Blunt's FlagThe paths of two notable figures crossed near Baxter Springs on October 6, 1863, at the height of the Civil War.
The clash between Major General James G. Blunt and Confederate guerilla leader William Clarke Quantrill had lasting effects on the standing of both men. Blunt had attained the highest rank of any Kansan in the Union Army. His Civil War career peaked early with a string of successful battles in late 1862, then suffered because of political connections to U.S. Senator James H. Lane of Kansas. Lane, an anti-slavery crusader, had a reputation for erratic behavior (he committed suicide in 1866), and his association with Blunt cast suspicion on the latter's activities. Following a bloody raid on Lawrence, Quantrill decided to attack a fortification known as Fort Blair (at present day Baxter Springs) when he observed an Union column moving in from the north along the Kansas-Missouri border. This column, led by Blunt, had left Fort Leavenworth with a cavalry escort of 100. Ninety men were killed in Quantrill's attack. Blunt barely escaped with his life, and his military reputation suffered greatly. Among the goods captured by Quantrill's men at Baxter Springs was the flag pictured above, presented to Blunt just a few days earlier by the women of Leavenworth. Years later, when fragments of this flag were donated to the Kansas Historical Society by the general's children, they gave this account: "When General Blunt was moving his headquarters from Ft. Leavenworth to Ft. Smith, this flag was presented to him on the steps of the old Planters House in Leavenworth. At Baxter Springs it was captured by Quantrill and recaptured by a company of the 4th Iowa Cavalry. Before surrendering it the rebels tore it to pieces. These pieces were brought back to General Blunt. The full inscription on the flag was: 'Presented to Gen. J.G. Blunt by his friends the ladies of Leavenworth.' "The flag was made in New York and was of very heavy silk, bordered with a heavy yellow silk fringe, with heavy cord and tassels suspended from the standard. Mrs. Gillpatrick [Blunt's daughter] put the pieces together so they could be framed." William Gregg, who rode with Quantrill, offered this reminiscence: "It was the finest [flag] I ever saw, inscribed 'Presented to Maj. Gen. James G. Blunt by the ladies of Leavenworth Oct. 2d, 1863.' Quantrill sent the flag to Gen. (Sterling) Price." A year after the Baxter Springs attack, Confederate Major General Sterling Price led a march across Missouri that resulted in several battles in the Kansas City area. This campaign followed the Kansas-Missouri border south to Mine Creek in Linn County. Among the troops in pursuit of the Confederates was the 4th Iowa Cavalry, which apparently recaptured Blunt's flag at some point during this action. For more information on Blunt's Civil War activities, see Blunt's Accouterments. Save the Flags!The Society's collections include 80 more flags from the Civil and Spanish-American wars. The Society currently is raising funds for flag conservation and preservation through the Save the Flags! project. Interested in Civil War flags in the collections of the Kansas Museum of History? Check out these links:
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