorial Hall.

The flag draped the coffin of Jefferson Davis and was said to be the last Confederate flag he ever touched.

At least 11 men were either killed or wounded while carrying the flag. A post-war memoir stated that no man who ever carried it in battle escaped unhurt.

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2011/10/stolen_civil_war_flag_headed_b.html

 

[JWheeler331]

Great story. I will have to run over there and take a look when it gets set up at its new/old location.

I have been wanting to head back over there and look around again.

 

[donna]

Lee another great story. Thanks for posting.

 

[M E Wolf]

Great story. I will have to run over there and take a look when it gets set up at its new/old location.

I have been wanting to head back over there and look around again.

While you are there have them correct their information on the "General" Valery Sulakowski--he wasn't ever a General and remained at the rank of Colonel.

Navy O.R.-- Series II--Volume 3
State Department correspondence with diplomatic agents, etc. (1864).
From and to whom. Date. Subject. Page.
1864.

State Department to Colonel J. Smolinski, Chaplain J. Mayewski, Colonel A. Lenkiewicz, Major P. Bninicki, delegation representing Polish emigration. Aug. 31 Responding to request that emigrants be admitted to Confederate States and part of territory, allotted to them, those who desire to right for cause of Confederate States will be welcomed and certain rights allowed them. President has not power to dispose of territory, but believes Congress would make liberal grants. 1196

State Department to Colonel Smolinski and others, Polish delegates. do. President will receive delegation and make personal assurances as above. 1197

[excerpt]
C. J. McRae. agent, Treasury Department, London, to State Department. Nov. 4 Polish delegates have not arrived, and nothing can be done until they come; requests further instructions in regard to any claim for official position by commission; has received proposition similar to this from Colonel Sulakowski, who commanded a regiment started in New Orleans, but resigned and wishes to return in some capacity to the service of Confederate States; fears first-named member of commission referred to in department's letter of Sept. 1 is not reliable; mentions person of same name who has been in service of United States.
(Col. Sulakowski headed the 14th LA (Polish Regiment)

 

[Glorybound]

While you are there have them correct their information on the "General" Valery Sulakowski--he wasn't ever a General and remained at the rank of Colonel.

Navy O.R.-- Series II--Volume 3
State Department correspondence with diplomatic agents, etc. (1864).
From and to whom. Date. Subject. Page.
1864.

State Department to Colonel J. Smolinski, Chaplain J. Mayewski, Colonel A. Lenkiewicz, Major P. Bninicki, delegation representing Polish emigration. Aug. 31 Responding to request that emigrants be admitted to Confederate States and part of territory, allotted to them, those who desire to right for cause of Confederate States will be welcomed and certain rights allowed them. President has not power to dispose of territory, but believes Congress would make liberal grants. 1196

State Department to Colonel Smolinski and others, Polish delegates. do. President will receive delegation and make personal assurances as above. 1197

[excerpt]
C. J. McRae. agent, Treasury Department, London, to State Department. Nov. 4 Polish delegates have not arrived, and nothing can be done until they come; requests further instructions in regard to any claim for official position by commission; has received proposition similar to this from Colonel Sulakowski, who commanded a regiment started in New Orleans, but resigned and wishes to return in some capacity to the service of Confederate States; fears first-named member of commission referred to in department's letter of Sept. 1 is not reliable; mentions person of same name who has been in service of United States.
(Col. Sulakowski headed the 14th LA (Polish Regiment)

Nothin' gets past Mr. Wolf.

 

[M E Wolf]

Oh some things do.... not watching all of the world, just a wee bit of it... (as long as I got my glasses on) LOL

I did free research for a person who is connected to that flag story... the 'myth'/'story' is that the flag bearer concealed the flag on his person when wounded and taken prisoner, then in a POW camp, got released and still had the flag.

This 'volunteer' who stole the flag, from what is said/hear-say/no court worthy accountability/oath mind you--stole tons of stuff and sold things. One this flag to a person who was authenticating it and discovered the theft.........reported it and was tracked to this deceased guy. Well... anyway, if any part of this color sergeant's record of his story and the flag is 'gone' (if it existed in the first place and or the story was embellished)--

In summary--it makes me 'ill' to my 'gills' when people donated the artifacts or items from the War, only to be taken by some greedy paws under the guise of 'volunteering' to be keepers of American/Civil War History as to profit from it.
Perhaps its because I'm retired LEO or sincere advocate of History and the chain of custody of how that artifact came to being.

But, in my personal opinion, when it is extremely obvious that an individual was never a 'General' and is proven so, yet they (the organization) doesn't correct it, it adds to the lack of credibility to that organization and all the way down to the thief who stole the flag in the first place. Makes you (in a general sense) wonder what else is screwed up in the depository of Louisiana Civil War History museum. Doing research--you want credible sources and not assumptions or embellishments. Truth can be harsh--but it isn't pulling a fast one on heritage. There must be some pride somewhere to get honesty over "wishful thinking and or re-writing history." I feel bad for Louisiana Civil War researchers. I would have to doubt all of their information and see original documents for actual facts.

Sorry for my rants...but, I'm angry that Civil War documents and artifacts are being sold left and right that belong to the people and not go overseas in private hands or even in the private hands in the USA.

Pitifully, I saw the Regimental Muster Roll for 150th NY Vol. Infantry Co. "A" sold on E-Bay. The seller mentioned the person who had it 'borrowed it'---it should have been repatriated to the State of New York. I called the Governor's office and long distance known, was on hold, I was giving to people that hadn't a clue, I spoke to a chap at the NY State's Attorney's Office and it was clear they weren't going to move on this artifact being sold. It isn't like its a copy--it was an original.

Very sad..............and, we (in a general sense) don't know how long this has been going on or how much has been sold. All those looking for information on their relatives... have the muster roll, descriptive book been sold like the 150th NY Vols "A"?

Don't think Americans have gotten 'angry' enough because the many aren't taught as to why these papers, books and items are of worth to the total study of the ACW.

That is why it makes 'us' (in a general sense) special-- we do care.

Just a need to rant a bit .............sorry folks.

NOTICE: No criminals were drawn and quartered, hung, tortured, beaten to a bloody pulp during this rant.

M. E. Wolf