JOURNAL OF THE TWENTY-THIRD ANNUAL SESSION OF THE NATIONAL ENCAMPMENT, G. A. R. – 1889 pgs. 203-207
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 AdjutantGeneral 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 (lag. 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 8TH 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. [End of quote]
A reply to the above request has not yet been found. Now, since the 57th Ohio was at Vicksburg, it was obviously not them. A member of the 57th PA contends it was not their flag but of an Ohio unit, the same unit that captured the 8th La. flag. That would be the 107th Ohio, who never makes claim to having lost a flag. However, it appears that the 75th Ohio DID lose a flag and they were along the same wall. I cannot put my hands on the source at this moment but if I recall correctly, one of their members complained that they never received another flag. If you check out on the Flag pages a thread in 2006 about Ohio Flags at Gettysburg, several members claim that the 75th OVI lost a flag in the twilight attack but none mention a source except one and that weblink is broken now. I'm still researching that end. It would be interesting to find the flag based upon the above information about its return about that date in 1890 to the GAR.
And to muddy the waters further, Antoine Gusman, in an article about the 8th La. in the Times Picayune on Feb. 5th, 1888, states that "At Gettysburg, in the night charge of July 2, by Hays's Louisiana Brigade and three regiments of Hoke's North Carolina Brigade, the regiment (8th), after routing the Seventeenth Connecticut at the foot of Cemetery Hill, and killing the field officers, Lieut. Col. Fowler and Maj. Brady and Capt. French and Wilson, and many enlisted men, and securing over eighty prisoners and the Seventeenth's regimental flag - successfully charged and captured Huntington's battery of six pieces, located near the entrance to the cemetery, but was afterward obliged to abandon the pieces......" Now obviously Gusman is mistaken as it was Weidrich's battery and not Huntingtons (who was located well to the rear and just north of Evergreen Cemetery) but the 17th did lose their flag and they did lose eighty some odd prisoners so who knows? Holmes Williis probably knew but he left no record that has been found.
My guess and it is only a guess is that Antoine Gusman put the wrong information in his letter to Gen. Hays on July 10, 1863 and that information stayed that way until the flag was returned. Evidently it was the National Colors as the State colors would probably have had the name of the unit on them.
I guess you could be right with either the 17th CT or the 75th Ohio in this case unless someone else has better info. Thanks,
Wayne