Regimental Colors of the 72nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry
The picture above is of the 72nd Ohio Regimental Colors prior to its recent preservation by the Sandusky County Historical Society. On May 9th, I had the privilege of attending the unveiling of the now beautifully restored 72nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry regimental colors at the Sandusky County Historical Society in Fremont, Ohio. Sandusky County, Ohio has always been mindful of its history. And now, thanks go to the historical society and its members and the many donors who made the restoration possible!
Years ago, the historical society loaned the 72nd OVI colors to the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center for an exhibit that focused on Sandusky County in the Civil War. Using newspaper articles and diaries and letters at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center, its unique history was uncovered. Perhaps the short article below is worth republishing to better appreciate it and the sacrifices of the men of the 72nd during the Civil War .
Preserve the Colors or
Die
"Remember
when the banner is unfurled, that the cords of affection in your regiment reach
back to us; and that every heart in Sandusky County will thrill with the
fortunes of the 72nd Ohio. If
it be its fate to fall, every household in Sandusky County will shed a tear
over its loss."
With those
final, dramatic words, Fremont, Ohio, Mayor Homer Everett presented the
regimental banner, emblazoned with a "soaring eagle" to General Ralph
Buckland who was leaving with some 900 Sandusky County, Ohio soldiers for the Civil
War battlefields.
Civil War
soldiers had a nearly-sacred regard for the American flag and their regimental
banners. Many sacrificed their lives in
battle to protect their colors. When
Confederate forces captured the 72nd Ohio's banner during its first
battle at Shiloh, the soldiers of the 72nd were humiliated and
Sandusky Countians were shocked. After
apologies and explanations by General Buckland, the women of Sandusky County
set to work to make a new banner for the regiment. Buckland promised it never again would be
lost.
It never
was.
Even during
the desperate retreat from the Battle of Brice's Cross Roads, when Rebels
captured two-thirds of the remaining men of the 72nd Ohio, the flag was saved. Color Bearer Archibald Purcell ripped the
flag from its staff, wrapped it around his chest, and concealed it beneath his
shirt as he fled from the Confederate cavalry.
Later, Purcell said, "I thought if I were killed, the Rebels would
never find the banner hidden beneath my shirt and it would have been buried
with me."
Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard kept the original banner his troops had captured at
the Battle of Shiloh. He later gave it to his chief of staff
General Thomas Jordan, who bequeathed it to his daughter. Years later, Miss Jordan donated the banner
to a fundraising auction in New York.
Ohio Governor Asa Bushnell learned of the flag's existence and asked a
friend to bid on the banner for him.
In October
1896, Governor Bushnell presented the banner to Medal of Honor winner Captain Charles McCleary and 72nd Ohio veterans, who had gathered at Clyde,
Ohio, for their annual reunion. After 34
years in the South, the "soaring eagle" of the 72nd came
home to Sandusky County.
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