The three flags captured by the Sixteenth Vermont

"Our Reg't won the admiration of all for its gallantry,

having captured 3 stand of colors and lots of prisoners."

Capt. E.D.Keyes, Company H, 16th Vt. July 4, 1863

16th Vermont regimental flag
VHS

Stannard says the Sixteenth took in "the regimental colors of the Second Florida and Eighth Virginia Regiments, and the battle- flag of another regiment."   ~ Report of Brig. Gen. George J. Stannard, July 4, 1863. 

Veazey's diary says the third flag was lost: "Captured 3 colors -lost one afterward. Brought in 2nd Florida and 8th Va. We have won a great victory."  ~ From the Diary of Wheelock G. Veazey, Colonel, 16th Vermont Regiment.(VHS), in David Cross, Wheelock Veazey, (Rutland Historical Society, 1995)

The first flag. Second Florida

The regimental flag of the Second Florida, "a handsome silk flag," was taken by Company K Color-Sergeant Charles D. Brink, "who bore it off from the field with the colors of the Sixteenth", according to Benedict.

This was indeed a beautiful and special banner, with a sunburst design unique to any Confederate regiment, with the inscriptions "Williamsburg" and "Seven Pines" and the motto “In God is our trust.” The flag had been sewn by the women of Tallahassee from the best silk gathered by Gov. John Milton of that state.

The Second Florida was under Lang on Wilcox' left. The Sixteenth Vermont, having just flanked and routed one of Pickett’s regiments, turned bout, and crashed headlong into the left flank of the Second Florida. In one swoop, the Vermonters captured eighteen of the regiment’s men. Shane M. Turner, REARGUARD OF THE CONFEDERACY: THE SECOND FLORIDA INFANTRY REGIMENT "Being unsupported... our only safety from utter annihilation was in retreat." Lang reported. "The 2d Florida being on our left, and their color-bearer wounded, they lost their colors and the greater part of their men." Southern Historical Papers D. M. Pogue was carrying the regimental flag when, “at the moment the Vermonters attacked, a cannonball tore off his left foot. He handed the flag to another man who took just a few steps before being forced to surrender." Shane M. Turner, (citing D. M. Pogue, Letter “April 9, 1906,” United Daughters of the Confederacy Collection, Florida State Archives, Tallahassee, Florida.)

One of Brink's descendants quotes a witness as later writing "Color Sergeant Charles Brink while carrying his own flag in one hand, grasped a rebel flag with the other and demanded its release."

Others had other stories:

Vermont Record, 06 Nov 1863,

The second flag. Eighth Virginia

The flag of the Eighth Virginia was brought in by Pvt. Piam O. Harris, of Company E. 

The Eighth Virginia served with Garnett's brigade, on Kemper's left, part of Pickett’s Division. About ninety percent of the Eighth were killed, wounded, or missing in the charge.   Hunton of the Eight later wrote that "only 10 of those who went in [the charge] responded to the roll call--190 out of 200 were gone."  Bendedict says "In the thickest of the assault on Pickett's flank, the colors of the Eighth Virginia, of Garnett's brigade, fell with the fall of the standard bearer, and were captured by private P. O. Harris of company E of the Sixteenth"

 There are conflicting stories how the regimental flag of the Eight Virginia came into Vermont hands. 

One speculates that "Some of the men from the [8th Va] regiment may have been intermingled with those of the 11th & 24th Va. Regiments of Kemper's Brigade in parrying the flanking movement by Stannard's 13th & 16th Vermont Regiments." Kathy Georg Harrison & John W. Busey, Nothing But Glory: Pickett's Division at Gettysburg. 

Eugene Schael's account of the charge of the "Bloody Eighth" agrees that "the brigades of Kemper, Garnett and Armistead intermingled. In succession, bearers of the 8th's flag were wounded and killed. When there was no one left to pick it up, it was captured by the 16th Vermont Infantry."  Eugene Scheel' "30 Gruesome Minutes for 'Bloody Eighth'" The Washington Post Company Sunday, July 2, 2000 

Another source says, "The color Sgt. of the 8th Virginia Regiment pitched his flag into the bushes  near the Vermont line [spitting]that he would not fight with that flag in his hands. A Vermonter picked it up where the Color Sgt. had left it, only to get wounded and drop the colors. Private Piam Harris (Company E, 16th Vermont) found it & carried it from the field." John Michael Priest, "Into the Fight -- Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg. 

According to Wert, Private Harris found the battle-flag of the Eighth Virginia, as "Harris walked along the wounded and dead Confederates." Jeffrey D. Wert, Gettysburg Day Three 228,. This is probably speculation based on the fact the location of the 8th Virginia was north of Kemper. 

Or did Company E itself fight farther to the north? Perhaps Piam and Company E of the 16th were fighting at the Angle.   Company B of the 16th was north of the Codori house " separated from the regiment's other pickets," according to Coffin. "It withdrew toward the Clump of Trees and would fight there." And Benedict has the Sixteenth's flanking movement extending behind the Virginians as far north as Codori house:

As the left of the Sixteenth regiment extended beyond the rear line of the enemy, it undoubtedly prevented the retreat of a large number of them, and many surrendered to the Sixteenth. Lieutenant Spafford [ of Company E] with a squad of men brought in a number of Confederates who were scattered among the trees of the orchard near Codori's house; and still larger numbers threw down their arms closer to the Union front. ... In the thickest of the assault on Pickett's flank, the colors of the Eighth Virginia, of Garnett's brigade, fell with the fall of the standard bearer, and were captured by private P. O. Harris of company E of the Sixteenth.

.In a letter from. he battlefield daayed July 5 that was auctioned December 6, 2020, Corporel Francis Long of Company E writes, ""We got a lot of prisoners and our Co. got two strand of colors, one Florida and one Virginia.":

When they got in about the right spot, we rose up and gave them a few volleys and then charged on them, and in 3 minutes there was not a Rebel to be seen with a gun in his hand.We got a lot of prisoners and our Co. got two strand of colors, one Florida and one Virginia. We then fell back and got out of the way of the shells as soon as we could, and soon it came on dark and the fighting stopped. I hope I never shall see another such a day as the 3rd of July was.

 "In any event," as Harrison & Busey say, "the 8th VA lost its flag to the 16th Vermont sometime during the repulse of the attack."  Nothing But Glory: Pickett's Division at Gettysburg.

The third flag. Fifth Florida?

Stannard's report refers to a third battle lfag of "another regiment." Benedict's letter of July 4th says this " battle flag of another regiment . . .was foolishly thrown away by the sergeant to whom it was given to carry, who pitched it into the bushes, declaring that he could not fight with that flag in his hands . [Army Life in Virginia}

Veazey's formal report confirms that the third flag was stripped from is standard "The result of this charge was a very large number of prisoners, and, in the two movements, three stand of colors, the colors being stripped from one standard. The two brought in were the Second Florida and the Eighth Virginia."

Benedict's later History says the third battle-flag was taken by W. C. Kingston of company C.  "It had been torn, probably by a shell, so that but a portion of the flag remained on the standard; and, after carrying it a short distance it was thrown away by Kingston, as it interfered with his use of his musket, and it was subsequently brought in by other troops."

Kingston's obituary says it was the flag of the “17th Alabama regiment." But the 17th Alabama Infantry Regiment was not present at the Battle of Gettysburg and Wilcox' Alabamians ( the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 14th Alabama Infantry Regiments) had already retreated as Veazey's second charge reached Lang's h three Florida regiment. [The flag of the 13th Alabama was captured on July 3rd during the assault on Cemetery Ridge. According to one account 3 flag bearers were shot down while carrying the flag. The flag was returned to the state of Alabama in 1905.]

A more plausible theory is  that the third flag is the Florida flag refered to by Corp. Long of Company E. This likely  was was only standard of the battle-flag of the 5th Florida, and that the flag itself had been saved when  confederate Capt. Junius Taylor tore it from the staff and hit it under his shirt.  Only "the staff stripped of its flag [was] turned it over to Veazey." according to Hess [ Pickets charge : the last attack at Gettysburg.] [This source also has the Flag of the Second Florida not captured in battle but “left lying on the ground to be picked up by Veazey's men."] Source do not mention that th third Florida regiment engaed in the batlle, the _ Florida lost its flag that day.

In any case,  only two flags were  formally turned in. On July 4 "Sergeant "Brink and Private Harris, escorted by company E of the Sixteenth, marched to General Meade’s headquarters next day and formally delivered the captured flags to him, and received his thanks, which he accompanied with praise of the gallant service rendered by Stannard’s brigade. Benedict, George Grenville. Vermont in the Civil War. Burlington VT: Free Press Association, 1888 CHAPTER XXVI 475

As Veazey says: "Captured 3 colors - lost one afterward. Brought in 2nd Florida and 8th Va."

The third flag (or a fourth flag) found?  EleventhVirginia

The 11th Virginia Infantry Regiment  on July 3rd suffered about forty percent casulties from artillary nad  Vermonters flanking counterattack during the charge. Out of 405 soldiers who began the charge, 250 stood for the later roll call, altogether 26 killed, 65 wounded, 42 wounded and captured, and 22 captured. Facebook post

On January, 31 2021 a large fragment of a confedrate  battleflar flag surfaced in private hands and on April 7, 2025 was sold at auction for $468,000. The flag had a tag that that stated - "Divided by the men of Co. F, 16th Vt. Vols, July 12, 1863 in honor of Lt. Lawton who was mortally wounded in its capture from retreating rebels, battle near Gettysburg, July 3."

It is the flag of the11th Virginia. The 11th Virginia formed the next to last of Kemper's regiment on the right flank of General Pickett’s charge The 11th and the 24th Virginia  would have been engulfed by the flanking movement of Stannard's Vermonters.

According to Capt. Smith of the 11th Virginia:

Our colors were knocked down several times as we descended the slope on our side. Twice I saw the color-bearer stagger and the next man seize the staff and go ahead; the third time the colors struck the ground as we were still on the down slope . . . H. V. Harris, adjutant of the regiment, rushed to them and seized them, and, I think, carried them to the enemy's works.

(emphaisi added}. Capt. Smith says he reached thse abandoned Union works and spent twenty minutes there with 300 men before retreating. These these works were "a hasty trench and embankment, and not a stone wall at the point we struck. "

Thus the flag of 11th Virginia Infantry was apparently captured by 2nd Lt. Cyren B. Lawton of Company F of the 16th Vermont Infantry. Lawton died after the battle of wounds suffeered while capturing the flag.

Veazey's Report makes speecial note ot Lawton's sacrifice but does not mention the flag:. "I regret to mention as one of the killed Lieutenant Lawton, Company F. He was a young man of great fidelity and bravery, to whom I was much attached. He fell mortally wounded near the close of the battle"

Henry F. Dix (1839 - 1909)

This flag of the 11th Virginia was  preserved by Capt. Henry Franklin Dix (1837-1909), of Co. F, 16th Vt. and was then passed down through generations of his family, rather than being turned in to Col. Veaze.

                      the ressotred flaf with provinaance auctiion in 2025

Postscript

 Meade forwarded the two flags among a large number of captured flags to Washington.. (" I have the honor herewith to transmit thirty-one battle-flags, captured from the enemy in the recent battle at Gettysburgh")

The beautiful silk flag of the Second Florida, with a record of its capture by the Sixteenth Vermont, was one of the eighteen captured Confederate flags sent by Secretary Stanton to be exhibited at the great fair of the Sanitary Commission in Chicago, in October, 1863. ."The Second Florida flag is now lost. One source says the War Department loaned it to the 16th Vermont after the war and it was lost. Another, implausibly, that “the flag captured that day is now displayed in the State Capitol in Augusta, Maine."  It has somehow .disappeared.

The flag of the 8th Va is now in the Museum of the Confederacy.

The flag of the 5th Florida was carried off in the shirt of Junius Taylor but it stannard was captured briefly then thrown into the bushes by Sgt Kingston.  "The 5th Florida were the only unit in the brigade to not lose their regimental banner in the battle". Waters, Zack C.; Edmonds, James C. (2010). A Small but Spartan Band. . p. 78. The flag carried through the Battle of Gettysburg was reportedly retired in late 1863 and  is now in the possession of the Museum of Florida History.

The colorbearer of the 8th Florida fell and its flag was lost during fighting on July 2d.  according to The Civil War in the East. the Medal of Honor was awred  to Sergeant Thomas Horan, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 2 July 1863, while serving with Company E, 72d New York Infantry, in action at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. In a charge of his regiment Sergeant Horan captured the regimental flag of the 8th Florida Infantry 

The men of Company  F kept secret the capture of the 11th Virgina flag and divided it amoong themselves a souvenior, only to surface 160 years later.