Minnesota Told to Return Civil War Flag

Newsday ^ | June 17, 2002 | FREDERIC J. FROMMER -- Associated Press Writer

[Willie Green]

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Army says a blood-soaked, bullet-pierced Confederate flag that Minnesota captured from Virginia 140 years ago belongs to the federal government -- and it plans to house the flag at an Army museum in Virginia.

But the Minnesota Historical Society, which has resisted previous requests to return the flag, said it would not comply with the decision, issued last week by the Army's chief of military history, Brig. Gen. John S. Brown.

[First_Salute]

Flag this! (?)

[First_Salute]

Flag you! (?)

[Kerberos]

"In 2000, Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura dismissed a plea from the Virginia Senate, asking, "Why? I mean, we won."

LOL...Gotta love it.

[patton]

"Why? I mean, we won."

Did you? Interesting assertion.

[Paleo Conservative]

But Minnesota wasn't fighting for states rights.

[Kerberos]

"Did you? Interesting assertion.

Oh, do you mean it was really the union the surrender at Appomatax.

[Arkinsaw]

I think its worth more where it continues to provide service pointing out what asses they are.

Here is a counterpoint for them to contemplate:
1st Arkansas Regiment Returns Flag of 76th Ohio

[patton]

One could argue that the Union died at Appomatax, yes. Or have you looked at federal laws, lately?

But I suspect that you knew that.

[Dakmar]

If Virginia is gonna be all whiney about it they should give them back the flag, suggest it be put in a museum, and then dismiss every public employee who spent more than the ten seconds it took me to come up with that solution.

[AngrySpud]

Possession is nine-tenths of the law ... unless the Feds want something.

[patton]

Did you know, that current federal law, prevents you from growing grass, on your own farm, to feed your own cows?

It seems that such freedom interferes with "interstate commerce."

"You asked for it, you got it....despotism."

Enjoy the fruits of victory.

[CapandBall]

This Virginian with ancestors in the CSA says no. Spoils of war and all that. A flag captured on the field of battle belongs to who ever had the balls to pick them up.

[Pompah]

When you consider the amount of blood that the Boy's from the First Minnesota had to pay for that Flag on the field at Gettysburg's second day I think you might agree that it's theirs through all eternity.
That war was over long,long ago. Let it be.

[Kerberos]

""You asked for it, you got it....despotism."

Yes, but then again that's a whole other issue.

[FirstFlaBn]

Pvt. Sherman was being paid by the U.S. government when he captured the flag. He accepted a medal and a furlough as a reward. Besides, he was ordered to turn the flag in. Unless Minnesota can come up with a piece of paper showing the Feds gave them the flag rather than loaned it, it belongs to the Feds if they want to spend ten minutes in court. The War Department's sloppy record keeping does not convey ownership to Minnesota.

The Joint Resolution by Congress in 1905 that returned the captured Confederate flags went a long way towards the reonciliation that was then in progress. The mass return led to many similar cases of private individuals - North and South - returning captured flags. Too bad Minnesota didn't get the memo.

[FirstFlaBn]

Actually this one was taken on July 3; the 28th Virginia was in Pickett's Division - they didn't fight on the 2nd.

[hangin' chad]

But Minnesota wasn't fighting for states rights.

Subtle...LOL!

[Ligeia]

If Virginia is gonna be all whiney about it they should give them back the flag, suggest it be put in a museum, and then dismiss every public employee who spent more than the ten seconds it took me to come up with that solution.

Minnesota is in violation of the law by keeping the flag. It's the U.S. Army that is trying to recover the flag for a museum at Fort Belvoir located in Virginia. Maybe you missed this part in the article:

In a letter to members of the Virginia congressional delegation last week, Brown wrote, "We believe the status of the flag is loaned not returned. By law, the proper custodian of the flag is the War Department -- now the United States Army.

"We intend that the flag be returned to the Army" for exhibit at the National Museum of the United States Army, scheduled to open in 2009 in Fort Belvoir, Va.

[Rifleman]

As a son of the Upper South (West Central Missouri) I state that this flag was won fairly by the soldier who captured it and is his property. If he left it to his home state, that should settle the matter. The Army and the Feds should go to the devil.