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 'HE AMEEICAN FLAG IN lEXICO, 
 
 H. 
 
THE 
 
 HISTORY OF THE RAISING 
 
 THE FIPiST AMERICAN FLAG 
 
 THE CAPITOL OF MEXICO. 
 
 PROCEEDINGS IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE. 
 
 WASHINGTON : 
 PRINTED BY C. WENDELL. 
 
 1856. 
 

 CONTENTS. 
 
 Proceedings in the Senate of the United States 
 
 Report of the Committee on Military Affairs 
 
 General Quitman's statement 
 
 Colonel Loring's statement 
 
 Major Crittenden's statement 
 
 Colonel Geary's statement 
 
 Captain Lovell's statement 
 
 Captain Naylor's statement 
 
 Captain Naylor's statement covering correspondence on Flag 
 
 Page. 
 
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 . 13 
 
 . 17 
 
 . 18 
 
 . 20 
 
 ,. 23 
 
 .. 25 
 
 .. 32 
 

 #/ - jr 
 
 THE AMERICAN FLAG IN MEXICO. 
 
 IN TPIE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES, 
 
 On the 31st day of Decemberj A. D. 1855, Mr. Foot, Senator from 
 Vermont, introduced, with some appropriate remarks, the following 
 resolution, to wit : 
 
 Resolved, That the report of Benjamin S. Roberts, captain of the rifles, made to General 
 Twiggs, on returning to him the American flag whicli had been the first planted upon the 
 capitol of Mexico, and which he had intrusted to the keeping of Captain Roberts in the storm- 
 ing of Chepultepec, and the taking of the city of Mexico, bearing date *' City of Mexico, 
 17th September, 1847," be taken from the files in the office of the secretary of the Senate, and 
 be printed ; and that the president pro tempore of the Senate cause an engrossed copy thereof 
 to be deposited in the Department of State with the flag whose history it gives, and which 
 has already been deposited in said department by order of the Senate. 
 
 Mr. Foot moved to refer the resolution to the committee on military 
 aifairs. 
 
 Mr. BiiowN, of Mississippi, expressing a wish to make some remarks 
 on the suhject, the motion was laid over until the 7th day of Janu- 
 ary, 1856, when the following proceedings took place on the suhject : 
 
 COLONEL BENJAMIN S. ROBERTS. 
 
 Mr. FOOT. I ask the Senate now to proceed to the consideration 
 of the resolution which I introduced this day week, in reference to 
 Colonel Roberts. I understand that the senator from Mississippi (Mr. 
 Brown) desires to submit some remarks upon it before it shall be re- 
 ferred to the committee on military affairs, that being the motion now 
 pending. I also introduced, at the same time, a joint resolution to 
 request the President to cause a sword, with suitable devices, to be 
 presented to Colonel Roberts, in testimony of the high sense enter- 
 tained by Congress of his gallantry and good conduct at the storming 
 of Chepultepec and the taking of the city of Mexico ; but, inasmuch 
 as the Senate are acting upon a determination not to receive bills or 
 resolutions, requiring the co-ordinate action of the other House, until 
 that branch of Congress shall be organized, that joint resolution is 
 withdrawn for the time being. 
 
 The motion was agreed to, and the Senate resumed the consideration 
 of the following resolution : 
 
 Resolved, That the report of Benjamin S. Roberts, captain of the rifles, made to General 
 Twiggs, on returning to him the American flag which had been the first planted upon the 
 capitol of Mexico, and which he had intrusted to the keeping of Captain Roberts in the storm- 
 ing of Chepultepec, and the taking of the city of Mexico, bearing date " city of Mexico, 
 17th September, 1847," be taken from the files in the office of the secretary of the Senate, and 
 be printed ; and that the President pro tempore of the Senate cause an engrossed copy thereof 
 to be deposited in the Department of State with the flag whose history it gives, and which 
 has already been deposited in said department by order of the Senate. 
 
 The pending question was on Mr. Foot's motion to refer the resolu- 
 tion to the Committee on Militarv Affairs. 
 
4 PROCEEDINGS IN THE 
 
 Mr RROWN Mr. President, it will be recollected by the older 
 Zberso?S-body that the flag mentioned in the -solutKm was 
 
 IbXs in Con-ress, a discussion arose in the Senate bet^yeen Mr. 
 S^il'nd Mi&oote, of Mis^ssippi, which ^^IZ Zt^ i 
 iect may find at pao;e 890 of the Congressional Globe ot that year i 
 •Thairnot detain the Senate by reading it: it is sufficient for me to re- 
 ilrk^hat bW^^^ Foot thought that, in the paper which was then 
 resented iSce was done 1o Major General Qmtman, who com- 
 Sed the forces under whom, and at the head of whom, the first 
 r<^was placed upon the capitol of Mexico. The paper which is 
 Jfered doe not disclose the fact that General Quitman was m the 
 o.flnnnt nil had anvthins to do with the command, or gave any 
 : ders whidhed 1o thf^ting of that flag upon the wall of Mexico 
 Becauslof this unintentional injustice-I am willing to admit^tfiat 
 
 it is unintentional-to the major ge^^^':j[.^^^^^^^^^^.^f,/ f^^ "''^e 
 Senators at that day objected to having this paper placed pon the 
 files of the State Department, as giving the correct histoiy oi the 
 transaction It is noted in the debates that an angry controversy 
 arosHn r^^^^^^^ to it. That portion of the debates has been sup- 
 pressed, and very properly suppressed, m my judgment. 
 ^ As I intend to make the paper part of my remarks-I mean the 
 
 one alluded to by the Senator from X'^'^T^^:"}'"' }Z^^^^^^^ 
 printed, and enrolled on parchment, and filed m the State Depart- 
 ment—I send it to the Secretary's desk, and ask to have it read. 
 The Secretary read it, as follows : 
 
 City of Mexico, September 17, 1847. 
 
 Sir- I have the honor to return the American flag you intrusted to my keeping in the 
 
 storming of Chepultepec and the taking of the city of Mexico. Your charge to me was. I 
 
 expect that flaAo be the first planted^pon the capitol of Mexico " The commission has 
 
 been executed, Ld the first American flag that ever floated upon the palace of the capitol of 
 
 ''it'^L^aCthe'/Stlantron the five-gun battery, stormed and carried by my assaulting 
 party at the left of the enemy's lines at Cliepultepec. . i . ,i -n .orrimont 
 
 It was also the first planted on the battery =^tormed and carried by the rifle regiment, 
 between Chepultepec and the Garita. , r. .. i .1 ^ * +u„ r.,fn^ol nf 
 
 It was also the first planted on the batteries at the Garita, and the first on the citadel of 
 
 ^ It^'wls carried by Sergeant Manly, of " F " company, whom I selected to bear so distin- 
 <ruished a flag, and the anticipations I entertained of his doing honor to the banner ot his 
 country were not disappointed. I de.ire to commend him to your special consideration. 
 
 This flaff would have been returned through him, but for a severe wound winch conhnes 
 him to his quarters. It is proper that I should state that I was not with the flag when planted 
 on the battery at the Garita, and when planted on the battery between the Garita and the 
 city, having been detained to guard the prisoners taken at the five-gun baltery assaulted by 
 ■ my storming party. On inspection you will perceive that this flag lias been pierced six times 
 by the balls of the enemy. 
 
 I have the honor to be, with high regard, &c., ROBERTS 
 
 Captain Rifles. 
 General D. E. Twiggs, 
 
 Commanding Second Division. 
 
UNITED STATES SENATE. 5 
 
 Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, it will be seen, from tlie reading of 
 that letter, that I was correct in saying that it makes no mention 
 whatever of Major General Quitman. Captain Roberts seems to have 
 received this flag from General Twiggs, who was not in command at 
 the time when this service was performed. It will be further remarked, 
 that Captain Roberts states in his dispatch that the flag was "the first 
 planted on the five-gun battery stormed and carried by the rifle regi- 
 ment between Chepultepec and the Garita." He also says that it was 
 "the first planted on the batteries at the Garita, and the first on the 
 citadel of Mexico." He afterwards remarks, however — 
 
 " It is proper that I should state that I was not with the flag when planted on the battery 
 at the Garita, and when planted on the battery between the Garita and the city." 
 
 If Colonel Roberts was not present, the history of the transaction 
 ought to state how he came in possession of the fact, that this precise 
 flag was the first raised at those two points, for he admits himself not 
 to have been personally present, and, therefore, he must have derived 
 his information from some other quarter. Out of that has grown 
 some controversy in which I do not wish to entangle myself; but it is 
 better, when we are settling a transaction of this sort, in which the 
 reputation of gentlemen who have rendered distinguished services to 
 the country is somewhat involved, to turn our attention to the report 
 of the general-in-chief. I ask that the committee who shall have this 
 question in charge will turn their attention to Major General Scott's 
 report, dated "Headquarters of the army. National Palace of Mexico, 
 September 18, 184'7," to be found in the first volume of Senate docu- 
 ments, first session Thirtieth Congress, 1847 and 1848, beginning at 
 page 375. From that paper it will be seen that the general-in-chief, 
 after giving an account of certain consultations between oflicers of the 
 army, and stating the views expressed by them, says: 
 
 " Those views I repeatedly in the course of the day communicated to Major Ggneral Quit- 
 man ; but being- in hot pursuit — gallant himself and ably supported by Brigadier Generals 
 Sliields and Smitli — Shields badly wounded before Chepultepec and refusing to retire — as 
 well as by all the officers and men of the column, Quitmau continued to press forward under 
 flank and direct fires ; carried an intermediate battery of two guns, and then the gate, before 
 two o'clock in the afternoon, but not without proportionate loss, increased by his steady 
 maintenance of that position." 
 
 After giving some further account of the day's transactions, he 
 says: 
 
 " Quitman within the city, adding several defences to the position he had won, and shel- 
 tering his corps as well as practicable, now awaited the result of daylight under the guns of 
 the formidable citadel, yet to be subdued." 
 
 After the whole fighting was over, General Scott gives an account 
 of a visit of a deputation of the city — the city council — who waited 
 upon him for the purpose of surrendering the city on terms which he 
 promptly rejected, and insisted upon taking it npon his own terms. 
 After the interview, he says : 
 
 " At the termination of the interview with tlie city deputation, I communicated, about 
 daylight, orders to Worth and Quitman to advance slowly and cautiously (to guard against 
 treachery) towards the heart of tiie city, and to occupy its stronger and more commanding 
 points. Q,xulma7i proceeded to the great plaza or square, planted guards, and hoisted the colors of 
 the United States on the national palace, containing the halls of Congress and executive de- 
 partments of federal Mexico." 
 
 Now, sir, when it is proposed to do honor to national flags because 
 they were first planted upon the walls of Mexico, I do not choose that 
 
6 PROCEEDINGS IN* THE 
 
 the name of the major general in command^ especially when that 
 major general is a distinguished citizen of my own State, shall he 
 wholly omitted from the record Avithout some effort on my part, as his 
 representative in this hody, to see justice done him. I am as willing 
 as the Senator from Vermont to award all possihle honors to Captain 
 Eoherts, hut I will never consent to see the honors of the nation he- 
 stowed upon a captain in the line to the exclusion of his major gen- 
 eral ; and especially when, in doing honor to that captain, for aught 
 that appears on the paper, Major General Twiggs, who was not in the 
 field at all upon that occasion, is represented as the general who gave 
 the order to hear the flag. Sir, the man who in after years shall ex- 
 amine the archives of the State Department and find this paper there, 
 if he knew nothing else of the transaction, would he very apt to con- 
 clude that Major General Twiggs was in command, and that Major 
 General Quitman was not in the field at all, whereas the reverse was 
 the case. 
 
 I hope that the committee who shall have this question in charge 
 will sift it to the bottom. Let Captain (now Colonel) Roberts have all 
 the honor that is due to him. Heaven knows I would not pluck a 
 solitary leaf from the laurel that adorns his brow. That he is a gallant 
 soldier, I am perfectly willing and ready to admit. That he exposed 
 his person and endangered his life in defence of his country I am as 
 ready to acknowledge as the Senator from Vermont. But I am not 
 willing to admit that he planted the first flag that was ever placed 
 upon the walls of Mexico, and did it of his own will — or by the order 
 of Major General Twiggs. 
 
 Sir, I have here a letter to which these squabbles gave rise, when 
 this question was up before. It is a letter written by Captain Roberts 
 himself, dated St. Louis, Missouri, July 12, 1848. I send it to the 
 Secretary's desk, and ask to have it read. I present this letter as the 
 true history of the transaction rather than the one which is found on 
 the files, and which my friend from Vermont proposes to honor. 
 Although it does not, I think, come up to the history of the transac- 
 tion as detailed by Major General Scott, the general-in- chief, it does 
 make honorable mention of General Quitman, who was in command. 
 
 The Secretary read the letter as follows : 
 
 St. Louis, Missouri, July 12, 1848. 
 To the Editor of the Union: 
 
 I have noticed, through the Washington correspondent of tlie Journal of Commerce, of 
 date July 1st, giving the debate in the Senate of that day, that misunderstandings, out of 
 which difficulties may grow, have arisen between the friends of Generals Twiggs and Quit- 
 man touching the fag presented by General Twiggs to Congress, It may be proper before 
 mischief can arise, or these misunderstandings grow further, to correct the errors that seem 
 to be entertained relating to the history of this flag. I know its entire history. It is as fol- 
 lows: 
 
 On the 12th of September General Smith called for two hundred and fifty picked men from 
 General Twigg's division, as a storming party for the assault of Chepultepec. I was selected 
 by General Smith to command the party from his brigade, and, after the party was organ- 
 ized, was taken by him to General Twiggs' headquarters, where was this flag, which Gene- 
 ral Twiggs gave to me, saying in substance, among other things, " This is a flag 1 wish to 
 go with the storming party from my division. Let me hear that it is the first flag on Che- 
 pultepec, in the city, and on the capitol." Six non-commissioned officers and privates were 
 selected from the rifle regiment to bear this flag at the head of the storming column. 
 
 The storming party from this division (commanded by Captain Casey, second infantry) 
 yeported to General Scott at Tacubaya before sundown, and was assigned to the com- 
 
UNITED STATES SENATE. 7 
 
 mand of General Quitman ; and from that time until the flag was raised upon the capitol it 
 was under his control, and all the movements of the storming party carrying it were under 
 his eye and directions. 
 
 This storming party stormed and carried the strong five-gun battery commanding the 
 Tacubaya road at the base of the hill in the rear of Chepultepec, and this Jlag was the first 
 planted on that battery. It was also the first flag planted on the strong battery midwav on the 
 road between Chepultepec and the Garita of Belen, which was stormed and carried by the 
 rifle regiment, supported by the South Carolina regiment. It was also the first flag planted 
 on the Garita of Belen, which work was also stormed by tlie rifle regiment, supported by 
 General Smith's entire brigade and General Quitman's entire division. The storming of 
 these three batteries was directed by General Cluitman in person, with the assistance and 
 support of General Smith. 
 
 The fighting of the 13th ended with the day ; and at daylight next morning, General 
 Quitman formed his division, (General Smith's brigade in front,) and entered the city. He 
 took possession of the citadel; and by his order, delivered to me through General Smith, this 
 flag was raised above that mighty fortress. The division advanced, led by Generals Quit- 
 man and Smith on foot, and took possession of tlie Capitol, when this flag, by the order of 
 General Quitman delivered to me by a staff-ofllcer, was raised, displaying the first Jhmrican 
 banner above the National Palace of Mexico. This is the entire history of the flag. I un- 
 derstood it to be the property of General Twiggs, and at his request returned it to him with 
 my written report. It was borne in these actions by troops of his division, detached from 
 his immediate command, and placed under the orders of General Quitman. 
 
 If this flag is to become of any historical interest, its history should be truly told ; and if 
 any merit is supposed to attach to the fortune or accident of raising the first flag upon the 
 Capitol of Mexico, it is just to General Quitman to have it known it was done by troops he 
 commanded in person and under his orders. 
 
 I am, sir, very truly yours, B. S. ROBERTS, Captain Rifles. 
 
 Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, if that had been the report which 
 it was proposed to print by order of Congress^ and to transcribe on 
 parchment and file in the State Department, as containing the true 
 history of this flag, there woukl probably have been no controversy 
 about it. Here Captain Roberts again repeats that it was the first flag 
 planted at three different points, but he admits himself not to have 
 been at two of them. He omits to mention how he came into posses- 
 sion of the knowledge of those flicts, but they are yet of sufficient 
 consequence to have given rise to controversy, and there is difference 
 of opinion as to whether it was the first flag planted on these points. 
 To that matter I beg to call the attention of the committee, when they 
 shall take this subject into consideration. I desire that the letter 
 which has just been read by the Secretary, at my request, shall go to 
 the committee, and shall be considered by them in connexion with 
 this subject. 
 
 With these remarks, I am willing to let the subject go to the com- 
 mittee. If credit is due to General Quitman, I want him to have it. 
 If it is not due to him, I know he would scorn to take it. And now, 
 it is but just to him to say that, though he is a member of the House 
 of Representatives, I have not made these remarks at his request, nor 
 by his solicitation, nor even with his' knowledge ; but his reputation 
 belongs to the State of Mississippi, and, as one of her Senators here, I 
 have felt bound to protect it. 
 
 Mr. FOOT. Mr. President, I do not intend to prolong this dis- 
 cussion in anticipation of the action of the Committee on Military 
 Affairs — a very proper tribunal to investigate any question that may 
 arise between conflicting claimants for the honor of being concerned 
 in planting the first national flag of the United States on the palace 
 walls of Mexico. It will be recollected that upon the introduction of 
 the resolution, so far from calling for the action of the Senate ujion it, 
 I accompanied it with a motion to refer it to the appropriate com- 
 
8 PROCEEDINGS IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE. 
 
 mittee, the Commitee on Military Affairs, for their investigation and re- 
 l)ort. It is proper, perhaps, that I should say that at the time of the in- 
 troduction of the resolution I was not apprised of the existence of con- 
 flicting claims to this honor. I knew that by the order of the Senate the 
 flag had been deposited in the archives of the State Department. I 
 knew that it had been presented to the Senate by the present head of 
 the War Department, Mr. Davis, then a member of this body from 
 the State of Mississippi. I knew that he had received it from G-en- 
 eral Twiggs, and that Colonel Koberts, then captain of the rifles, 
 had returned it to Greneral Twiggs, from whom he received it, giving 
 its history so far forth as it is given in that report. I stated the his- 
 tory of the flag to the Senate as disclosed in the documents appended 
 to the few remarks which I submitted the other day, among which are 
 extracts from the report of General Quitman, in which he himself ap- 
 pears to have placed Colonel Koberts at the head of the storming 
 ]3arty under whom that flag was first raised upon the walls of Mexico, 
 but undoubtedly by the direction of General Quitman at the time ; 
 and therein there is no controversy between the parties in respect to 
 the exactness of the transaction as it occurred, in my judgment; but, if 
 there are any points of controversy between these or other parties, 
 claimants to this honor, it is preeminently proper that the matter 
 should undergo the proposed examination by the Committee on Mil- 
 itary Affairs. 
 
 It is proper that I should add further, that if there be any implied 
 or inferential injustice done to General Quitman in the report of 
 Colonel Koberts, by the omission of the mention of his name in these 
 transactions, it is, in my judgment, altogether unintentional and ac- 
 cidental on his part ; for I say what I know when I declare that no 
 man in this country entertains for the personal and public character 
 of General Quitman as a citizen, as a general, and as a hero, higher 
 esteem than Colonel Koberts himself. His claim to the honor of hav- 
 ing, by his own hand, first raised the national flag upon the palace 
 walls of Mexico, rests mainly upon the testimony of General Quit- 
 man himself. 
 
 The motion to refer the resolution to the Committee on Military 
 Aflkirs was agreed to. 
 
34th Congress, ) SENATE. C Kep. Com. 
 
 1st Session. ) i ISTo. 32. 
 
 On the 6tli Marcli, Mr. Weller, of California, Chairman of the 
 Senate Committee on Military Affairs, made the following report : 
 
 m THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 March 6, 1856. — Ordered to be printed. 
 
 Mr. Weller made the following (adverse) 
 
 REPORT. 
 
 [To accompany Joint Resolution S. No. 1.] 
 
 The Committee on Ifilitary Affairs make the folloiving report : 
 
 On the 7th of January last there was referred to this committee a 
 resolution of the Senate, as follows : 
 
 Resolved^ That the report of Benjamin S. Koherts, captain of the 
 rifles, made to General Twiggs, on returning to him the American 
 flag which had heen the first planted upon the capitol of Mexico, and 
 which he had intrusted to the keeping of Captain Koherts in the 
 storming of Chepultepec, and the taking of the city of Mexico, hear- 
 ing date ^^ City of Mexico, l'7th September, 1847," he taken from the 
 files in the office of the Secretary of the Senate, and he printed ; and 
 that the President pro tempore of the Senate cause an engrossed copy 
 thereof to he deposited in the Department of State with the flag whose 
 history it gives, and which has already been deposited in said depart- 
 ment by order of the Senate. 
 
 And on the 4th February last the following joint resolution (S. K. 
 No. 1) was also referred to this committee: 
 
 '^ Resolved by the. Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
 Slates of America in Congress assembled, That the President of the 
 United States be requested to cause a sword, with suitable devices, to 
 be presented to Colonel Benjamin S. Koherts, in testimony of the high 
 sense entertained by Congress of his gallantry and good conduct at 
 the storming of Chepultepec and in the taking of the city of Mexico." 
 
 After the unsuccessful bombardment of Chepultepec, on September 
 12, 1847, the general-in-chief (Major General Scott) determined to 
 storm the works on the succeeding day. A detail was accordingly 
 made from the commands of Major Generals Quitman and Pillow. 
 Captain (now Colonel) Benj. S. Koherts, of the rifles, was placed at 
 the head of the storming party detailed from General Smith's brigade. 
 When they were about to start on their perilous mission, a stand of 
 national colors was placed, by General Twiggs, in Colonel Kobert's 
 hands with the charge, ''I expect this flag to be the first planted 
 upon the capitol of Mexico." This flag, under the direction of Cap- 
 tain Koherts, was borne by Sergeant Manly of the rifles, and it is 
 9 
 
10 REPORT. 
 
 alleged to have been the first flag displayed at the five-gun battery, 
 (at the base of Chepultex^ec,) to have been the first planted upon 
 the four-gun battery, (between Chepultepec and the Garita de Belen,) 
 to have been the first on the batteries of the Garita ; first upon the 
 citadel of Mexico, and ''the first American flag that ever floated upon 
 the palace of the Mexican capitol." 
 
 Captain Koberts subsequently returned this flag to General Twiggs 
 with the following letter : 
 
 City of Mexico, Septemher 17, 1847. 
 . Sir : I have the honor to return the American flag you intrusted to 
 my keeping in the storming of Chepultepec and the taking of the city 
 of Mexico. Your charge to me was: "I expect that ^«^ to be the 
 first planted upon the capitol of Mexico." The commission has been 
 executed, and the first American flag that ever floated upon the palace 
 of the capitol of Mexico is now returned to you. 
 
 It was also the first planted on the five-gun battery, stormed and 
 carried by my assaulting party at the left of the enemies lines at 
 Chepultepec. 
 
 It was also the first planted on the battery, stormed and carried by 
 the rifle regiment, between Chepultepec and the Garita. 
 
 It was also the first planted on the batteries at the Garita, and the 
 first on the citadel of the city. 
 
 It was carried by Sergeant Manly, of ''F" company, whom I se- 
 lected to bear so distinguished a flag, and the anticipations I enter- 
 tained of his doing honor to the banner of his country were not 
 disappointed. I desire to commend him to your special consideration. 
 
 This flag would have been returned through him, but for a severe 
 wound which oonfines him to his quarters. It is proper that I should 
 state that I was not with the flag when planted on the battery at the 
 Garita^ and when planted on the battery between the Garita and the 
 city, having been detained to guard the prisoners taken at the five- 
 gun battery assaulted by my storming party. On inspection, you will 
 perceive that this flag has been pierced six times by the balls of the 
 enemy. 
 
 I have the honor to be, with high regard, &c. , 
 
 B. S. EGBERTS, 
 
 Captain llifles. 
 
 General D. E. Twiggs, 
 
 Commanding Second Division. 
 
 On the 2d of June, 1848, this flag was presented by Senator Davis, 
 of Mississippi, in the name of General Twiggs, to Congress, and it 
 was ordered to be deposited in the Department of State. On the 1st 
 of July, 1848, the letter of Captain Roberts, given above, was pre- 
 sented to the Senate and laid upon the table. 
 
 The resolution now submitted proposes to engross that letter on 
 parchment, with a view to its being filed with the flag in the State 
 Department. 
 
 The committee have maturely examined this subject, and are satis- 
 fied that Captain Roberts has fallen into some errors in stating the 
 history of this flag. 
 
REPORT. 11 
 
 In order to ascertain tlie facts in the case, the committee called 
 upon some of the principal officers who were engaged with the army 
 at the points named in the letter, and all of them deny having seen 
 this flag displayed at the four-gun hattery, or at the Garita de Belen, 
 or on the citadel. The only flag raised at the Garita de Belen was 
 that of the Palmetto regiment, and it was there displayed under the 
 personal order of General Quitman, hy Lieutenant Selleck (who was 
 severely wounded in doing so) of the South Carolina regiment. 
 
 On the morning of the 14th Septemher, the rifles were placed in 
 advance and moved towards the city. From the statements of General 
 Quitman and Major Crittenden, it appears that the regimental colors 
 were displayed on the citadel during a short halt. Colonel Geary 
 was directed by General Quitman to occupy the citadel, over which 
 he hoisted the colors of one of the companies of his regiment, while 
 the column moved on to the heart of the city. 
 
 In regard to the hoisting of the flag at the Grand Plaza, the com- 
 mittee refer to the statement of General Quitman. Although a regi- 
 mental flag had been displayed from the window of the palace for a 
 moment, it is undeniable tliat Captain Koberts, under the immediate 
 orders of General Quitman, was the first to display our national em- 
 blem from the stafl" upon tlie Mexican capitol. 
 
 It is due to Captain Roberts to say that he does not pretend to have 
 been with the flag after the fall of the five-gun battery, until it had 
 passed the gates of the city. 
 
 A portion of his letter was, therefore, based upon information re- 
 ceived from others, which the committee believe to be erroneous. 
 
 The committee do not regard the letter of Captain Roberts as por- 
 traying such a history of that flag as ought to be engrossed in the 
 manner proposed by the resolution. 
 
 The letter, however, with the statements of distinguished officers, 
 will now be published, and will become a part of our national ar- 
 cliives. Those who, in after years, look upon the flag and desire to 
 know the incidents connected with it, can turn to these statements, 
 and to that history whicli records the deeds of our gallant countrymen 
 in the valley of Mexico, and obtain perhaps much more satisfactory 
 information than this letter could afford. 
 
 In regard to the joint resolution, which proposes to give a sword to 
 Captain Roberts, the committee are also constrained, by a sense of 
 justice to other gallant and equally meritorious men, to report ad- 
 versely to it. 
 
 That Captain Roberts displayed great gallantry in the several con- 
 tests in which he was engaged with the storming party on the 13th 
 September is beyond question, and full credit was given to him in the 
 official report of his superior afficers ; and his conduct has been duly 
 appreciated and acknowledged by Congress by conferring upon him 
 two brevets, major and lieutenant colonel. 
 
 In the attack upon the five-gun battery he was the third in com- 
 mand, although he was at the head of the advance company.. Cap- 
 tain Casey of the 2d infantry commanded the storming party after 
 its organization, and fell severely wounded. Captain Paul succeeded 
 to the command, and. there is no reason to induce Congress to discri- 
 minate between these officers and Captain Roberts. 
 
12 REPORT. 
 
 One of tlie hardest fought battles was at Garita de Belen, in which 
 the gallant commander of the rifles (Colonel Loring) lost an arm. 
 Captain Roberts was not in this assault, having been left, as he states, 
 at the five-gun battery to guard the prisoners detained at that point. 
 
 The series of battles fought in the immediate vicinity of the city of 
 Mexico terminated by the withdrawal of the Mexican troops on the 
 night of the 13th of September. On the morning of the 14th our 
 army marched into the city without resistance, and then, as before 
 stated, our national flag was hoisted over the Mexican capitol. As 
 the firing on both sides had ceased some hours previously, there was 
 neither danger to encounter nor personal risk to run in performing 
 this duty, honorable as it certainly was, but by no means so hazardous 
 as to deserve the especial commendation of Congress. When field and 
 company officers vied with each other in deeds of heroism and valor, 
 it would be unjust to discriminate between them. The names of all 
 these brave men will occupy the brightest page in our country's his- 
 tory, and, with their daring exploits, will be treasured up by the 
 American people. 
 
 The only officers in the Mexican war to whom swords have been 
 presented by Congress are Generals Taylor, Quitman, Worth, Twiggs, 
 Butler, Henderson, Wool, and Hamer. ISTone of these officers held 
 rank below brigadier general. 
 
 The committee, anxious to investigate this subject as fully as possi- 
 ble, called upon officers who were in the field and in positions which 
 enabled them to observe all that transpired, for written statements, 
 which they have very kindly furnished, and which, in justice to all 
 concerned, the committee append hereto, as a part of this report, as 
 constituting the most reliable history of the American flag in Mexico ; 
 and the committee ask to be discharged from" the further consideration 
 of" the subject. 
 
 For correct information as to the relative position of the places re- 
 ferred to in these reports^ see Ex. Doc. No. 1, 1st session oOtli Congress, 
 and the map accompanying General Quitman's official report, at page 
 408. 
 
 Washington, February 9, 1856. 
 
 Sir : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of a note from 
 your clerk, enclosing a copy of a proposed resolution, submitted to the 
 consideration of that committee, and also enclosing a copy of a letter 
 from Colonel B. S. Roberts, of the. rifles, to General Twiggs, dated 
 city of Mexico, September 17, 1847, in relation to the first flag planted 
 on the five-gun battery at the base of Chepultepec, the battery be- 
 tween that fortress and the gates of Mexico, the batteries at the Garita 
 or gate Belen, the citadel, and lastly the Capitol of Mexico, and re- 
 questing such information as I may possess in regard to these matters. 
 
 As the commander of that portion of the army, in Mexico, which 
 stormed and carried these batteries on the 13th September, 1847, and 
 on the following day planted the flag of our country first on tlie cit- 
 adel, and finally on the national palace of Mexico, I feel it my duty 
 
GENERAL QUITMAN'S STATEMENT. 13 
 
 to furnish the committee with such facts, within my own knowledge, 
 as may appear to he within your inquiry. 
 
 A simple narrative will, perhaps, best meet your views ; hut to 
 avoid repetition and unnecessary explanations, I beg leave to refer 
 the committee, as a part of my answer, to my official report of the 
 operations of that portion of the army under my command, at the time 
 of the memorable occurrences alluded to. This report is to be found 
 in vol. 2, Ex. Doc, 1st sess. 30th Cong., page 409 to 420 ; also, to 
 Generals Smith's and Shields' reports to me, page 223 to 228, of same 
 volume ; and to enable the committee to comprehend the points refer- 
 red to in Colonel Koberts' statement, and also in this narrative, I 
 refer them to the descriptive plan drawn by Lieutenant Tower, engi- 
 neers, which accompanies my official report. 
 
 After the bombardment of the strong fortress of Chepultepec during 
 the wliole day of the 12th September, 1847, General Scott determined 
 to carry that work by storm on the following morning. 
 
 General Pillow was directed, witli his division, to assault on the 
 west, and I was ordered to storm it on the south side. To stengthen 
 my column of attack,* a battalion of two hundred and fifty men and 
 thirteeen officers, who had volunteered for this desperate service, 
 reported to me from General Twiggs' division. This temporary bat- 
 talion of stormers, under command of Captain Casey, second infantry, 
 thougli irreguhirly organized, carried with them a small stand of 
 American colors, the property of General Twiggs, which it appears 
 Captain (now Colonel) Eoberts had received from his hands for this 
 temporary purpose. This battalion of regulars, with a similarly raised 
 corps of stormers from my own, the volunteer division, under com- 
 mand of Major Levi Twiggs, of the marines, acompanied by a pioneer 
 corps of seventy men, under Captain Reynolds, bearing ladders, crows, 
 and pickaxes, were on the morning of the 13th placed by me at the 
 head of tlie column of attack upon the fortress of Chepultepec. These 
 storming ]mrties were supported by the battalion of marines, under com- 
 mand of Lieutenant Colonel Watson. The remainder of my division 
 proper, consisting of the South Carolina and New York regiments, 
 under General Shields, and the second Pennsylvania regiment, (Colonel 
 Geary,) having been directed to scale the walls on the left, and General 
 Smith's brigade, which had been placed under my command, having 
 been [)0sted on the right to protect the column of attack from a large 
 body of the enemy who threatened our right flank, the storming par- 
 ties wei'c ordered to advance against the five-gun battery at the base of 
 the liill, where tlie aqueduct joins the wall, (A on the plan.) 
 
 These v/orks, though defended with great obstinacy by some of the 
 best Mexican troops, under their veteran General Bravo, were gal- 
 lantly carried. Major Twiggs was here killed and Captain Casey 
 severely wounded. These casualties devolved the command upon 
 Captain Paul, seventh inilintry, as senior officer. Captain Roberts, of 
 the rifles, being second in command of the stormers, and leading the 
 advanced compan}'. The conduct of both these officers fell under my 
 immediate observation, and deserved the high commendation which I 
 have bestowed in my official report. The flag referred to did not at- 
 tract my particular attention, but I have no doubt it was the first car- 
 
14 GENERAL QUITMAN 'S STATEMENT. 
 
 ried over that battery, although no flag was strictly planted there, the 
 troops moving on so soon as the works were carried. 
 
 As it is not contended that the flag in question was carried up the 
 hill, I pass over the fall of the strong fortress of Chepultepec, which 
 soon succeeded the capture of the batteries. 
 
 Having the preceding night received discretionary powers from the 
 general-in-chief^ and being firmly convinced in my own mind that the 
 fate of our gallant little army in the valley of Mexico, depended upon 
 the speedy capture of the enemy's capitol, I determined to move the 
 whole column then under my command, directly on the city, by the 
 Tacubaya causeway, leading through the Garita Belen into Mexipo. 
 
 The rifle regiment, commanded by Major Loring, was accordingly 
 prolonged on that road towards the city, and so soon as the other regi- 
 ments could be resupplied with ammunition, which had been expended 
 in the assault of Chepultepec, they were rapidly advanced in the same 
 direction. 
 
 Before us on the causeway was a battery of four guns, (B.) This 
 work, defended vigorously by a considerable Mexican force, was gal- 
 lantly carried by the rifle regiment, with the aid of a captured 8-inch 
 howitzer, served by the lamented Captain Drum, 4th artillery, who 
 fell at the Garita. The standard of the rifles, and I presume also the 
 flag in question, passed through that work, but I saw no colors planted 
 there. 
 
 There was still before us the Garita, (Belen,) or gate of the city, 
 (C,) itself a strong work, with parapet and ditch on one side of the 
 aqueduct, and a zigzag redan on the other, defended not only by tlie 
 formidable citadel of Mexico, (D,) but by batteries at the gate (C) 
 on the Paseo (H) and at the entrance of a street, (I.) These various 
 works mounted 24 pieces of artillery besides several movable, and 
 were defended by a very large Mexican force. My whole command 
 then consisted of Shield's brigade, (volunteers,) Smith's brigade, 3d 
 Pennsylvania regiment, (Colonel Geary,) Marine battalion, 9th regi- 
 ment (Major Seymour) of Pierce's brigade, part of 6th regiment of 
 infantry, (Major Bonneville,) and a detachment of 4th artillery under 
 Captain Drum. 
 
 On the reorganization of the column at this point, about three- 
 quarters of a mile from the city, the rifles and South Carolina regi- 
 ments were placed in lead of the column, followed by the remainder 
 of the volunteer division and Smith's brigade, in the order mentioned 
 in my official report. The flag referred to may have been with the 
 column. I saw but the regular colors of the two leading regiments. 
 
 Thus re-formed and prepared, this stern and resolute column ad- 
 vanced to the severe duty before them. Soiled with dust and smoke, 
 and begrimed with blood, the officers on foot with the men, they 
 moved on to the charge with banners furled, and no music but the 
 roar of cannon and the rattling roll of small arms. 
 
 Within two hundred yards of the Garita, Major Loring, the gal- 
 lant commander of the rifles, being severely wounded, the command 
 of that regiment devolved on Captain, [now Major] Crittenden, as the 
 senior officer present; Captain Simonson, who was there, as elsewhere, 
 at the head of the column, having commanded for a short time. In 
 
GENERAL QUITMAN'S STATEMENT. 16 
 
 this last bloody and decisive charge Captain Koherts did not partici- 
 patCj having been detained at Chepultepec. The Garita was taken 
 on a charge at full run, at twenty minutes past one o'clock. Anxious 
 to wave up the whole column, with the view of entering the citadel 
 pell-mell with the retreating enemy, I called for colors. The Pal- 
 metto flag was the first reported to me, and by my orders Lieutenant 
 Selleck, of the South Carolina regiment, then on my staff as ordnance 
 officer, was ordered to display that flag on the Garita. In doing so 
 he was severely wounded. About the same time the flag of the rifle 
 regiment was displayed on the other side of the aqueduct. The 
 small national flag referred to by Colonel Roberts did not meet my 
 eye. If it was with the regiment on this charge, it must have passed 
 into the gate about the same time, but was not displayed there. No 
 flag was regularly planted at this point but that of the Palmetto regi- 
 ment, and that was done, not for idle ceremony, but as a signal to 
 the whole army that the gates of the ^^ Sacred City" were in our pos- 
 session. The brave officers and men, and the gallant rival regiments, 
 who had participated in this glorious achievement, were too well 
 aware that there was yet too much work before them, to waste time in 
 mere ceremony. 
 
 After an arduous day, under the very guns of the citadel and adja- 
 cent batteries, resisting repeated bold attempts of the enemy to dis- 
 lodge us, the night was consumed in constructing and mounting for- 
 midable batteries at the Garita, (CC,) to operate on the enemy's works 
 in the morning. 
 
 At break of day on the morning of the 14th a white flag announced 
 the surrender of the enemy's stronghold, the citadel, (D.) After 
 sending forward Lieutenants Beauregard and Lovell of my staff, both 
 wounded, to guard against treachery, I put the column in motion, 
 General Smith's brigade in front, leaving the South Carolina regiment 
 much crippled and reduced in numbers, their brave commander. Major 
 Gladden, severely wounded at the Garita, and Captain R. G. M. 
 Donovant in command, as a garrison at that important point. On 
 entering the citadel the second Penns3dvania regiment (Colonel Geary) 
 was there left in garrison to secure and protect this key of the city. 
 I do not recollect seeing the flag in question at the citadel. Captain 
 Crittenden then received permission to display the colors of his regi- 
 ment on that strong work, and if requested by Captain Roberts, which 
 I do not now remember, I doubt not I extended the same courtesy to 
 his flag. 
 
 From this point my command, led by General Smith and myself on 
 foot, General Shields having been severely wounded the preceding 
 day, marched through some of the principal streets of the city, the 
 rifles in front, to the grand plaza, where the column was halted, the 
 troops occupying two sides of the square in front of the national 
 palace, as designated on the plot in red. 
 
 After entering the palace in person for a few moments, anxious to 
 impress the immense multitude of Mexicans who were looking down 
 on the spectacle from the balconies, windows and roofs of hou^es^ with 
 the importance of the ceremony, I directed the column to be wheeled 
 into line, formed and dressed, with officers to the front, for the pur- 
 pose of saluting the proud flag of our country so soon as it should be 
 
16 GENERAL QUITMAN's STATEMENT. 
 
 displayed from the flagstaff over the palace, and at the same time 
 directed my principal staff officerj Lieutenant M. Lovell, to have the 
 standard of our country, the stars and stripes,, and not any regimental 
 colors, placed on the flagstaff over the palace. While these move- 
 ments were going on I saw the colors of the rifle regiment carried for- 
 ward hy some officer into the great entrance of the palace, and before 
 I could check the movement that flag was waved for a moment from 
 the balcony of the second story of that building. 
 
 My staff officer having selected Captain Koberts to place our na- 
 tional colors over the Mexican jjalace, that oflicer proceeded immedi- 
 ately to execute the duty, and used for that purpose the small flag 
 alluded to. When this symbol of our country's dominion over the 
 enemy's capitol was run up and floated proudly from its staff, arms 
 were presented by the whole line, salutes offered by the officers, and 
 regimental colors lowered. 
 
 The small flag in question remained floating for about half an hour, 
 when General Worth, who had advanced from the St. Cosme road to 
 the Alameda, had the kindness to send me a larger stand of national 
 colors ; the same which, I understood, had floated over Fort Brown, 
 on the Rio Grande, while its small but gallant garrison were besieged 
 there awaiting the return of General -Taylor. This flag, from its size 
 being better suited to that proud position, was then, by my orders, 
 substituted for the smaller flag, and remained floating over the palace 
 until a new large stand of colors, made by the fair hands of American 
 ladies in Mexico, was, by my orders, under the direction of Captain 
 ]S(aylor, of the Pennsylvania volunteers, who had acted most gallantly 
 at the Garita^ and been appointed Superintendent of the national pa- 
 lace, planted on the capitol and there floated in triumph, until the 
 capital was evacuated by our troops on the conclusion of peace. 
 
 Very respectfullv, vour obedient servant, 
 
 J. A. QUITMAN. 
 
 The ClIAIRMAIs^ 
 
 Of the Senate Committee on Military Affairs, 
 
 Washington, January 28, 1856. 
 Gentlemen : In compliance with the request of your committee, as 
 conveyed to me by your clerk, J. F. Callan, Esq., in his note of the 
 loth instant, with the accompanying resolution of the Senate and the 
 letter of Colonel B. S. Roberts, that I would communicate any know- 
 ledge I may have of the facts connected with the planting of the Ame- 
 rican flag upon the capitol of Mexico, I have the honor to make the 
 following statement : I commanded the rifle regiment, which was a 
 part of the brigade of General Smith and of the division of General 
 Quitman, m the attack upon Chepultepec and the batteries leadino; to 
 the Garita Belen by the Tacubaya causeway, on the 13th day of Sep- 
 tember, 1847. The brigade was prolonged on the right and rear of 
 the division, the rifles on the right of the brigade, and advanced to- 
 wards the aqueduct, in the direction of the foot of the hill, near wliere 
 
COLONEL LORINg'S STATEMENT. 1 i 
 
 the aqueduct leaves it. Here were the principal batteries of the ene- 
 •my on this side of Chepultepec, reJened to in the different reports of 
 the general officers engaged. This movement also brought tlie rifles 
 to the right of the storming party of Quitman's division. In the final 
 attack upon these batteries the rifles were engaged in company with 
 the stormers. As far as could be seen along the line, there appeared 
 a general and combined movement, so rapid and enthusiastic that it 
 w^as difficult to distinguish individual acts of gallantry, or the display 
 of flags from batteries or breastworks. I saw no flag planted during 
 the charge. The rifle flag accompanied the regiment, and upon it, 
 after the charge, the rifles formed at the base of Chepultepec to pre- 
 vent the escape of Mexicans, or to capture them and beat back the 
 enemy's force then flring upon us from the causeway. At this point 
 I noticed Lieutenant Stuart and a large portion of the storming party, 
 which had been detailed from the rifles for that duty. At the fall of 
 Chepultepec it was expected that the stormers would join their regi- 
 ment, and those Avho did so, as a matter of course, became a part of 
 my command, and were with the rest of the regiment in its charge 
 upon the next battery, about half way between Chepultepec and the 
 city. Soon after reaching the aqueduct General Quitman instructed 
 me to move forward upon the causeway, in the direction of the next 
 battery. In our advance movements from here, I frequently received 
 instructions from this general in person, before which all orders had 
 come to me from General Smith. — (See report of General Smith, dated 
 city of Mexico, September 19, 1847.) The rifles charged and carried 
 the middle battery by storm ; I saw no flag planted, but saw that of 
 the rifles immediately after it had passed the battery in the charge. 
 I saw every individual who had passed over the breastwork before me, 
 and had there been a flag planted, up to this time, I should have seen 
 it. Had it occurred, the honor would have belonged to the rifles, as 
 this regiment was in advance when the battery was carried. 
 
 From this point the rifles Iq advance continued a rapid pursuit of 
 the retreating column to a distance of about one hundred and fifty 
 yards from the Garita Belen, and about one mile from Chepultepec. 
 A large force of the enemy was here discovered approaching on our 
 right, under cover of some houses, for the purpose of outflanking us. 
 The rifle regiment was here halted to await supporting forces, and an 
 officer was sent to General Smith with information of the movement 
 of the flanking party. The rifle regiment held this force in check, 
 although exposed to their fire and that of the battery at the Garita, 
 until Drum's battery opened upon them. It was immediately after 
 that, being at the head of my regiment, I was joined by General 
 Quitnoan, who w^as in the act of giving me instructions, when I lost 
 an arm by a shot from the Garita Belen, and was carried to the rear 
 by order of that general. The following are the names of the officers 
 who were with the regiment in its operations : Captains John S. 
 Simonson, Andrew Porter, J. B. Backenstor, S. Tucker, Lieutenants 
 George McLane, K. M. Morris, J. P. Hatch, G. Granger, J. N. 
 Pahner, Alfred Gibbs, James Stuart, and F. Russell. Captain George 
 B. Crittenden joined from detached service soon after the middle bat- 
 tery was carried. 
 
18 MAJOR Crittenden's statement. 
 
 I have endeavored, as briefly as possible, to relate to you my obser- 
 vations on that day in connexion with the subject of your inquiry, in 
 doing which I have been obliged, with some degree of detail, to enter 
 into the movements of my regiment, with which I acted throughout. 
 I have the honor to be,' very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 W. W. LORINQ, 
 Brevet Colonel TJ. S. Army. 
 To the honorable the Committee on* Military Affairs 
 
 Of the Senate of the United States. 
 
 Washington City, D. C, January 28, 1856. 
 
 Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of a communi- 
 cation from your clerk, enclosing a resolution of the Senate, and a copy 
 of the letter of Captain B. S. Roberts, of the rifles, in which I am 
 requested to communicate to the committee any knowledge I may have 
 of the ^'facts'' connected with the planting of the American flag upon 
 the capitol of Mexico. 
 
 Few words will suffice to convey to you my knowledge of the facts 
 connected with that event. On the evening of the 12th of September, 
 1847, I, then a captain in the regiment of mounted riflemen, was de- 
 tached with my company on a special duty, and did not again join the 
 regiment on the 13th, the day of the battle of Chepultepec, and of the 
 attack upon the city of Mexico, until Chepultepec, the five gun-battery 
 at its base, and the battery half way between it and the Garita Belen 
 had been carried. From this point the rifle regiment, commanded and 
 led by our gallant Major, now Colonel, Loring, and forming the head 
 of General Quitman's division, to which it had been assigned prepar- 
 atory to the attack upon Chepultepec, continued to advance along the 
 arches of the aqueduct towards the Grarita Belen, until we reached a 
 point, where the enemy, from some huts which they occupied on the 
 right of the acqueduct, obtained a flank fire upon us. Here the regi- 
 ment was halted, whilst two pieces of artillery, commanded by Captain 
 Drum, advanced from the rear and were placed ''in battery'' against 
 the huts. About this time, Colonel Loring, whilst in consultation 
 with General Quitman, at the head of the column, Avas badly wounded 
 and borne from the field, thus devolving upon me, as next in rank, 
 there present, the command of the regiment of riflemen, of which fact 
 I informed General Quitman, upon his inquiry, and received orders 
 accordingly. The enemy were soon driven from the huts on our right, 
 when Captain Drum's guns were turned upon the Garita Belen, and 
 the advance again commenced. The enemy being observed to waver 
 at the Garita battery, a simultaneous rush was made from the length' 
 of the arches and the Garita was carried. General Quitman was here, 
 as elsewhere, on that day, conspicuous for his gallantry. A short time 
 after crossing the Garita, my attention was drawn to a flag displayed 
 from the Garita battery, which I then understood, and now believe to 
 have been the flag of the South Carolina regiment. I have no recollec- 
 
19 
 
 tion of seeing any other flag displayed from there. My own impression 
 is, that when this flag was displayed from the hattery, the flag of the 
 rifle regiment had already been'borne across the Garita on the left of 
 the aqueduct, and into a stone building, the custom-house, on the city 
 side of it, which the rifle regiment occupied after crossing. We con- 
 tinued in possession of the position which Ave had gained at the Garita, 
 under a heavy fire and with considerable loss, until the morning of 
 the 14th, when a little after daylight, the enemy sent to General 
 Quitman a white flag, stating that the Mexican army had, during the 
 night, withdrawn from the city. General Quitman immediately 
 formed his division — the rifle regiment in advance — and marched for- 
 ward as far as the citadel, where we w^ere halted, when I asked, and 
 obtained of General Quitman, permission to plant the flag of my regi- 
 ment upon the citadel. It was according sent and displayed from 
 there, and I think was the only one so displayed, during our halt 
 there of about half an hour. Again w^e advanced — the rifle regiment 
 at the head of the column — upon the grand plaza. Before reaching it 
 I gave directions that, upon our arrival there the flag of the regiment 
 should be detached, and, if possible, displayed from the palace, which 
 ironts upon the plaza. Accordingly, shortly after we reached the 
 plaza, the flag of the regiment was displayed from the palace, when 
 General Smith approached and censured me for having allowed the 
 flag to leave the regiment, remarking that the national flag should 
 have been first displayed. The regimental flag was immediately 
 recalled and replaced by the national flag. 
 
 These are all the facts of which I am cognizant^ connected with the 
 planting of the first American flag upon the capitol of Mexico. 
 With much respect, your obedient servant, 
 
 G. B. CRITTENDEN, 
 Major Regiment Mounted Rifles. 
 
 To the Chairman of the Committee on 
 
 Military Affairs of the United States Senate. 
 
 Washington, D. C, February 26, 1856. 
 
 Sir : Complying with the request of your committee, communicated 
 to me through your clerk, accompanied by a resolution of the Senate, 
 and a copy of the letter of Captain B. S. Roberts, of the rifles, I have 
 the honor to communicate to you such facts as fell under my observa- 
 tion, connected with the raising of flags ^t the battle of Chepul tepee, 
 the storming of the intervening batteries between that place and the 
 Garita de Belen, at the Garita, and within the city of Mexico. 
 
 My command, the 2d Pennsylvania regiment, composed, with the 
 battallion of marines, the 2d brigade of Major General Quitman's 
 division . With the exception of one company, commanded by Captain 
 James Miller, which was temporarily detached and placed in that 
 portion of the storming party commanded by Major Twiggs, and 
 fifteen men and one commissioned ofiicer, who, upon requisition, vol- 
 unteered from the other companies, composed part of the command of 
 
r^C 
 
 20 COLONEL GEARY'S STATEMENT. 
 
 Captain Reynolds, to bear, in aid of tlie storming parties, scaling 
 ladders, axes, &c. Of these fifteen, ten were either killed or severely 
 wounded. My regiment moved, nnder orders communicated to me 
 personally by General Quitman, Avith General Shields' brigade, from 
 our ]iosition in advance of Tacul3aya, almost in a direct line across the 
 marshy fields in front of the castle of Chepultepec. This charge was 
 a sort of Lodi affair, our troops being Avithin the range of every gun 
 upon the south side of the castle and of the batteries at its base. Wlien 
 within fifty yards of the wall, I was struck with a ball, which caused 
 a severe and painful contusion. Upon reaching the outer wall I 
 directed i\iy regiment to proceed around the left of the wall under the 
 temporary command of Major (afterwards Lieutenant Colonel) Brindle, 
 who gallantly led it into the castle, where I joined it again, and 
 resumed the command before the American flag was raised upon the 
 main flag-staff of the castle. Upon several parts of the fortress I 
 observed a number of flags belonging to different corps of the army, 
 amongst which was one belonging to a company of my own regiment. 
 Owing to the haste with which it was organized and embarked for 
 Mexico, my command was not at that time supplied with regimental 
 colors, consequently a flag, which belonged to one of the companies, 
 was used by the regiment when required. The first flag which entered 
 the five-gun battery at the base of Chepultepec, was that which was 
 carried by the assaulting party wdiich stormed the work, and I have 
 no -doubt but that it was tliefiag in question. 
 
 General Quitman having previously communicated to me his de- 
 sign of attacking the Garita de Belen immediately after the capture 
 of Chepultepec, and. being myself desirous to expedite his intentions, 
 I formed my command instantly while inside of the walls of the cas- 
 tle, and marched out, I believe, the first body of men which left the 
 fortress ; and while the regiment was descending the hill towards the 
 city, the commander-in-chief waa ascending to the castle. After be- 
 ing replenished with ammunition at the gate of the fortress, near the 
 five-gun battery, we passed on with the column under the command 
 of General Quitman, who at all times was with its front, to tlie attack 
 of the battery midway upon the causeway between Chepultepec and 
 the Garita de Belen. At that place I did not see any flag raised, nor 
 do I think any was planted there,, but if there had been, that honor 
 could certainly have been obtained by the rifles, as that regiment Avas 
 slightly in the advance, but owing to the celerity of the movements 
 of the different commands, and the enthusiasm and emulation which 
 prevailed amongst them, bat a very brief period elapsed between their 
 arrival at the same points, so much so, indeed, that it was exceedingly 
 difficult to distinguish individual acts of gallantry from those in 
 which the whole division sliared equally. I cannot forbear to men- 
 tion the fact, that, at this battery, I saw General Shields, and 
 although lie was severely wounded, as the troops passed him, he 
 cheered them '' onward to a glorious victory." 
 
 Having passed that battery and re-organized his division, General 
 Quitman ordered its advance upon the Garita de Belen, and it moved 
 steadily forward, under a terrible cannonade from the Garita, the 
 citadel, and the surrounding batteries, along the blood-stained cause- 
 
COLONEL Geary's statement. 21 
 
 way, until we arrived at a point where we received a flank fire from 
 the enemy, who were sheltered by a number of houses on the riglit of 
 the aqueduct; there was also, in addition to the severe fire of artillery 
 maintaineclf upon the front of our column, a galling fire of musketry 
 from about five thousand of the enemy's infantry, stationed in the 
 citadel and upon the Paseo inside of the walls of the city on our left. 
 There the column halted until two pieces of artillery, under Captain 
 Drum, were brought forward and placed in battery against the houses 
 on the right, from the shelter of which the enemy were soon driven. 
 The final charge was then made, and after a sanguinary struggle the 
 Garita was captured. Immediately upon its capture, I saw the gal- 
 lant commander of our division waving a handkerchief, fixed upon a 
 rifle, from the parapet of the gate. After many of the troops had 
 arrived within the walls, General Quitman announced the fact 
 tliat we were then in the city of Mexico, and were the first American 
 troops who had passed its ramparts. Standing near the general at 
 that moment, he asked General Smith and myself to note the time, 
 wliich was tioenty minutes past one o'clock, p. m., and then he re- 
 marked, "whoever survives the action should remember that fact.'' 
 Previous to this time I had observed no colors raised at the Garita; 
 General Quitman then called for colors, which he was desirous to have 
 raised as a symbol of victory over the Garita, for the benefit of the 
 other portions of the American army. Lieutenant Selleck, of the Pal- 
 metto regiment^ then acting as one of the general's staff officers, 
 brought forward the colors of that regiment, and with the assistance 
 of Captain Charles Naylor, of my regiment, placed them above the 
 aqueduct in the Garita; while holding the flag in that position 
 Lieutenant Selleck was severely wounded. This was on the right of the 
 afj^ueduct. I did not see any other flag regularly raised there during 
 the afternoon of that day. The rifle regiment occupied a stone build- 
 ing on the left of the aqueduct — the custom-house for that side of the 
 city. I was afterwards informed some colors were there displayed, 
 but I cannot say at what time. It is proper to remark that after the 
 taking of the Garita, some of the guns there captured were turned 
 on the enemy by Captain Drum, (4th artillery,) and when many of 
 his company had fallen, their ranks were in part filled by men from 
 my command, who worked the pieces until that gallant officer was 
 killed at the side of his guns. During the afternoon, while we lay 
 under the fire of about twenty pieces of artillery, and a severe dis- 
 charge of musketry, several daring and bold attempts were made by 
 the enemy to sally from their strong fortifications and drive us from 
 our position inside the Garita, partially sheltered by a number of or- 
 namental trees and a few dilapidated walls; but they were repulsed 
 with great loss on their part, and several of their batteries were 
 silenced. In this latter service Captains Loesier, Naylor, Humphreys 
 and Taylor, of my command, were signally distinguished. No time 
 was lost on the part of General Quitman, who had from the beginning 
 to the end been in the thickest of the fight^ in making preparations 
 for assaulting the citadel U])on the morning of the 14th. Several bat- 
 teries were erected by us during the night, and the forces under his 
 command were assigned to their particular duties — mine to assist in 
 
22 COLONEL 
 
 the erection of the batteries, to protect our right from attack during 
 the night on the Piedad road, and to command the storming party on 
 the left in the contemplated attack of the citadel in the morning. 
 
 Early on the morning of the 14th of September, when everything 
 was in readiness, and every corps awaiting orders to storm the citadel. 
 a white flag was sent from that fortress to Greneral Quitman, the 
 bearers of which gave information to him that the city was being 
 evacuated by the Mexican troops ; whereupon General Quitman imme- 
 diately formed his division and marched into the city, where our na- 
 tional flag was first displayed upon the palace of Mpxico by Ms orders, 
 having first left the South Carolina regiment in possession of the Ga- 
 rita de Belen, and assigned the second Pennsylvania regiment, under 
 my command, for the garrison of the citadel, a place of great strength 
 and importance, with orders to put it, without delay, in a condition 
 for defence, and be as vigilant as though in the immediate presence of 
 the enemy, adding ''that upon the preservation of this stronghold 
 might depend the safety of the whole command." I have no recol- 
 lection of seeing any flag placed upon the citadel before the one in 
 possession of my regiment was placed there, which was done as soon 
 as I received orders to occupy that fortress. 
 
 In the attack and capture of the castle of Chepultepec and the city 
 of Mexico, the breast of every one engaged in those unequal and ter- 
 rible encounters was almost equally exposed^ the shot and other mis- 
 siles of the enemy often falling with more dire effect upon those mid- 
 way and in the rear of the attacking columns than upon those in 
 front. So many were conspicuous for their gallantry and good con- 
 duct, that it would, in my opinion, be difiicult to discriminate between 
 them, inasmuch as the signal successes of that day resulted from the 
 combined force of the whole column that participated in that stern 
 contest which terminated so gloriously, and shed unfading lustre upon 
 American arms, in the capture of the city of Mexico. Successes of 
 individual gallantry are often but the results of the combined action 
 of the whole army. Honor sufiicient was obtained to satisfy the am- 
 bition of any reasonable man who participated in those brilliant vic- 
 tories, and in which the gallant dead^ whose blood enriches the soil, 
 and whose bones whiten the plains of Mexico, should most largely 
 share, for without them we could not have succeeded. 
 
 I have the hon6r to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 JNO.' W. GEARY, 
 Late Colonel Second Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers. 
 
 Hon. John B. Weller, 
 
 Chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs. 
 
 Washington, D. C, Jamtary 21, 185G. 
 Sir : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of a letter, sent 
 by direction of the committee, requesting such information as I may 
 possess in relation to the planting of the American flag upon the 
 palace of the capitol of Mexico, &c., and enclosing a copy of a letter 
 from Colonel B. S. Roberts, of the rifles, to General Twiggs ; as also 
 
CAPTAIN LOVELL^S STATEMENT. 23- 
 
 a copy of a proposed Senate resolution ''that an engrossed copy of 
 said letter be deposited in the Department of State with the flag 
 whose history it gives, and which has already been deposited in said 
 department by order of the Senate." 
 
 During the occurrence of the events alluded to in the above men- 
 tioned letter, Colonel Eoberts was under the command of Major 
 General J. A. Quitman, and as I was the chief of staif to this officer,, 
 and an eye-witness to most of the transactions which took place, I 
 feel competent to give an accurate account of the whole affair. 
 
 Greneral Quitman's command during these events consisted of 
 Smith's brigade of regulars, the volunteer division, in which was in- 
 cluded the battalion of marines, the 9th infantry of Pierce's brigade, 
 and a part of the 6th infantry. On the 12th of September, 1847, the 
 day previous to the storming of Chepultepec, a detachment of 250 
 men from Greneral Twiggs' division was reported to General Quitman 
 for duty as stormers. In this temporarily organized battalion, com- 
 manded by Captain S. Casey, 2d infantry. Captain Roberts' company 
 acted as "the color company," the colors being the small American 
 flag referred to, and which it was understood had been in the posses- 
 sion of General Twiggs. 
 
 On the 13th of September this battalion, in connexion with a bat- 
 talion from the volunteer division, performed its duty gallantly in the 
 assault upon the work at the base of Chepultepec, its commander 
 (Casey) being wounded, and the command then devolving upon Cap- 
 tain Paul, Tth infantry. — (See General Quitman's report of these 
 operations.) 
 
 I have no recollection of the planting of any flag upon that work, 
 but little attention being attracted to it, as the raising of our colors 
 upon Chepultepec itself superseded and rendered unnecessary the 
 raising of particular flags upon the adjuncts of that great work. 
 
 The different detachments composing this battalion of stormers then 
 joined their respective regiments, and the command proceeded to the 
 assault of the various batteries between it and the citadel of Mexico. I 
 do not recollect seeing Captain Roberts or ''the flag" again through- 
 out that day. He says in his letter that he was "detained to guard 
 the prisoners taken at the five-gun battery." 
 
 'No flag was planted upon the battery between Chepultepec and the 
 Garita, the troops in advance sweeping over it without halting, it 
 being merely a point in our main progress. Nor was "this flag" the 
 first planted upon the batteries at the Garita, or on the citadel of 
 Mexico. Colonel Roberts was certainly misinformed in regard to these 
 transactions. 
 
 A handkerchief Avrved by General Quitman was the first symbol of 
 victory at the bloody Garita, and a call by the general for colors was 
 answered by Lieutenant Selleck, of the South Carolina regiment, (since 
 dead,) who, in placing the colors of his regiment upon the Garita, 
 received a severe wound. I have understood that the rifle colors were 
 displayed much about the same time on the other side of the aqueduct, 
 'but I did not see them. 
 
 On the following morning (the enemy having evacuated the city 
 during the night) we marched into the citadel at daybreak. The 
 
24 CAPTAIN lovell's ftatement. 
 
 column was halted a feAv moments, and the 2d Pennsylvania regiment 
 (Colonel Geary) was detailed to occupy this fortress as its garrison. 
 Whilst this was being done, Captain Crittenden, of the rifles, applied 
 for and received permission from General Quitman to run up the rifle 
 regiment flag for a few moments over this strong citadel. 
 
 The column under General Quitman's command then moved on to 
 the grand plaza (the rifles in advance) where it was halted. The 
 troops, in column of companies, were in the position of '^ ordered 
 arms," and at a ^' parade rest" occupying two sides of the square in 
 front of the palace. 
 
 After remaining a few moments in this position, General Quitman 
 directed me to have our colors placed on the flag-staff" over the palace, 
 saying, ''let it he our national colors, the stars and stripes, not the 
 particuhar colors of any regiment." Looking along the line, I ob- 
 served but two national flags, one of which was w^ith the New York 
 regiment, at the further end of the line, the other much nearer to me, 
 with Captain Koberts' company of the rifles. I told him to have this 
 flag put up on the staff above the palace, and he proceeded at once 
 with a file of men to do so, in obedience to the order received from 
 the general through myself. 
 
 While he was thus engaged the troops were wheeled into line, 
 officers ordered to the front, and when the flag was raised, arms were 
 presented by command of General Quitman in person. 
 
 The above is the simple history of this transaction, and it would 
 seem to me^ that according to all military rule and precedent, what- 
 ever of credit or honor may be held to attach to the ceremony above 
 narrated J is due to the senior officer (as representing his command) 
 under whose immediate orders and direct personal supervision the 
 whole transaction took place. On this point I coincide with the views 
 expressed by Colonel Koberts in the last paragraph of his letter to 
 the editor of the Union, dated St. Louis, Missouri, July 12, 1848. 
 
 I will add, that just before the national flag was displayed from the 
 staff", an officer of the rifles waved the colors of his regiment from the 
 balcony of the second story windows of the palace, a circumstance 
 which did not receive the approval of the general commanding the 
 division. 
 
 I remain, with much respect, sir, your obedient servant, 
 
 M. LOYELL. 
 
 The Chairman 
 
 Of the Senate Committee on Military Affairs. 
 
 Washington, D. C, February 26, 1856. 
 Gentlemen : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your 
 clerk's communication of the 15th ultimo, enclosing a copy of Captain 
 Eoberts' letter to General Twiggs of the ITth September, 1847, and 
 a resolution of the Senate, and concluding with the request that I 
 ^'^ will communicate to you any knowledge I may have of the plant- 
 ing of the American flag upon the palace of Mexico," &c. 
 
CAPTAIN NAYLOR'S STATEMENT. 25 
 
 As captain of company F, second regiment of Pennsylvania volun- 
 teers, I participated in the conquest of Mexico and in most of the spe- 
 cific movements to which the letter of Captain Roberts refers. I 
 might reply to your communication by stating that I saw, upon the 
 days covering the occasions spoken of by Captain Roberts, no Ameri- 
 can — that is to say^ no national — flag anywhere, either raised or un- 
 raised, so far as I can remember. But as this would not properly 
 answer your inquiry, nor do justice to the subject, I have no alterna- 
 tive other than to state, as briefly as possible, what did take place, so 
 far as I saw, and can remember or have knowledge. 
 
 On the morning of the 13th of September, 1847, the assault was 
 made on the castle (as it was termed) and works of Chepul tepee. I 
 belonged to the division of Major General Quitman, and moved witll 
 my command, on the right of my regiment, from the village of Tacu- 
 baya, along the main road leading to the city of Mexico, some dis- 
 tance, where we received directions from General Quitman to diverge 
 from the road, cross the meadows directly in front of the castle, and 
 move, with all possible- dispatch, against the works of the enemy. 
 The order was given us by the general personally, in the midst of a 
 very severe fire, he pointing out to us with his sword the place where 
 he wished us to strike the outer work of the enemy. 
 
 In executing the order we were obliged to wade through a succes- 
 sion of ditches upwards of five feet in depth, filled with water, and 
 from ten to twelve feet in width. Upon gaining the wall of the works 
 we (the Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and New York regiments) re- 
 formed our commands, scaled the wall, pushed up the hill, and, in 
 conjunction Avith the other assaulting troops, stormed the inner works 
 and took the castle. In doing this we were intermingled with a part 
 of the command of Major General Pillow, the oflicers and men of the 
 two divisions (Quitman's and Pillow's) struggling together as if in 
 the same ranks. 
 
 The works being taken, the troops of the diflerent commands were 
 commingled together in great confusion, and there was great exulta- 
 tion among them. An order from General Quitman to re-form was 
 received and instantly carried into efiect. Two men from each com- 
 pany were then detailed to look after and take care of the wounded, 
 and our (Quitman's) line was in readiness for the next movement. 
 
 At this moment occurred the first flag-raising of the day. A con- 
 fused mass of troops were assembled in the spacious area fronting and 
 adjoining the castle, and at one of the windows, in the second story, 
 Gen. Cadwallader appeared and commenced a speech to the troops in 
 front of him. Whilst he was speaking, some one displayed from the same 
 window a flag. This was the first flag of any description I had seen 
 that day. It was not an American fiag, not the national flag, not the 
 flag of the Union, but a flag, as I suppose, of one of the regiments or 
 of one of the States. It was .almost immediately taken in from the 
 window, and in a few minutes thereafter was waved from the roof of 
 the castle. An attempt was then made to run it up the flagstaff, but 
 before it was raised, and whilst General Cadwallader was still speaking. 
 General Quitman's command was ordered to march — the word was, 
 ^^ Quitman's division to the city" — and we moved, at once and rapidly, 
 3 
 
26 CAPTAIN NAYLOR^S STATEMENT. 
 
 down the hill of Chepultepec, along the main causeAvay towards the 
 city of Mexico, leaving the castle behind lis. In this movement the 
 five-gun hatter}^, mentioned in Captain Eoherts' letter^ was left on 
 our right ; and as I had nothing to do with the assault upon that 
 battery, and had no official connexion with it afterw^ards, I have no 
 knowledge whatever of any kind about the raising of a flag over it. 
 
 Continuing our movement rapidly along the causeway leading to 
 the Belen gate of the city of Mexico, covering ourselves as well as we 
 could from a very severe fire by the arches of the aqueduct, we 
 assaulted the intermediate battery (mentioned in Captain Roberts' let- 
 ter) between Chepultepec and the city gate. This was taken, and we 
 passed through it and over it, but I saw no flag raised there, nor was 
 there any attempt to raise one there, so far as I ever heard or had or 
 have any knowledge. 
 
 From this intermediate battery, as it is termed in Captain Roberts' 
 letter, elated with success and inspired with a spirit of generous 
 rivalry, the troops pressed onwards to the city. In no part of the war 
 had I before witnessed a charge so impetuous and througli a fire so 
 severe and destructive. The officers and men of the different com- 
 mands, soon began to intermingle, each putting forth his whole 
 strength to be foremost. The gate was reached. General Quitman 
 leading, leaped the ditch, mounted the breastwork, and waved his 
 handkerchief, followed by as many of his command as couhl press 
 themselves to the point. The position was taken, and the capital of 
 Mexico was at that moment esteemed ours. General Persiier Smith, 
 I remember well, pulled out his watch and coolly remarking that we 
 were, now in the city of Mexico, announced the hour and the minute. 
 
 The city had been taken at its strongest point, where it had been 
 supposed impregnable, and our position within a few hundred yards 
 of the citadel, containing, it was supposed, nearly ten thousand men, 
 anything but a pleasant one. The fire was terrific and continued 
 w^ithout interruption ; and our troops were immediately set to work to 
 establish themselves by throwing up such cover as their situation and 
 means would afford. 
 
 After we had been there some time, it was suggested that a flag 
 should be raised to announce our position and success to the other di- 
 visions of the army. General Quitman ordered a flag to be raised for 
 the purpose. So far as I can remember, there was no American flag 
 there; there was certainly none produced or exhibited. A young 
 officer, (whose name, I arti sorry to say, I do not recollect,) of 
 the South Carolina regiment, brought forward the Palmetto flag^ 
 the flag of his regiment and State, and with two of his men and 
 Lieut. Wilcox (of Quitman's staff) clambered to the top of a 
 little shed adjoining the aqueduct, and upon the right of the gate 
 as we enter the city, and from the top of that little shed he raised 
 the Palmetto flag over the aqueduct, and there held it amid a tremen- 
 dous fire, provoked for a time into increased severity upon that point 
 by the display of the flag. There being no means to secure the flag 
 in its place. General Quitman ordered it down ; but before this could 
 be done the gallant officer who had planted and held it was shot. I 
 aided in getting him down. One of the two men wlio had charge of 
 
CAPTAIN NAYLOR'S STATEMENT. 27 
 
 the flag when his officer was wounded, was himself shot just as he 
 leaped down from the shed, and he fell, with the flag in his hand, hy 
 the side of General Quitman, who was at this time in a greatly ex- 
 posed position, smoking a cigar, as was his custom, — and inspiring the 
 breasts of all around him with his own cheerful daring, unpreten- 
 tious heroism, and confident security of an immediate, glorious, and 
 final triumph. 
 
 No event of that day, with its subordinate surroundings, is more 
 distinctly remembered by me than the flag-raising at the G-arita de 
 Belen. There are ^many circumstances, besides those herein stated, 
 fixing it so strongly and definitely upon my mind, that I feel I cannot 
 be mistaken. And it is due to the truth of history, since the Senate 
 have thought proper to make it the subject of inquiry, that it should 
 be accurately and definitely stated exactly as it took place. As far as 
 my remembrance serves me, I have endeavored so to state it. "What- 
 ever may be the value of the statement, in other respects, it is certainly 
 disinterested. 
 
 I know of no other flag planted at the gate of Belen on the 13th of 
 September, 1847, than the one I have just mentioned. There certainly 
 was no American flag planted there or visible there on that day. 
 
 A fire of the most destructive severity was continued upon us, without 
 intermission, the whole afternoon, and the remaining strength of his 
 little and fast-diminishing command was sorely taxed, under our cool, 
 cheerful, indefatigable, and most gallant general, in the maintenance 
 of his position and the preparation for the final overthrow of the 
 citadel and city at the dawn of the next morning. In repelling our 
 enemy's assaults, taking their batteries and assailing points, driving 
 them from all their surrounding positions, annoying them through 
 their embrasures, filling up ditches, building up works for final opera- 
 tions, looking after the wounded thick falling around us, and laying 
 aside the dead with such respect ^s circumstances permitted, the after- 
 noon passed, and, at night-fall, the enemy's fire ceased, — but with it 
 came no cessation of labor, nor one minutes' rest. 
 
 During the whole night of the 13th and 14th of September, the 
 command of General Quitman worked without interruption, in throw- 
 ing up breastworks, getting up guns, ammunition, &c., preparatory 
 for storming the citadel at daylight, on the morning of the 14th. 
 
 From this, however, exhausted as we were by disease, hunger, bat- 
 tle, privation, and labor protracted incessantly for days and nights 
 previous, we were glad to be relieved, at the gray of the dawn of the 
 morning, (when all our dispositions had been made for the assault,) 
 by the appearance of two men, a Mexican commission , bearing a 
 white flag, and delivering to General Quitman the keys of the citadel, 
 and giving the intelligence of the silent retreat of the enemy, then 
 leaving the city. 
 
 Our general, having first satisfied himself that no treachery was 
 intended, and leaving the South Carolina regiment at the Garita, 
 marched his division into the citadel, and after a brief halt, the 
 Second Pennsylvania regiment (commanded by Lieutenant Colonel 
 Geary) to which I belonged, was left to garrison the place. General 
 Quitman then, with the balance of his command, marched into the 
 heart of the city and took possession of the National palace. 
 
28 CAPTAIN NAYLOR'S STATEMENT. 
 
 The moment he was assigned the honor of garrisoning the citadel^ 
 Colonel Geary caused the flag of his regiment, the Pennsylvania flag, 
 to he run up on the flag-staff. This was the first flag, and only flag, 
 I rememher to have seen raised over the citadel on that day, and this 
 was the flag of Pennsylvania. I am certain that no Ainerican flag 
 was so raised. Yet I have some indistinct recollection of seeing the 
 flag of the rifles somewhere ahout the citadel. 
 
 Thus left as part of the garrison of the citadel, I personally, from 
 my own observation, know nothing of the raising of the American 
 flag over the palace. • 
 
 On the morning of the 17th of September I was detached, from my 
 regiment, to take charge of the palace, and a large American flag was 
 then floating over it. 
 
 It was old, nearly worn out, fast going to pieces ; had graced most 
 of our Mexican triumphs, and I supposed it to he, at the time, the 
 first American flag which had been raised there. Anxious to pre- 
 serve it, on the 30th of September I reported its condition to General 
 Quitman and asked for an order for a new one. The order was given, 
 A new one of the largest size, 40 feet fly and 20 feet hoist, was made, 
 and, on the 15th of October, it was raised and continued from that time 
 to float over the palace till the day of our evacuation of the city, the 
 12th of June, 1848. 
 
 The old flag, by order of General Quitman, I sent to General Worth ; 
 and I was then informed by the latter, that the old flag, thus delivered 
 by me, to him, had been sent, by him, to General Quitman on the morn- 
 ing of the 14th September, he understanding that General Quitman, 
 though taking the palace, had no suitable flag to raise over it. 
 
 Upon my reporting to General Quitman that I had executed his 
 orders, he gave me, for the first time, an account of the first fiag- 
 raising, and of some difiiculty he had in procuring an American flag 
 for the purpose. He stated that an attempt was made, among others, 
 to raise the flag of the rifles, and that he prevented it, on the ground 
 that no other but an Amei^ican flag — the flag of the Union — should 
 be raised over the national palace of the conquered capital to repre- 
 sent an American triumph. In this he finally succeeded, — and my im- 
 pression was, at the time, that the first American flag ever run up the 
 flag-staff of the palace was the large one, I have spoken of, as returned 
 . by me to General Worth. 
 
 It is certain, I believe, that when General Quitman took the palace 
 he encountered some delay, or had some slight difiiculty, to find a 
 flag for it. This fact, itself, is illustrative of the history of the war 
 and of the success of our arms. In plain truth, the nature of our 
 business and the exigencies, every moment pressing upon us, were such, 
 that flags could not be carried nor displayed. For the pomp and 
 parade of war, if such things ever are, there was surely no room there. 
 The men who won Mexico carried the flags of their country in their 
 hearts, and they planted them, invisible, upon every rampart they 
 mounted, and on every field where they left their blood or their lives. 
 
 It is also certain, with respect to the first flag on the palace — 
 whether the flag of the rifles, the small American flag referred to by 
 Captain Koberts, or the large garrison flag of General Worth's — 
 whichever it was, it was raised by order of General Quitman, who, 
 
APT*] 
 
 CAPfxiN NAYLOr'S STATExMENT. 29 
 
 with a little column of exhausted men who had heen on continued 
 duty by day and night since the 11th — stormed the capital at its 
 strongest defences, first marched into its heart, and took th.e palace, 
 representative of its empire. 
 
 By his order (when the battle was won and any hand could do the 
 deed) the American flag Avas floated over the palace ; and if this act 
 can, by any possibility, reflect any distinctive glory upon any one, or 
 any branch of the army in particular more than another, it should 
 be shared by all whom he had the honor to lead, and above all and 
 especially^ by him whom they liad the honor to follow. But, in sober 
 truth, and common justice, and sound soldierly feeling, it should be 
 vshared by the whole army alike, for it was the consummation of the 
 efforts and sufferings of the whole army, alike united, under the 
 greatest of captains, to that end. If it fell, as it did, to the gallant 
 Quitman and his command to be the first to reach the national palace, 
 it was as much the result of tlieir opportunity as of their merit. 
 
 General Quitman is able, I presume, to designate the flag first 
 raised, and thus settle the question beyond dispute and forever. 
 
 The new flag, made by his order, was taken down by me, for the 
 last time, on the 12th of June, 1848, the day of the evacuation of the 
 city of Mexico, and was forwarded to Adjutant General Jones, United 
 States army, and was, for some years thereafter, exhibited in the 
 exhibition room of the ISTational Institute at Washington. A section 
 of the flag staff of the palace was also sent him by me, and is now to 
 be seen in the room of the National Institute. Eeports were sent with 
 both the flag and the flag stafl", and are, I presume, now on file in the 
 Adjutant General's office. 
 
 I have entered somewhat into detail in this communication, rendered 
 necessary to be intelligible, and because the letter of Captain Roberts 
 covered almost the whole of our movements of the 13th and 14th of 
 September, 1847, and laid claim for an especial and more comprehen- 
 sive distinction, for a particular flag, than the facts of the case, so far 
 as I saw, by any means warranted. 
 
 With great respect, I have the honor to be, your obedient servant, 
 
 CHARLES NAYLOR. 
 
 Hon. John B. Weller, 
 
 Chairman Committee on Military Affairs of the Senate. 
 
 CAPTAIN NAYLOR'S SUPPLEMExNT. 
 
 To the Honorable John B. Weller, 
 
 Chairman of the Military Committee of the Senate: 
 
 Since submitting my letter of the 26th ultimo I feel it my duty to 
 add, by way of supplement, the following correspondence relating to 
 the subject of your inquiry. . 
 
 It seems to me due to the memory of our country's gallant dead, 
 and it may be necessary for the elucidation of the truth of our flag- 
 raising history, &c.: at all events it is a part of the history of the 
 subject, recorded as it were by daguerreotype, as it occurred from day 
 to day. The correspondence, it will be perceived, relates to two palace 
 
30 CAPTAIN NAYLOR-S STATEMENT. 
 
 flags, Avhicli were termed the old and the new, and so hlends the 
 history of them together as to make it necessary to give the whole 
 correspondence, which I do, chronologically, in the order of its oc- 
 currence. 
 
 On the day of its date I sent the following letter to General Quit- 
 man: 
 
 '^National Palace, 
 ^^ 3Iexico, September 30, 1S4:7. 
 '' Sir: Our flag, I regret to state, is nearly worn out; I am ohliged 
 to have its rents sewed up every night; it is daily diminishing in 
 length and thus losing its proportions. I would respectfully recom- 
 mend that a new one be made, of the same size, preserving its original 
 proportions. If it meet your approbation I will have one manufac- 
 tured at once, — if the material can be procured here. 
 
 ^'With the greatest respect, I am, very truly, your obedient servant, 
 
 ^^CHAELES NAYLOR, 
 ^^Superintendent of National Palace. 
 '^ Major G-eneral Quitman, 
 
 '' Civil and Military Governor.'' 
 
 The foregoing letter (endorsed ^'Approved — J. A. Quitman, Major 
 General and Governor, October 2, 1847,'') was returned to me enclosed 
 in the following: 
 
 '^ Office of the Civil and Military Governor, 
 
 '^ National Palace, October 2, 1847. 
 •'Captain: I have the honor to transmit to you your requisition upon 
 the governor as to a new national flag for the use of the palace, ap- 
 proved by him. You are, therefore, at liberty to procure one at your 
 earliest convenience. 
 
 '^ With great respect and esteem, your obedient servant, 
 
 ''GEO. T. M. DAVIS, Secretary. 
 " Captain Charles Naylor, 
 
 '^Superintendent, &c., National Pcdace." 
 
 On the day of its date the following letter was handed General 
 Quitman : 
 
 " National Palace, Mexico, October 15, 1847. 
 ^ " General : The new national flag is finished. It is of the largest 
 size, 40 by 20 English feet, and its proportions are in exact con- 
 formity with the regulations of the United States upon the subject. 
 It was made by Mrs. Louisa Baker, an American lady from the United 
 States, now resident in Mexico ; and she has made it in the most 
 substantial and beautiful manner. I propose raising it at once. 
 " With great respect, I am, very truly, your obedient servant, 
 
 ''CHARLES NAYLOB, 
 ^' Captain United States Army, 
 
 " Superintendent of National Palace. 
 " Major General Quitman, 
 
 " Civil and Military Governor." 
 
CAPTAIN NAYLOr's STATEMENT^ 31 
 
 The Mrs. Louisa Baker, mentioned in the foregoing letter, was 
 from Germantown, in Philadelphia county, Pennsylvania, and had 
 lived some years in Mexico. Her husband, 13enjamin Baker, also an 
 American, had been banished from Mexico by Santa Anna, because 
 of his Americanism, whilst our army was at Puebla, suffered much 
 in our cause, and managed, after his banishment, to reach our head- 
 quarters, and became efficient as a guide and an interpreter. Mrs. 
 Baker assembled at her house all the American ladies of her acquaint- 
 ance in Mexico to assist her in making the flag, and not a stitch 
 would she permit to enter it but what was put there by the fair fingers 
 of an American woman. For want of a more competent person, 
 Captains G. T. M. Davis and Lovell, of Quitman's staff, and myself, 
 cut out the stars, and pinned them in their appropriate places in the 
 blue field. All else beside was done by our fair countrywomen. 
 
 On the 15th of October, 1847, the new flag was raised, and in the 
 '^ Daily Ameeican Star'' of the next day, '^Saturday, October 16, 
 1847,'' both the new flag and the old one was noticed, editorially, — 
 which notice I have copied from a paper of that date, a part of a file 
 now in my possession. It will be seen that it speaks of both flags, 
 the new and the old, and may fairly be supposed T:o give the feelings 
 and opinions of the soldiers with regard to the lattei* 
 
 This paper was published by "Peoples & Barnard." John H. 
 Peoples was a soldier and a printer. Serving as a soldier till Vera 
 Cruz fell, he there established his printing press. Thence, first fight- 
 ing and then printing, he moved with the army, setting up his press 
 and issuing his "American Star," at Jalapa, Puebla, and Mexico. 
 As a soldier and a printer, with his musket and his press, he was cer- 
 tainly no bad type of American character and progress. He thus 
 notices our flags, and I give his testimony: 
 
 [From the " Dailj'- American Star," Mexico, October 16, 1847.] 
 
 "NEW FLAG ON THE PALACE. 
 
 " Flag of the free heart's only home, 
 By angel hands to valour given, 
 Thy stars have lit the welkin dome, 
 And all thy hues were born in Heaven. 
 
 ^^A new American flag, of the very largest size, was yesterday 
 raised upon the national palace, by Captain Naylor, and it now, in 
 spirit-stirring magnificence^ streams out its folds to the free winds. 
 There are many things beautiful in this land, afar off from our heart's 
 home, but, to us^ there is nothing so afiectingly beautiful as this, our 
 starry banner. We are informed that it was made by a lady from 
 Philadelphia, now resident in this city. The old flag, to which it 
 succeeds, was nearly worn out ; it was fast frittering awa3^ It is the 
 first American flag that waved over Vera Cruz, Cerro Gordo, Jalapa, 
 Puebla, and Mexico, and represents every victory of the American 
 army achieved by General Scott's division. It is, therefore, sacred, 
 and we trust, as such may be preserved." 
 
 John H. Peoples, the soldier-editor of the ^^Star," who, I presume, 
 wrote this notice, is dead. He was drowned in the Pacific ocean, near 
 
32 CORRESPONDENCE ON FLAG. 
 
 San Francisco, engaged in the extension of the dominion of that 
 '' starry banner," which he decLared in the foregoing article, was to 
 him, so ''afFectingly beautiful." The brave fellow had a manhood 
 and a history, and I could not forbear the cold justice of giving to yow 
 his testimony, and to him this notice. 
 
 On the 18th of October, 1847, I was ordered, by General Quitman, 
 to send the old flag, thus above noticed, to General Worth, which 
 was done, with the following letter : 
 
 National Palace, Mexico, October 18, 1847. 
 General: Herewith, by order of Major General Quitman, I send 
 you the old flag which has been, till within the last few days, float- 
 ing over the national palace. I believe that the presence of this old 
 flag has graced nearly every triumph wliich American valor has 
 achieved in Mexico. Representing, as it does, the glory of our arms, 
 it is fitted that its keeping should thus be committed to one whose 
 conduct and gallantry have contributed so largely to swell the volume 
 of that glory. 
 
 With the highest respect, I am, very truly, your obedient servant, 
 
 OHABLES NAYLOR, 
 Captain 2d Pennsylvania Volunteers, and 
 
 Superintendent of National Palace. 
 Major General Worth, 
 
 United States Army. 
 
 To this note I received the following reply : 
 
 Headquarters First Division, 
 
 Mexico, October 18, 1847. 
 My Dear Sir: I have received the flag which, on the 14th ultimo, 
 I sent to my gallant friend General Quitman, ignorant that he was 
 supplied w^ith a standard to raise over the palace ; that flag is now 
 replaced by one more broadly and lordly reflecting the achievements 
 of our arms and the glory of our country. I beg of you to accept 
 my cordial acknowledgments for the very obliging 4Tianner and kind 
 terms in which it has been returned, invested as it is with interesting 
 associations to my soldiers, officers, and men. 
 With high respect, very truly, 
 
 W. J. WORTH, 
 Brevet Major General United States Army. 
 Captain Charles Naylor, 
 
 Superintendent of National Palace. 
 
 It was not till the receipt of this letter that I was aware that the 
 flag sent by me to General Worth was his flag. I had supposed it to 
 have been sent him by General Quitman as a compliment from one 
 brave soldier to another ; hence my letter, ■ addressed to General 
 Worth, gave the matter that turn. Upon meeting him soon after- 
 wards, he explained the subject, as I have before stated in the body 
 of my letter to your committee, viz: that he sent it to Quitman, be- 
 cause he understood, having taken the palace, he was in want of a 
 
CORRESPONDENCE ON FLAG. 33 
 
 proper flag for it. It is very evident, therefore, that, after General 
 Quitman had taken the palace, he found some difficulty to procure 
 colors suitable for it, having none of his own in all respects answering 
 the purpose. What may he the merit of the man who procured these 
 colors, or raised them when procured, it is not for me to determine. 
 On the day of its date, I sent the following to G-eneral Quitman : 
 
 ^^ National Palace, Mexico, 
 
 "Ocioher2^, 1847. 
 '^General: I respectfully report to you now, what ought to have 
 been reported before, that, on the morning of the 18th instant, agree- 
 able to an order communicated by your aid-de-camp. Lieutenant 
 Lovell, I sent to General ^ W. J. Worth the old national flag, and 
 have received from him a note acknowledging the receiptt of it. 
 
 ^^ With the highest respect, I have the honor to be your obedient 
 servant, 
 
 ^^CHAKLES NAYLOK,. 
 ^^Superintendent of National Falace.. 
 '^ To Major General Quitman, 
 
 ^ ^ Civil and Military Governor. ' ' 
 
 Pursuing, by documents, this flag history still further, with a view 
 to connect the memories of the dead with it, and to sustain the state- 
 ments of my letter, let me repeat that the flag was finally taken down 
 from the palace at sunrise on the 12th of June, 1848, in the presence 
 of the whole people of the city of Mexico, men, women, and children, 
 congregated in the great square, covering the roofs of the cathedral 
 and of the neighboring houses. The final direction for this purpose 
 was given by Major General Worth, who, in an order addressed to 
 me personally, described particularly the manner in which the flag 
 was to be lowered — on the firing of the thirtieth gun, (the close of 
 the salute,) and amidst the music of the ^'Star-spangled Banner" 
 from the whole band of his division. His personal order to me, I am 
 unable, in the present confusion of my papers, to lay my hands upon ; 
 but give the following final order from him on the subject, addressed 
 to Golonel Clarke, then commanding the brigade of the palace — now 
 General Clarke — and who communicated the order to me for my 
 observance, and furnished me the detail of men therein mentioned: 
 
 ' ' Headquartees, First Division, 
 
 '' Mexico, June 11, 1848. 
 
 '' Colonel: General Worth desires that you will designate suitable 
 men, acting under the direction of Captain Najdor, gradually to lower 
 the flag, on the discharge of the thirtieth gun_, to-morrow morning, 
 when Captain Naylor will dispose of it in accordance with the orders 
 already received from general headquarters. The latter must be done 
 with dispatch, as the column will move in a few minutes thereafter. 
 
 ''I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 ''WM. F. BARKY, J. Z>. G 
 
 '• Colonel Clarke, 
 
 ^' Commanding 2d Brigade.'' 
 
34 CORRESPONDENCE ON FLAG. 
 
 I have thus followed our American flag history, in the city of 
 Mexico, from its first planting there till our evacuation of the place. 
 Truly, your obedient servant, 
 
 CHARLES NAYLOE. 
 Washington, D. C, March 3, 1856. 
 
UUhomount 
 
 Pamphlet 
 
 Binder 
 
 Gaylord Bros. 
 
 Makeis 
 
 Stockton, CaliT. 
 
 PAT. IAN 21. 1908