Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 37.djvu/282

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Southern Historical Society Papers.

by men in gray; that I then changed my course hoping to get around their flank, but was presently disabled by a gunshot wound in the right thigh, and that very soon after the colors were taken from me.

H. H. Spayd,

Late Color Bearer 149th Regt. Pa. Vol.

Sworn and subscribed to before me a Justice of the Peace in and for said County of Schuylkill, this 6th day of May, A. D., 1907.

C. K. Taylor, J. P.

My commission expires on the 1st Monday of May, 1912.

To complete the above account I will quote from Comrade Spayd's statement as set forth in my pamphlet, in which he says, when he was startled to his feet by the rebel yell, the first thing he noticed was Corporal Franklin W. Lehman, bearer of the State flag, on his knees with his colors stretched across the rail pile and a rebel pulling at them on the other side. Frank held on with his right hand and with his left had hold of the barrel of a musket in the hands of an enemy on the top of the rails and was pushing it aside. Spayd instantly shot down Lehman's assailant, then clubbed his musket and flung it with all his might at the Confederate on the other side, who had just plucked the flag from Lehman's hand and was drawing it across the rails. The blow stunned the foeman; he dropped the flag; the next instant it was in Spayd's possession, and he was making for the regiment at the top of his speed.

Soldiers' Home, N. D. V. S.,

Central Branch, May 11th, 1907.

To Capt. J. H. Bassler, Dear Comrade:—Below find my sworn statement to be sent by you to Capt. Gamble, to assist him in getting at the facts regarding the loss of our colors at Gettysburg. After being detached from the regiment and being posted to the left of its left front (to deceive the enemy in regard to the position of the regiment), we then took shelter behind two rail piles placed together so that one faced north and the other west, and felt easy enough at first, though the shells dropped around us