im when their regiment left Fredericksburg. He said he did
not know how they got into the hospital, but supposed a wounded
sergeant had left them there. He disclaimed any idea of their having
been abandoned in a cowardly manner, and could not understand why his
colonel had made such a declaration. The statement that his men rescued
them from an unknown regiment was false upon its face, for our name was
inscribed on its folds in plain letters, "132d P. V." Why he made such a
statement, and why he treated the colors as he did, I could never
understand, for had the statement been true it was outrageously
unmilitary to proclaim to the world the cowardice of one of our own
regiments. It was his duty to promptly send the colors to head-quarters,
with a statement of the facts, so that the alleged runaways could be
properly disciplined. As it was, it seemed a most contemptible effort to
secure a little cheap, unearned glory. It was heartlessly cruel and
unworthy of a brave soldier.

The result of the court of inquiry was a full and complete vindication
of our regiment, as shown by the following paragraph from an order
issued by Major-General O. O. Howard, commanding the Second Corps: "The
last color-bearer, badly wounded, left his regiment after dark, and in
the town entered a church used as a hospital, taking his colors with
him. He was carried away from this place and the colors left behind. The
very fidelity of the color-bearer holding to his colors as long as he
was conscious was the occasion of their loss to the regiment. Not only
no fault should be found with this regiment, but it should receive
unqualified commendation."

General French, commanding our division, published this order to the
division, adding the following: "As the commander of the division, and
knowing the character of the One Hundred and Thirty-second Pennsylvania
Volunteers, which has fought under my eye in two of the bloodiest
engagements of the war, and which has the highest encomiums from its
brigade commander, General Kimball, who knows what brave men are, I have
deemed it my duty to make this record to go with whatever may have
transpired in reference to this subject during my short absence." The
above paragraphs were taken from Bates's "History of Pennsylvania
Volunteers." The colors were ordered returned to us with proper military
honors. They were brought to General French's head-quarters by a
military escort from that regiment, and I had the sa