Colonel Alfred T.A. Torbert reported that the 4th New Jersey captured 2 flags during the attack.
Colonel Hiram Brown (3rd New Jersey) claimed that an officer from his regiment and a private from the 4th New Jersey captured the colors of Cobb's Legion but the officer gave up the flag to the private.
Colonel William Hatch of the 4th New Jersey reported capturing 2 flags and overrunning 2 more that were later picked up by an unnamed New York regiment.
Colonel Joseph Bartlett wrote that the 16th New York captured 1 flag.
Lt. Colonel Joel Seaver reported the incident with James Allen but does not say whose flag was taken.
Do we know how many colors were lost by the Confederate regiments at Crampton's Gap? I seem to see that as many as 4 and as few as 1 in these reports.
Ryan
In his 1889 reminiscences, Col. Bartlett said that 3 stands of colors were captured.
In 1863, in
Leaves from the Diary of an Army Surgeon; Or, Incidents of Field, Camp, and Hospital Life, [pages 250 -252], Doctor Thomas T. Ellis wrote that the colors of Cobb's Legion and those of the 16th Virginia were captured. [He only mentions two - Cobb's Legion and the 16th VA.]
The Georgia archives flag collection says that Cobb's Legion lost
two flags that day - "Both the Confederate “Stars & Bars” and the Georgia “state” flag were captured at the Battle of Crampton’s Pass on 14 September 1862. While the
1st national flag survives, the Georgia “state” flag and its accompanying streamer [inscribed with "In the Name of the Lord"] have disappeared, leaving its dimensions, the color of its field, and the placement of the Georgia coat-of-arms open to speculation."
Apparently, the
First National flag of Cobb's Legion was recorded as captured by the 4th NJ.
The Anderson Daily Intelligencer., May 29, 1914, Page 5.
And the capture of the flag of the
16th Virginia was also credited to the 4th New Jersey.
Evening Star., September 20, 1892, Page 6.
As far as the 16th GA, in the primary sources I have reviewed, none mention the loss of their flag that day.
There are four times when the regiment was in a position to have their flag captured:
1. Crampton's Gap as mentioned above. The regiment was overrun and and the casualties were extremely high - the highest of any battle they were in. McLaws said the regiment took 27 officers and 341 enlisted men into the fight = 368 engaged. In the casualty figures sent back to the newspaper, they reported 167 killed wounded and captured. But I have scoured the records and my list includes 216 names - meaning that, if my list is accurate, only 158 men escaped. So they certainly
could have lost a flag.
2. One flag [
Assigned capture #115] was taken in the ditch in the aftermath of the assault on Fort Sanders Knoxville November 29, 1863 resulting in the MoH for Joseph Manning K/29th MA who took it from the color bearer who was attempting to secret it in his shirt.
3. They were in a position to lose their flag at Guard Hill in the Shenandoah Valley on Aug 16, 1864. If a flag was captured from the 16th GA that day, it would have been taken by Custer and the 1st MI Cav. Sheridan reported the capture of two flags but they routed the cavalry first and then overran Wofford's brigade in Crooked Run, cutting them off and killing, wounding, and capturing a great many men of the 16th GA. So those two captured stands could have been captured from the cavalry and/or flags of other regiments in Wofford's brigade, but they sure
could have lost a flag that day.
4. And then Sailor's Creek they were certainly in position to have their flag captured. Almost the entire regiment (or what was left of it) was killed, wounded, or captured. I believe their flag was captured there. It was listed as another regiment's flag but still resulted in a MoH for the member of the 1st WVa Cav who captured it. The flag [
assigned capture #294] is included in the Georgia flag collection, attributed to the 16thGA. I believe it
is their flag and the regimental designation was just mis-transcribed.
There's one more flag on record as being captured that could be one of the 16th GA. It is described as a "Confederate flag, stars and bars, Georgia coat of arms. No history." It could be the flag of any Georgia regiment and could have been captured anywhere.