Capturing the Flag of the 16th Michigan at Gaines Mill

In the late 1890s, the survivors of the 16th Michigan endeavored to recover a set of regimental colors that the regiment had lost in battle more than 30 years prior during the Battle of Gaines Mill, Va. The effort resulted in a number of articles published in both Confederate Veteran and local newspapers which provided both Blue and Gray perspectives of how the colors were captured on the evening of June 27, 1862.

 

The smoke-filled woods near the Chickahominy River set the scene for one of the final acts of the Battle of Gaines Mill on the evening of June 27, 1862. 

In 1861, the ladies of Detroit, Michigan presented the 16th Michigan Infantry (then known as Stockton’s 1st Michigan Independent Regiment) with a set of regimental colors. “It was a superb flag of the finest blue silk,” recalled Sergeant Thomas R. Lackie of Co. E. “Inscribed thereon was ‘Stockton’s Independent Regiment’ with the state arms on one side and on the reverse the arms of the U.S. on which was the motto ‘Stand by the Union.’

          Lackie explained the circumstances by which the colors were lost at Gaines Mill on June 27, 1862.

          Late in the evening of that day, the Confederate army until then had been unable to break our lines. Hood’s Texans were thrown to the front of General Porter’s left center (Martindale’s brigade), rushing against it like a tornado, beat it back, and swept along with it the right of Butterfield’s brigade. This brigade being the extreme left of Porter’s line with our regiment the left of the brigade. As the brigade was forced back it formed a new front on its original right flank.

          Our regiment was rallied by Major Norval E. Welch and advanced back to its original position. We saw a brigade advancing across the plateau as if to strike our brigade on its left flank. Major Welch gave the command ‘Right face, file right, march!’ Passing down the inkling until we formed a junction with the rest of our brigade, we fronted, and commenced loading, not quite certain in the dusk of the evening that the troops advancing were friend or foe.

          The enemy halted within about 30 paces of our line and commanded us to surrender. “Damned if we do,” replied Major Welch. Immediately, the Confederates with the Palmetto Sharpshooters in front poured into our ranks a withering volley of musketry and repeated it be regiment, the front regiment kneeling. Our ranks were mowed down like grass. Corporal Pideau, who carried the silk flag, was shot down. The Confederates had charged us and were into our ranks. One of our men stooped down to recover the flag but he, too, was shot down, and the flag captured.

          On our right, hellish deeds were being enacted on both sides. Screeching demons, the clash of small arms, roar of cannons, powder smoke, and night’s darkness made it worse than two hells. The 16th Michigan was beaten back and took refuge on the Chickahominy. Though this last onset with the South Carolinians did not last over 15 minutes, the regiment lost over 220 killed, wounded, and prisoners. Although we lost our flag, we nobly defended it until by overwhelming force, it was wrested from us.

To read another 16th Michigan account of Gaines' Mill, please check out Hospital Steward William L. Berry's letter at "An Echo Like a Wail of Departing Spirits: With the 16th Michigan at Gaines Mill." 

         

James Alfred Hoyt, Palmetto Sharpshooters 

Orderly Sergeant James Alfred Hoyt of Co. C of the Palmetto Sharpshooters provided his own perspective on Gaines Mill and described how his regiment captured the flag of the 16th Michigan:

          In going forward with the assaulting column, Anderson’s brigade was on the extreme right of the Confederate line and dashed down the slope and into the ravine above which were the enemy’s batteries and lines of infantry with temporary entrenchments. Anderson pressed up the steep ascent across the ravine and met with little resistance although under a constant fire while the battle raged with more vigor on our left where Hood’s and Pickett’s brigades were engaged the Federals.

          We pressed to the front in pursuit of broken lines which were moving towards the main body of McClellan’s army and hence getting in front of Hood and Pickett who drove everything before them. It was a moment of intense anxiety. The sun had set and the smoke of battle was drifting off to the valley of the Chickahominy just beneath the hill on which we had charged the enemy’s lines.

          General Anderson, with the 6th S.C., 2nd S.C. Rifles, and 4th S.C. Battalion moved straight forward for several hundred yards after we reached the open on the crest of the hill and had directed Colonel Micah Jenkins of the Palmetto Sharpshooters to take his own command and the 5th S.C. under Colonel Jackson and move towards the Chickahominy in order to protect the right flank of Lee’s army. It was not imagined that there were any Federals in that vicinity but it was rapidly nearing night and at the time was accepted only as a wise precaution which soon resulted in a brisk and decided engagement.

          The 16th Michigan and 83rd Pennsylvania had been completely cut off by our movement from their army and Colonel [T.W.B.] Stockton assumed command of this semi-brigade, undertaking to extricate his command from its perilous position. His troops came from the woods and on the slope towards the Chickahominy and it was supposed that he was seeking an escape down the valley under cover of the smoky atmosphere and fast falling shadows of the evening.

          Colonel Jackson of the 5th S.C. was on the crest of the hill and he reported at once to Colonel Jenkins that troops were moving out from the woods on our right and in a few minutes the head of the column was visible to the Palmetto Sharpshooters a hundred yards down the hill. Colonel Jenkins instantly prepared to give battle if necessary. It was a magnificent sight to look upon these men marching so steadily, but their flags were furled or at least the folds were too indistinct to know whether they were friends or foes.

          The 16th Michigan was in front and when it approached our vicinity, Colonel Jenkins demanded to know what troops they were, to which no response was made. In silence, they came on, only the steady tramp breaking the suspense when Jenkins shouted that he would fire upon them unless they told to which army they belonged and yet there was no response. Their column was not more than 50 yards in our front, marching by the flank, while our men were at the ready. As the head of their column came in front of our color company, the officer in command broke the silence by saying, ‘Halt! Front!’ To this, Jenkins replied, ‘Fire’ and our volley made deadly work in their ranks.

          They quickly returned the fire then Jenkins ordered the charge and in a few minutes the 5th S.C. and 83rd Pennsylvania had a similar experience on the hill. The Palmetto Sharpshooters secured the flag of the 16th Michigan, a beautiful banner that never trailed in the dust.

So, what happened to the captured colors of the 16th Michigan? After the conclusion of the Seven Days, General Robert E. Lee sent the colors to Governor Francis W. Pickens in Columbia. The colors were stored in the old State House and resided there until February 17. 1865 when fire laid waste to the capitol; the old State House was among the buildings swept into that conflagration and presumably the colors were among the casualties.

Source:

“The Battle of Gaines’ Mill: In Search of a Lost Flag,” The People’s Journal (Pickens, South Carolina), May 4, 1899, pg. 1

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