Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 13.djvu/433

 432 Southern Historical Society Papers.

it, and also his portfolio, which he took from his knapsack, until his return, or, should he not come back, would send his portfolio home to Maryland, and retain the flag, all of which Miss McKay agreed to do. He was accompanied by a comrade of the same command. Not many days afterward, and as Stonewall Jackson's army retreated up the Valley (to avoid being cut off by Fremont's and Shields' armies), the comrade of the soldier, who left the flag with Miss Mc- Kay, reappeared, and informed her that his companion, who he said was his brother, had been killed, and that he had come to claim the portfolio, offering the custody of the flag to Miss McKay, in accord- ance with his brother's wish. The arrangement being concluded, the soldier took his departure, but as neither of the brothers gave his name, Miss McKay (the present Mrs. Rust) has not since learned anything further concerning the identity of the two soldiers. This particular flag was the regulation flag of the First Maryland Federal regiment, and had been presented to that command at the Relay House (B. & O. R. R.) near Baltimore, as coming from certain ladies of Baltimore. Prior to the combat described above, the State flag carried by the Federal regiment had been taken by the First Mary- land Confederate regiment at Front Royal, and divided up piece- meal among the captors. The flag entrusted to Miss McKay's hands in 1862, was in June, 1880, presented to General Bradley T. John- son, on the occasion of the unveiling of the statue of the Maryland Confederate Soldier in the Stonewall Cemetery at Winchester, Vir- ginia, and is now kept by the Association of the Maryland Line (Confederates) as an invaluable trophy. A handsome picture of the flag has been presented to Mrs. Rust by the Association, having the following printed description attached : " This flag was presented to Miss Nannie A. McKay, May 23, 1862, by a soldier of the First Maryland regiment, C. S. A., who had captured it in the Front Royal fight, of which she was a witness. She sacredly kept it until June 5, 1880, when at the unveiling of the Maryland statue at Winchester, Virginia, she, through her husband, Captain J. R. Rust, presented it to General Bradley T. Johnson, formerly Colonel of the First Maryland regiment, C. S. A. This picture is presented to Mrs. Cap- tain Rust by the Association of the Maryland Line as a testimonial of their respect and regard for her."

The flag would probably still be resting in the custody of Mrs. Rust, but for its discovery by Captain Winfield Peters, of Balti- more, who was a private in the First Maryland Confederate regi- ment, and who made a personal appeal to the lady to present the