“New Orleans, July 22. - The daughter of the late Confederate General Harry T Hays, turned over to-day to Col. A.S. Graham, an officer of the Grand Army of the Republic, the Battle Flag of the Fifty-seventh Ohio Regiment, which her mother desired should be returned to that regiment. Col. Graham will take the flag with him to the National Encampment at Detroit next month, and return it to such survivors of the regiment as may be found, or some typical Ohioan, possibly Comrade Foraker.
The flag is certified by Capt. A[ntoine] L. Guzman of the Eighth Louisiana Infantry of Hays’s Brigade to have been captured by Private Willis of Company I from the Ohio Color bearer, in the charge upon Cemetery Hill, at the Battle of Gettysburg, on the second day.
It was turned over by Col. Guzman to Gen. Hays, and has reposed in the keeping of the family until now.”
Now, that part is easy. The 57th Ohio was not at Gettysburg as they were at Vicksburg at the time. I wondered if maybe Mrs. Hays had not transposed numbers or something. 57 vs. 75 and it seems as if this was all thought out many, many years ago. But the answer is still eluding us. The following is from the GAR Journal of 1889:
THE ADJUTANT-GENERAL : I have the following communication sent me by the Commander of the Department of Louisiana and Texas. It refers to a communication from the widow of General Hays, Confederate, saying that she has in her possession a Union battle flag of an unknown regiment, captured at Gettysburg, and she would like to return it to the members of that regiment. I will read the letters:
NEW ORLEANS, La., July 16, 1890.
Geo. T. Hodges, Department Commander, Dept. La. and Miss. G. A. R-:
Dear Sir and Comrade:—The attached papers will explain themselves. The flag referred to is in the hands of Mrs. Hays, who is the widow of the Gen'l H. T. Hays, referred to, and she is desirous of returning the flag to the survivors of the regiment it belonged to, if they can be found.
There seems to be a doubt as to the number of the regiment and the state to which it belonged, but a letter from you to the Adjutant-General of Pennsylvania and of Ohio would draw out the information, or perhaps a better plan still would be to enclose papers to the Adjutant General of the G. A. R., and have him read them to the Encampment in August, as it is more than likely that some one on the floor may have knowledge of the capture of the flag at that time and place. I have seen the flag. It is a silk, Regimental or Company LI. S. flag. Yours respectfully,
A. S. GRAHAM,
Judge Advocate, Department La. and Miss.
HEADQUARTERS LA. AND Miss. G. A. R., )
New Orleans, La., Aug. 4, 1890. )
Respectfully referred to the Adjutant-General G. A. R., with the suggestion that the within papers be read before the National Encampment at Boston, where someone will probably be able to identify the flag.
GEO. T. HODGES,
Department Commander.
CAMP STH LA. VOLUNTEERS, \
July 10, 1863. )
To Brig. Gen'l. H. T. Hays, Comd'g. ist La. Brigade.
Sir:—In behalf of the 8th Regiment I tender you a flag captured on the evening of the 2nd, in the charge
upon Cemetery Hill by Private Willis, of "Co. I," from an Ohio color-bearer—that of the 57th Ohio, I believe.
I regret that a want of judgment, if not sense, led a few men to tear off fragments as trophies, but the greater portion remains and that I offer you in inadequate return for your kindness in giving your staff flag. The gift, I trust you will appreciate, not so much for its intrinsic value, as for the recollections it must recall.
Respectfully yours,
(Signed) A. L. GUSMAN,
Captain Comd'g 8th La. Vols.
Memoranda accompanying the letter of Comrade Graham.
"Report says that 75th Ohio was there and 57th Pennsylvania was also there, and that 57th Ohio was not there."
Mrs. Hays who is in possession of the flag is anxious to return it in person to the Regiment who carried it at the battle of Gettysburg.
If there is any member of the 57th Ohio or of the 57th Pennsylvania present who knows about this flag or its capture, we would like to hear from him.
COMRADE VANDERSLICE, of Pennsylvania: As a member of the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association, I am somewhat familiar with the details of that engagement and know something of its incidents. I was in the 57th Pennsylvania, and was along that wall. This flag, however, belongs to an Ohio regiment, and the adjutant of that regiment killed the color-bearer of the 8th Louisiana who himself had hold of their flag, when he himself was shot beyond the wall. I have no doubt if a communication was sent to the Adjutant-General of Ohio, that the flag may be returned. It was an Ohio regiment that occupied that position by the wall at the Baltimore road.
COMRADE COMPTON, of Minnesota: 1 move that the thanks of this Encampment be tendered to Mrs. Hays for her kindness in endeavoring to find the owner of this flag.
Carried unanimously.
Well, Mr. Vandreslice knew it was an Ohio flag. How? If it had the regiment on it, certainly it would have had a number also. Or would it? The only 75th flag I have seen is the one supposedly issued in 1864 and had from Preble County on it and the full unit designation. The idea that the flag was from the 57th Ohio appears to have originated with Capt. Gusman only 8 days after the battle. Gen. Hays probably marked it as the 57th and that was that. I believe it to be the flag of the 75th Ohio. Obviously the flag in question did not have an identity painted upon it. Any ideas?
Respectfully,
N. Wayne Cosby