Soldier Spotlight: Silas C. Buck, 16th Confederate Cavalry

I found this article about Silas C. Buck today while doing some research, and since I already knew of some great photos of Buck, I thought I would make a post of it. This column ran in the Fort Worth Morning Register on April 26, 1902:

FOUND HIS OLD COLORS

Color-Bearer Buck Gets the Flag He Carried in 1864

If all the interesting incidents referring to the civil war that developed during the reunion of the old survivors of the Southern Confederacy could be collated they would make a volume surpassing any now in existence. An old vet was proudly displaying a musty battle-flag to an interested crowd of people in the Texas and Pacific passenger station last night when he attracted a Register reporter, to whom he told his brief story.

Silas Buck proudly posing with the flag of the 16th Confederate Cavalry that he carried during the Civil War - Kentucky Historical Society

The man’s name is Silas C. Buck and he lives at Stephenville, Erath County. He is an uncle to Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Buck of this city. Mr. Buck during the war was color-bearer for the Sixteenth Cavalry, made of volunteers from Alabama and Mississippi. The last fight in which he carried the flag was at Pine Barrens, South Alabama, at which time it was shot full of holes. Mr. Buck was also wounded, a bullet passing through the top part of his head. Being wounded, he turned the flag over to Colonel Spence, who was in command, and until last Tuesday had not set eyes of the flag he carried through the war.

When Mr. Buck reached Dallas he found Colonel Spence there, and to his astonishment he had with him the old flag that he carried in 1864. It was turned over to Mr. Buck along with the Confederate gray hat and jacket that he wore through the conflict, both of which are in a very good state of preservation. Mr. Buck is taking these old war trophies home with him, but before Colonel Spence would allow him to do so, he made him agree to return them to him when he [has] shown them to his friends in Erath County.

Survivors of the 16th Confederate Cavalry posed for this picture with the regimental flag. On the front row seated from left to right they are: W.M. Morgan, Company C; Anson Rainey, Company A; Captain J.M. Winston, Company A; Lt. Col. P.B. Spence; Captain Alex Moore, Company F. On the back row standing from left to right the men are: F.T. Copp, Company A; C.L. Wilson, Company A; and Silas C. Buck, Color Bearer - Kentucky Historical Society

After gaining possession of the regimental flag, Buck did show it off when given the opportunity. Another article from the Fort Worth Star Telegram on May 11, 1903, noted that the old veteran had gone to Thurber, Texas, to help start a new United Confederate Veterans camp in the town, and the author noted, “Captain Buck exhibited an old battle-scarred rebel flag under which he fought during the secession of the states.”