Trophies of the field of Antietam.
Messrs. Editors: During a visit to the headquarters of the army of the Potomac at
Sharpsburgh, a few days after the great
battle of Antietam, in company with several gentlemen from
Philadelphia, I was favored with a personal interview with
Gen. McClellan, during which our attention, while in his tent, was drawn to a large number of colors taken from the rebels in the battles of
South-Mountain, Antietam, and Shepherdstown Bluffs.
As they possessed great interest to our party,
Gen. McClellan very kindly gave us a great deal of information in regard to them, and by his permission I made the list and descriptions of them herewith appended.
As will be seen by a reference to the
General's official report of the battles, this list comprises less than .one half of the colors captured, the whole number being thirty-nine.
The list embraces all, however, which at the time of our visit had been received at the headquarters, and though only partial, may, nevertheless, possess an interest for your readers.
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1. We were first shown the battle-flag of the rebels, which
Gen. McClellan informed us had been generally adopted by them, in lieu of the regular confederate or national rebel flag, which was the only one carried in the earlier periods of the war. This flag was about four feet square, red ground, with blue stripes, about four inches wide, running diagonally across, or from corner to corner.
On these stripes are twelve white stars, representing the twelve States claimed by the rebels as belonging to their confederacy.
It was very badly torn and blood-stained.
From a written paper sewed on it, I learned that it had been the battle-flag of the Eleventh Alabama regiment, captured by the Fifty-seventh New-York volunteers,
Richardson's division,
Sumner's corps, at the
battle of Antietam, September seventeenth, 1862.
2. A regular confederate flag, with the stars and bars.
I could not learn the history of this flag, from what regiment captured, nor by whom?
3. Another battle-flag, similar in all respects to No. 1.
It was very much torn and very bloody.
The following history of its capture was pinned to it:
headquarters
Doubleday's division, Twelfth army corps.
This flag was captured by
private Isaac Thomas, company G, Twentieth regiment N. Y.S. M., September seventeenth, 1862, at the
battle of Antietam.
Thomas shot the rebel color-bearer, then ran forward and brought off the colors.
4. Another battle-flag, similar to the last.
On the upper edge of this flag “
Williamsburgh” is painted in large letters, and “
Seven Pines” on the lower edge.
It was captured at the
battle of Antietam, September seventeenth, 1862, by the Seventh New-York volunteers,
Caldwell's brigade,
Richardson's division.
5. Another battle-flag captured at “
Antietam,” similar to No. 4, with the words “
Seven Pines,” in large letters on the lower edge.
6. A large and very splendid silk flag, with the staff shot in two in the middle.
This flag is composed of silk of three colors, and when new must have been a very superb one.
The field is of deep blue, with a single large straw colored star in the centre.
The bars are of straw color and delicate purple.
On the field at the top is inscribed “
Seven Pines,” on the yellow bar, “
Gaines' farm” and “Eltham's Landing,” and “
Malvern hills” on the purple bar. It is much torn and stained, and is bordered with heavy but tarnished silver fringe.
This is evidently a Texan standard.
I regret that I could not learn its history.
7. Flag of
North-Carolina.
Red field with single star.
Above the star is the inscription, “May 20th, 1775,” referring to the Mecklenburgh
Declaration of Independence; below the star, “May 20th, 1861,” referring to the rebel
declaration of independence.
In other respects it is similar to the regular battle-flag of the
confederate States.
8. Battle-flag abandoned by the rebels on the battle-field of “Shepherdstown Bluffs,” September 19, 1862, when a portion of
Griffin's brigade, of
Morell's division,
Gen. Fitz-John Porter's Fifth army corps, forded the
Potomac and carried the heights by assault.
This is a silk flag of large size.
Its color originally was pink, but now faded by exposure to the weather.
It had the diagonal bars of blue, with the white stars, and is bordered with rich yellow fringe.
It must have been very handsome when new.
9. A regular confederate flag, the history of which I did not learn.
10. Regular battle-flag, captured by the Fourth regiment Vermont volunteers, at the battle of “Crampton's Pass,” (
South-Mountain,)
Maryland, on Sunday, September fourteenth, 1862.
11. A flag of different style from any of the preceding ones, composed of two triangular pieces of
red and
white bunting, without star, bar, or inscription.
12, 13, 14. Three battle-flags, without history.
15. Another battle-flag, differing from those already described, it being bordered with orange-colored fringe.
The others were without borders.
This flag was captured at the
battle of Antietam, September seventeenth, 1862, by the Sixty-first New-York volunteers,
Caldwell's brigade,
Richardson's division.
16. A battle-flag, captured at
Antietam, September seventeenth, 1862, by the Seventeenth regiment New-York volunteers,
Caldwell's brigade,
Richardson's division.
17. A magnificent, large, dark-blue silk flag, with handsome centre painted, representing two females, one holding a pod of unripe cotton, and the other a staff and liberty cap in her left hand, and a scroll, on which is inscribed “The Constitution of
North-Carolina,” in her right hand.
Below, “4th Regiment North-Carolina Volunteers.”
This flag was captured by the Fifth New-Hampshire volunteers,
Colonel E. E. Cross, of
Caldwell's brigade,
Richardson's division, at “
Antietam,” September seventeenth, 1862.
Color-Corporal George Nettleson, seized the colors and brought them off, although badly wounded.
The same regiment shot down the color-bearers of battle-flags of other regiments opposed to them.
18. Another battle-flag, made of two triangular pieces of coarse bunting, with staff surmounted by a pike-head of iron, similar to the head of a
John Brown spear or pike.
19. A dirty-looking rebel flag, captured at “Crampton's Pass” (
South-Mountain,) September the fourteenth, 1862, from the Sixteenth regiment Virginia, by the Fourth regiment New-Jersey volunteers,
Torbert's brigade,
Slocum's division,
Franklin's corps d'armee.
W. B. Hatch,
Col. Fourth United States volunteers.
20. A dingy-looking flag of very coarse bunting, captured by the same regiment, at Crampton's Pass, September fourteenth, 1862, by the Fourth New-Jersey volunteers, from the “
Cobb legion of
Georgia.”
