Jim Martin
Here's what ADAH says (same story)
Tue Jul 24 09:52:50 2001


Major General A. A. Humphrey's report concerning the action near Hatcher's Run, Virginia, March 25, 1865 he states that "we captured the battle flags of the Forty-third and Sixty-ninth1 Alabama." At the time of the engagement Brigadier General Joshua Chamberlain commanded the First Brigade, First Division, Fifth Army Corps. During the engagement Chamberlain placed the 185th New York Infantry (Colonel Gustavus Sniper commanding) in the front line in a space between the Divisions of General Miles and General Mott. The men at Colonel Sniper's front consisted of the 43rd, 59th and 60th Alabama Infantry. Lt. Col. Charles H. Weygant, 124th New York Volunteers, also reported engaging these regiments and capturing the flag of the 59th Alabama Infantry. While the flag of the 59th Alabama was forwarded to the War Department, there is no record of the disposition of the flag of the 43rd Alabama. Since General Humphrey does report the capture of the 43rd Alabama’s flag and there is no record of its having been sent to the War Department it is possible that the flag was taken (picked up) by the men under Sniper’s command and retained by Chamberlain as a trophy.

1This was the flag of the 59th Alabama Infantry. Either Humphrey was mistaken or there was an error in transcription at the time the Official Records were compiled.