Hayes Lowe
Flag capture controversy.
Mon Dec 18 10:06:21 2000


I have looked at the online picture of the flag several times, but I had not bothered to read the Alabama Archive's write up of its capture. To say the least, I'm a bit miffed at it. Unlike the Archives, I don't believe one word of the story of the flag capture, as told by the Union soldier who supposedly captured it.

I don't know much about T.A. Stinson's character, but M.L. Stansel was known in Pickens County to be of the highest moral character. Whatever he said, I would believe. And, I don't believe that M.L. Stansel and T.A. Stinson would both remember wrong, nor conconct some convoluted story. If Stansel said that this was not the flag under which the 41st was fighting, and this was a replaced flag left behind in a trunk at Petersburg, I believe him entirely...regardless of what the Union record shows.

To add insult to injury, the Alabama Archives has, in its own collection, ample proof of the character of M.L. Stansel's character. I wonder what proof it has of this Union soldier's character. My guess would be none.

And as to Stinson's memory, he was only 59 years old when he told his version of the flag capture. He was 17 when he enlisted in 1863. He was not of some greatly advanced age, and as a flag bearer, he would not forget the events of the flag capture.

This would not be the only example of fraudulent Union claims of flag captures. There is a glaring example of this that occurred in Alabama, regarding the capture of the flag of the 12th Mississippi Cavalry (aka 16th Confederate Cav./12th Miss. and Ala. Cav.). As far as I know, no one has ever questioned this before, but the record is clear that two different Union soldiers, in two different parts of the state, claimed to have captured this flag almost simultaneously. As in the case of the 41st flag, a Congressional Medal of Honor was issued from this "capture". I find it unlikely that either soldier captured the flag of the 12th. A veteran member of the 12th had the flag that it fought under in his possession, and this was documented by photo in the Confederate Veteran mazazine.

Claimed capture of the 12th's flag:

Private Shoef, 3rd Ohio - Talledega, 4/17/1865

Private James P. Miller, 4th lowa Cavalry -Ft. Blakely, 4/2/1865.