Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 37.
Reverend J. William Jones, Ed.

[300] had sent to Rev. Mr. Lumpkin, at Richmond, who I think is the man that got away with you and the State flag of the 149th the first day at Gettysburg. He did not reply for so long that I had almost given it up; but to-day his reply reached me and I now send it to you, with the very particular request, that after you have read it you return it to me, as I was to keep it. It will greatly please me if I can feel that I have been the humble means of bringing you and the Rev. Mr. Lumpkin together, two valiant foemen of former days. Do you write to him and let me know the result of your interview.

As for my statements in the Drummer Boy Book concerning the recapture of your flag by a squad of my regiment-when I wrote that book little had been written in any of the magazines about the war—indeed nothing but several sketches in the Cenury, by Allen C. Redwood, now on the artist staff of the Century, who did the illustration of my book. Mr. Redwood's articles, in ‘Johnny Reb at Play,’ in the Century about 1879, gave me the thought of writing a serial for St. Nicholas, likewise published by the Century people. My story ran through a year of that magazine; was afterwards published in book form by the Century people at their own suggestion and was really the way breaker for the great series of war papers that afterwards appeared in the Century.

Now you see, my dear comrade, at that time when I began to write, the facts of our history were in a chaotic state. Little attention had been paid to them, and the few statements here and there made were as it were, at random; at least there was little of any opportunity of verifying and connecting impressions that were vague, or statements that were hasty. In Bates' history of Penna. Vols.—Vol. 5, I think—in the sketch of my regiment, written by Maj. Thomas E. Chamberlin, of the 150th, a very well educated man and a most competent officer, you will find the statement made that your colors at one stage of the fight were recovered by a squad of my command. I do not think that Major C. would now say what he did then—he gave what his best information warranted at the time. Nor would I now, were I engaged in writing my book, state what is evidently apocryphal. What would I not now give had I had at hand when I was writing, these most valuable papers of Captain Bassler,