An incident of Stonewall Jackson's Valley campaign-capture of a flag by Maryland Confederates.
Compiled from original data by S. Z. Ammen.
During the retreat toward
Winchester of the portion of Bank's army driven from
Front Royal by a detachment of
Jackson's advancing forces, consisting principally of the First Maryland Infantry and
Wheat's Louisiana Battalion, on May 23d, 1862, there occurred in front of the stone house of
Mr. Joshua A. McKay, on the
Winchester
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pike, about five miles north of
Front Royal, a spirited combat between Confederates and Federals, which was witnessed by
Miss Nannie A. McKay, and of which that young lady (now
Mrs. John R. Rust), until recently possessed an interesting memorial in the shape of a captured Federal flag.
The series of events that led to its capture, and its subsequent history, are of such interest as to merit record.
Late in the evening of the 23d, after the brush at
Front Royal, a squad of some twenty of the retreating Federal First Maryland regiment having rallied in McKay's yard, were captured by two men of the
Rappahannock company of the Sixth Virginia Cavalry, named Haddox and
Field, who, undaunted by the disparity of numbers, boldly charged the enemy and demanded their surrender.
The guns of their prisoners had hardly been stacked, when a force of about one hundred Federals, with the regimental flag, came up from the left, while at the same time a Federal officer with more men came charging down the pike from the direction of
Winchester, calling out: ‘Rally round the flag, boys!’
Haddox seized one of the stacked guns and knocked the
Federal officer from his horse, but was shot and killed a moment later by some of his prisoners, who, seeing their opportunity, seized their muskets and opened fire.
Field was also killed.
Both he and Haddox, it is stated, were killed while endeavoring to make the enemy understand that they yielded to overwhelming numbers.
The remainder of the
Rappahannock company, led by the gallant
Grimsley, having worsted four or five times their numbers at
Judge Robert McKay's, a half mile distant, now appeared on the scene, accompanied by
Captain Baxter's Rockingham company of the same regiment of cavalry, and a portion of the Confederate First Maryland Infantry.
They found the
Federals drawn up in a strong line extending across the
McKay orchard.
Grimsley and
Baxter charged them twice, and for a while the fighting was very bitter.
The
Rappahannock company alone in these two charges lost nineteen in killed and wounded, including
Captain Baxter killed.
The Maryland Federals were, however, at length driven from the orchard in great confusion.
They were followed in hot pursuit by the
Maryland Confederates, who captured their flag.
Miss McKay had witnessed the bloody struggle from her father's front porch.
She saw the
Federal flag carried off by the retreating enemy, and was agreeably surprised when, soon afterwards, it was brought back and given to her by a soldier of the Maryland Confederate regiment, with the request that she would keep
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it, and also his portfolio, which he took from his knapsack, until his return, or, should he not come back, would send his portfolio home to
Maryland, and retain the flag, all of which
Miss McKay agreed to do. He was accompanied by a comrade of the same command.
Not many days afterward, and as
Stonewall Jackson's army retreated up the
Valley (to avoid being cut off by
Fremont's and
Shields' armies), the comrade of the soldier, who left the flag with
Miss Mc-Kay, reappeared, and informed her that his companion, who he said was his brother, had been killed, and that he had come to claim the portfolio, offering the custody of the flag to
Miss McKay, in accordance with his brother's wish.
The arrangement being concluded, the soldier took his departure, but as neither of the brothers gave his name,
Miss McKay (the present
Mrs. Rust) has not since learned anything further concerning the identity of the two soldiers.
This particular flag was the regulation flag of the First Maryland Federal regiment, and had been presented to that command at the
Relay House (B. & O. R. R.) near
Baltimore, as coming from certain ladies of
Baltimore.
Prior to the combat described above, the
State flag carried by the
Federal regiment had been taken by the First Maryland Confederate regiment at
Front Royal, and divided up piecemeal among the captors.
The flag entrusted to
Miss McKay's hands in 1862, was in June, 1880, presented to
General Bradley T. Johnson, on the occasion of the unveiling of the statue of the
Maryland Confederate Soldier in the
Stonewall Cemetery at
Winchester, Virginia, and is now kept by the Association of the Maryland Line (Confederates) as an invaluable trophy.
A handsome picture of the flag has been presented to
Mrs. Rust by the Association, having the following printed description attached: ‘This flag was presented to
Miss Nannie A. McKay, May 23, 1862, by a soldier of the First Maryland regiment, C. S. A., who had captured it in the
Front Royal fight, of which she was a witness.
She sacredly kept it until June 5, 1880, when at the unveiling of the
Maryland statue at
Winchester, Virginia, she, through her husband,
Captain J. R. Rust, presented it to
General Bradley T. Johnson, formerly
Colonel of the First Maryland regiment, C S. A. This picture is presented to
Mrs. Captain Rust by the Association of the Maryland Line as a testimonial of their respect and regard for her.’
The flag would probably still be resting in the custody of
Mrs. Rust, but for its discovery by
Captain Winfield Peters, of
Baltimore, who was a private in the First Maryland Confederate regiment, and who made a personal appeal to the lady to present the
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flag to
General Johnson, as the representative of the victorious regiment.
Mrs. Rust, although 10th to part with the treasured memento, at length consented, simply stipulating that she should receive a picture of it. The flag itself is made of silk, and was originally a fine piece of work, though now much tattered.
Immediately after the conflict in
Mr. McKay's yard on the evening of May 23d, 1862, an incident occurred which is worth relating.
A field officer of a Pennsylvania regiment was found by
Mrs. McKay, secreted in her cellar.
She captured the
gallant Yankee, and finding him in a state of trepidation, took from him his ivory-mounted pistols and turned him over to the cavalry, while he pleaded for his life, and even offered her money, if she would allow him to escape.
Captain John R. Rust, the husband of
Miss McKay, was a gallant soldier and officer in
Ashby's cavalry, a relative of that splendid leader and one of his most trusted men.
(Copy.)
My Dear
Madam,—The Association of the Maryland Line have directed me to present to you the accompanying photograph of the flag of the First Maryland Federal Regiment as a testimonial of their respect and regard.
The original of this picture, so carefully preserved by you for so many years, will be kept among the records of the
Maryland Line, and will bear testimony to our descendants of the fidelity of
Virginia women to the cause we all loved so well.
Permit me to present to you and to my old comrade, your gallant husband, the assurances of the warmest esteem.
Your obedient servant,
(Signed)
To the above letter
Mrs. Rust made a graceful acknowledgment, stating that the picture fulfilled all her expectations and desires, and would always be found hanging in the parlor of her
Virginia home.