19 January 1862, Kentucky, War Between the States

[ Home ] [ Up ]

A CONFEDERATE FLAG  -  The Grenada Banner Returned to its Original Owners

courtesy Mark Jaeger

The confederate flag which was captured in Mill Springs, Kentucky, on January 19, 1862, by the late Major Gregory was, on Wednesday of last week [18 October 1899], shipped by his family to Mrs. P. S. Dudley at Grenada, Mississippi.  The flag was the banner of the Grenada Rifles.  It had been made by the ladies of Grenada and presented to the militia company when they went out to fight for the confederacy.  Mr[s]. Dudley is a sister of Captain Stattham, the commander of the Rifles and was one of the ladies who helped to make the flag which is six by nine feet in size and made of silk and bearing the inscription, "Presented to the Grenada rifles by the ladies of Grenada, Miss."

Some time before Major Gregory's death [on 15 July 1899] he presented the flag to his regiment, the Tenth Indiana, with the understanding that he should be its custodian.   At the meeting of the regiment in this city [Lebanon, Indiana] last year [on/about 18 September 1898] a motion to return the flag was lost, but at the meeting this year [on/about 18 September 1899], held in Lafayette [Indiana], the motion was carried.   Mrs. Gregory was consulted and agreeing to the plan the flag has been returned.

In April, 1896, the Grenada Rifles held a reunion at Grenada [Mississippi] and Major Gregory kindly loaned them their old flag that they might have the pleasure of gazing upon its folds and recall the incidents which its memory produced.  They were much affected at the sight of the flag but gallantly returned it to its captor with a resolution warmly thanking him for its use.  In a speech at a reunion of the Tenth Indiana held in Lebanon, September 19, 1894, Major Gregory gave a description of the
capture of the flag as follows:

"You remember, boys, of the severe fighting at Logan's fields on the morning of January 19, 1862, and the defeat and utter rout of the enemy, and the pursuit ten miles to their fortifications on this side of the
Cumberland river, and how we lay on our arms that night expecting hard fighting the next morning.  And at break of day you remember how our artillery poured shot and shell into their works, both on this side and over the river, how they fired their steamer which they had used during the night in making their escape, and how they went pell mell and left everything.  And how we rushed over their works finding them deserted and how we rushed down the bluffs to the Cumberland river to find it a rushing torrent and no means of crossing in pursuit.  In a short time, however, some one found a little old canoe.   I jumped into it with a board for a paddle, and Colonel [Mahlon] Manson and Captain [William B.] Carroll got in.  We finally succeeded in landing on the other shore, where we found wagonloads of officers' trunks and outfits.  After looking around a little I thought I would steal a march on Colonel Manson by climbing the bluffs to the fortifications, believing that if there were any rebels there they would surrender to the first officer that appeared so I climbed up the bluffs alone.  Comrades, you that were there remember how abrupt and commanding they [the bluffs] were.  As I approached the top I discovered this flag with no rebels appearing to surrender.  I seized the flag and
ran down to Colonel Manson, holding out the flag for his inspection.  He took it, looked at it and commented on it, saying it was a glorious capture."

This comes from the "Lebanon Weekly Patriot," 26 October 1899


NOTE: "Captain Carroll" mentioned as having gotten into the "old canoe" was mustered in as Captain of Company E, 10th IVI on 2 Sep 61.  He resided in Lafayette, IN and was a newspaper editor of the "Lafayette Daily Courier" before the war.  His rise was rapid and he was promoted to Regimental Colonel on 18 Nov 62.  Carroll was mortally wounded at Chickamauga, 19 Sep 63.   You can see photos of Carroll, Gregory, Manson, and others on my 10th IVI website:

http://members.xoom.com/elagabalus/tenth.html


My thanks to Mark Jaeger for submitting this onfo.