42nd Mississippi Infantry
Jno B. Bachelder
Boston, Mass.
Your letter of Jan 14. �78 is before me in reference to Sergt. H.D. Price�s capture of a flag on 1st day of the Battle of Gettysburg. I was Captain commissary of the 42nd Miss. Regt. Col. Hugh R. Miller and in Gen. Jo R.. Davis Brigade. I was at the Battle of Gettysburg. I wrote a full history of the capture of this flag for the Richmond Enquirer about 15th of July 1863 on my return to Richmond, with my name signed to the article.
Seargt. Frank D. Price is still living and is now about 38 yrs of age, and one of the nicest gentlemen in our country, well educated and was wealthy before the war, but poor now. His post office is Carrolton, Carroll Co., Missi. He lives about 24 miles from here, I have forwarded your letter to him and asked him to write you.
He brought the flag home and probably has it yet. I do not know what regt. it belonged to now, have forgotten. I will give you a bit of history about the capture-
While the 42nd were making a charge with bayonets fixed, Sargt. Price of Co. A. 42nd saw a federal color bearer far in advance of his regiment. He determined to capture it and dashed forward and gathered hold of the flag staff and was in a scuffle for it when a member of Co. C of the 42nd shot the federal flag bearer dead. Price ran back to the regiment with the flag. The Co. C man claimed that the flag belonged to him because he killed the flag bearer, but Price had the prize & kept it. The Co. C man never got in ten feet of the flag. I hope when you publish your book you will be sure to send me one & I will pay for it if you desire, or publish extracts which will benefit your sales.
Yours Truly, B. F. Jones
The Bachelder Papers
Volume I, Page 594
Complied by Daivd and Audrey Ladd