The Richmond Daily Dispatch: April 21, 1864.
Thursday morning...April 21. 1864
Flag Presentation at the Virginia military Institute.
--The Lexington (Va.) Gazette says:
On Monday last a regiment of Gen. Rosser's cavalry, under command of Colonel Ball, visited the Institute for the purpose of presenting a flag captured by them at Langster's Station. The flags → was an exceedingly handsome one, made of fine silk and admirably painted, and presented to the 164th New York cavalry by the citizens of New York city. The speech (accompanied by a letter from Gen. Rosser) was made to Gen. Smith, who replied very felicitously. Col. Ball then made quite a handsome and appropriate speech on presenting the ← flags to Col. Ship, Commandant of Cadets, giving the history of the flag and its capture by his regiment, to which Col. Ship made a very appropriate reply. After this ceremony was over the cavalry made two charges over the grounds below the walk on the Institute Hill, which gave great satisfaction to the large number of ladies and gentlemen in attendance. The cavalry then repaired to the Mess Hall, where a repast had been prepared, which they enjoyed highly.
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12 17 1863 Skirmish at Sangster's Station, VA, as the Federals were caught off guard when the telegraph operator was too intoxicated to notice the attack. Besides, the Federal cavalry present could not understand English and its officer couldn't speak German to give commands. A fiasco.
The Chronological Tracking of the American Civil War per the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, Ronald A. Mosocco, James River Publications, 1994
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O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME XXIX/1 [S# 48] pp. 982 - 983
DECEMBER 17, 1863.--Skirmish at Sangster's Station, Va.
No. 1. --Reports of Brig. Gen. Michael Corcoran, U.S. Army.
FAIRFAX COURT-HOUSE, December 18, 1863.
COLONEL: I have the honor to report that yesterday afternoon, between the hours of 6 and 7 o'clock, our guard, consisting of about 50 men, was attacked at Sangster's Station. Our telegraph operator was so much intoxicated that we did not receive any intimation of the attack until about half past 8 p.m., and that was from a loyal man living between here and Fairfax Station, who heard the firing and came to advise me of it. As soon as the report of the attack reached Fairfax Station, Colonel Flood, of the One hundred and fifty-fifth New York, and Lieutenant-Colonel Drew, Second District of Columbia Volunteers, collected what force could be spared from guarding that post, and went to the relief of Sangster's as quickly as possible.
Supposing it to be a raid on the railroad for the purposes of destroying the bridge, &c., and the guerillas would return to their haunts by the Centreville road, I sent the squadron of cavalry attached to headquarters, and a small force of infantry in ambulances, with instructions to keep the Centreville road to within 2 miles of that place, thence toward Sangster's until they encountered the enemy. My calculation as to the course the enemy would take proved correct, but through the utter inefficiency of the cavalry, the expedition proved a failure. At the first fire they broke and ran back through the infantry, producing great confusion. Lieutenant-Colonel De Lacy, who was in command- of the expedition, reports that after rallying his forces he pursued the enemy about half a mile, and had his cavalry been efficient, he could have captured a large number of the enemy, but the most efficient officer with the squadron could not make himself understood by the men from the fact that he did not speak German, and they could not understand commands given in English.
Whatever information we received during the night we telegraphed to you, or endeavored to do so, but as the operator was very much intoxicated, we are not sure of his ability to transmit a message. We had to communicate with Fairfax Station by orderlies.
The following dispatch has just been received from Colonel Flood:
I have returned from Sangster's Station. Re-established post there. Pickets out as usual. Cannot state how many prisoners we have lost, but certainly not more than 3 or 4. One of our men, slightly wounded, says the enemy consisted of Rosser’s, Hampton's, or Stuart's cavalry, with Kincheloe's guerrillas, in all about 1,000 strong. Kincheloe was recognized by a colored woman who knows him well. We have 1 prisoner dangerously wounded; belongs to the Eleventh Virginia Cavalry, who reports his captain killed, and 2 ambulances full of wounded.
Yours, very respectfully,
MICHAEL CORCORAN,
Brigadier-General, Commanding.
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HEADQUARTERS DIVISION,
Fairfax Court-House, Va., December 18, 1863--5.30 a.m.
COLONEL: Lieutenant-Colonel De Lacy, One hundred and sixty-fourth New York Volunteers, who commanded the detachment of cavalry and infantry sent out in search of the enemy on the Centreville road, has returned to camp, and reports that about 2 miles from Centreville the enemy fired on his advance guard, composed of cavalry. The cavalry broke and ran to the rear, causing great confusion. After rallying the whole force, and throwing out skirmishers of infantry and flankers of cavalry, he pushed on about half a mile from where the enemy attacked, but not knowing their force, and fearing they might attack his rear, he retired to the Sangster's Station road, hoping that they might follow; but after waiting there an hour and not seeing anything of them, he returned to camp. The enemy retired in direction of Aldie. I am about to visit Sangster's and Fairfax Stations, and will report more fully on my return.
MICHAEL CORCORAN,
Brigadier-General, Commanding.
Lieut. Col. J. H. TAYLOR,
Chief of Staff, and Assistant Adjutant-General.
[P. S.]--I request that the cavalry squadron now under my command be relieved by a more efficient detachment; and that one troop be added -to the cavalry force at this post, as in this case, as well as many others, the cavalry force has proved insufficient to intercept the enemy.
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FAIRFAX COURT-HOUSE, December 18, 1863.
(Received 12 p.m.)
SIR:
I have just returned from Sangster's Station, and ascertained beyond a doubt that the enemy were commanded by General Rosser, and left Fredericksburg on Wednesday night. The company at Sangster's Station, officers and men, deserve much credit for their gallantry. They repulsed the enemy four times, and only retreated when the enemy had got so far on their flank and rear as to have set all their tents on fire. Four of the enemy's horses have been killed, and 3 ambulances were sent back with killed and wounded. The wounded man of the enemy, reported this morning, has since died on our hands. He was named Van Meter, of the Eleventh Virginia Cavalry, and had a pass in his possession giving him permission to visit Fredericksburg on the 16th instant. They went by Centreville. The party sent by me from Fairfax Court-House came up with their rear, as reported this morning. Damage done to bridge was slight, as the fire was extinguished by our men. Trains are running now.
MICHAEL CORCORAN,
Brigadier-General.
Lieut. Col. J. H. TAYLOR,
Chief of Staff, and Assistant Adjutant-General.
.........
I have ordered the two companies of cavalry under command of Captain Jackson to proceed to Centreville
One hundred and seventieth [New York] Regiment,
Colonel Flood, of the One hundred and fifty-fifth New York, and Lieutenant-Colonel Drew, Second District of Columbia Volunteers, collected what force could be spared from guarding that post, and went to the relief of Sangster's as quickly as possible.
My calculation as to the course the enemy would take proved correct, but through the utter inefficiency of the cavalry, the expedition proved a failure. At the first fire they broke and ran back through the infantry, producing great confusion. Lieutenant-Colonel De Lacy, who was in command- of the expedition, reports that after rallying his forces he pursued the enemy about half a mile, and had his cavalry been efficient, he could have captured a large number of the enemy, but the most efficient officer with the squadron could not make himself understood by the men from the fact that he did not speak German, and they could not understand commands given in English.
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O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME XXIX/1 [S# 48]p. 984
DECEMBER 17, 1863.--Skirmish at Sangster's Station, Va.
No. 2. --Report of Mr. J. H. Devereux, U.S. Military Railroad Service.
ALEXANDRIA, VA.,
December 18, 1863.
Last night at 8 o'clock, Rosser's brigade, Stuart's cavalry, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Ballard [Ball?], 800 strong, struck the Orange line at Sangster's. The wires were at once cut, and firing continued between the road guards and this force for some hours. Two bridges on Pope's Head were set on fire, but the damage done was slight. Two of the rebel wounded were found by Armor (telegraph operator) in the poor-house at Sangster's, and one of them said the rebels took with them 3 ambulances loaded with their wounded. They went off in direction of Blue Ridge. None of our men were killed or wounded as far as known, but some 6 or 8 were captured.
Yesterday morning a broken rail threw a train badly off track near Catlett's, blocking the road. The raid has lengthened the duration of our trouble, but matters are getting rapidly in hand, and in a few hours we shall be all right again.
J. H. DEVEREUX.
General R. INGALLS.
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I contacted the Archivists at VMI to ascertain the status of this flag and received back this information:
One Hundred Years At V. M. I. pp. 371-375
The Corps Again Bears Arms
Having taken from the superintendent all jurisdiction over matters of finance, the board had no financial report before it for consideration, and its time was largely consumed with matters concerning a trip to New York which had been arranged by one of the board members, Colonel E. E. Portlock. The object of the trip was to return to the owners of the battle flag which had been presented to the corps of cadets by General Rosser's Brigade on April 11, 1864. The board accordingly invited Colonel Matt Dulaney Ball, who had made the presentation, General Thomas L. Rosser, Major Edward H. McDonald, and General William Mahone to accompany the corps to New York as guests of the Institute . . . . .
It was announced that General Smith had brought with him an original letter of General Rosser. 'It was written on April 11, 1864 and speaks of the engagement of December 17, 1863, when the flag was found among the baggage of the 155th Regiment, when the 11th Virginia Cavalry, attached to Rosser's Brigade, made a sudden descent upon the stockade on the line of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad.' The plans for the day were then announced . . . . .
On the following day, July 5th, The New York Herald printed an editorial entitled, 'A Dull, Hot Fourth,' in which it stated, 'There were very few public demonstrations. The Virginia cadets were received by the President and the Mayor and unfurled the unbaptised flag of the 164th Regiment, and the ten aged veterans of 1812 dined together as usual . . . . ' Elsewhere in the same paper is the caption, 'The Flag Restored,' beneath which appears: 'The ceremonies connected with the return of the flag of the 164th New York Volunteers (which was never unfurled in battle and which was captured by the Confederates rolled up in the box in which it had been sent from this city), took place yesterday in the Governor's Room of the City Hall, and many people whom the late Artemas Ward would have called 'sourkastic folk' openly expressed their wonderment that the box as well as the flag had not also been brough from the South. Earlier in the day the Virginia cadets marched from the 69th Regiment Armory to the Fifty Avenue Hotel, where President Arthur met them in the main reception room. . . [in his greeting he noted] 'I wish here to express my hope and confidence that henceforth whenever the flag of a New York regiment shall be assailed, if the gallant soldiers of Virginia are by they will be prompt and eager to defend it.'
After the graduation exercises the corps, which numbered about 120 cadets, returned to the Armory, and then marched down Broadway, escorted by the 69th Regiment, with its band and drum corps, to the City Hall, where the presentation exercises took place.* Later a collation was received in the Aldermanic Chamber.
A well intentioned gesture had been rendered ridiculous when it became known that the flag, which had been presented to the corps of cadets in 1864, was not captured in battle and as Colonel Jennings C. Wise so aptly said 'it pointed two morals which will long be remembered at the Institute; first, no military organization should receive the captured flags of another command; and second, let the command which takes them, return its own trophies![1]
* General Smith presented the flag to Colonel Minetree, who introduced Colonel Ball, of the 11th Virginia Cavalry, captor of the flag, who in turn handed it to Mayor Edson. Others who made speeches were: the mayor, General John Cochrane, Adjutant General Farnsworth, Judge Advocate General Horatio C. King of Governor Grover Cleveland's staff, and Colonel De Lacy.
[1] Military History of V. M. I., p. 283