Headquarters,
July 13, 1864
Lieutenant-Colonel Venable,
Assistant Adjutant-General:
Colonel: During the recent operations here the Ninth Virginia Cavalry captured two standards from the enemy. Colonel Beale, commanding this regiment, did me the honor to present these flags to me and I write to ask what disposition is to be made of them. If it is not necessary to place them in the War Office it would give me great pleasure to retain them.
I am, very respectfully, yours,
Wade Hampton,
Major-General
[Indorsement]
Headquarters Army of Northern Virginia,
July 16, 1864
Respectfully returned.
The captured flags are the property of the Confederate States and should be turned in to be forwarded to the Department. There is no authority vested in the commanding general to make any other disposition of them.
By order of General R. E. Lee.
W. H. Taylor
Assistant Adjutant General
Source: War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Volume 40, Part 3, pp. 772-773
Transcribed by Colin Woodward, 2018 August 1
