Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 37.djvu/285

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The Color Episode.
277

To my great regret, I neglected noting down the name of this comrade, as I was very weak then and my water soaked diary was not within my reach.

J. H. Bassler,
Late Captain Co. C, 149th Regiment Pa. Vol's.

Sworn and subscribed before me this fourth day of June, A. D., 1907.

H. S. Gockley, Justice of the Peace,
Myerstown, Pa.

Affidavit of Supervisors of Co. C, 149th Reg't. PA. Vols.

State of Pennsylvania, County of Lebanon—ss.

Personally appeared before me a Justice of the Peace in and for said county, Edward L. Manderbach, William H. Reigart, John Schaeffer, Lorenzo Blecker, Adam Loose and Henry W. Moyer, who being duly affirmed according to law, do depose and say, that they were present in the first Day's Fight, at Gettysburg, and that the regimental colors were never again returned to the custody of the Company after being sent out into the field north of the pike and planted by a rail-pile to the left of the left front of the regiment, and that there, at said rail-pile, was the last we saw of them.

Affirmed and subscribed before me, this 25th day of May, A. D., 1907.

H. S. Gockley, Justice of the Peace.

Edward L. Manderbach, William H. Reigart, John Schaeffer,
Lorenzo Blecker, Adam Loose,
Henry W. Moyer.

These accounts harmonize so completely as to leave them free from all doubt. Note well the striking fact, that, when our temporarily victorious Color Guards came rushing along to rejoin the regiment, they saw only men in gray where but a short time before they had seen the blue, the enemy being in possession of that part of the field.

Had the dash on our colors been made but five or ten minutes sooner, or, had Brehm not lost twice that length of time in wait-