From The Stoughton Sentinel, May 9, 1903

Lysander Wood, Charles Jaques, Frank Raymond and Jos. Adlington, the only four surviving veterans of the war, members of the Company that went from this town to the Civil war and were presented with a handsome silk flag, last night at the town hall gave this flag to the selectmen and requested of them that they preserve it as a memento of the war. The affair was an informal one those present including the four veterans, the selectmen, Clerk Healy, Mr. L. G. Briggs and the Sentinel man. The flag is nicely placed in a specially made case with a glass front and is designed to be hung on the walls of the town House. Lysander Wood, a three year veteran, wounded and then prisoner at Gettysburg, made the presentation speech. He said:

Gentlemen of the Board of Selectmen : we have come here tonight the only four surviving members of the Co. that went from this town 42 years aeo to-day and on that anniversary we wish to present to you the flag which was given to us in Morton's square by Sylvanus C. Phinney ; we carried that flag through three long years of war it was used to cover the bodies of all the soldier dead who were brought home from the front and since the war it has been in my possession and we are getting old and soon will pass away. Yet we wish to see this flag preserved. The Company at its last reunion in this town voted to have me present it to the town. There are only four of us left of the Stoughton boys who went out from here 42 years ago with that flag for three years. Three of them were in rebel prisons; we bring you this flag and ask you to care for it.

Selectman Pratt responded by saying; "I, as a comrade and also as a town official, am proud to be able to accept this gift. It brings to us sad and solemn memories of the 42 years which are past and gone. Its folds were looked upon and loved by eyes which now lie on southern soil and was dear to them as it is to you who are here to-day; it is dear to us all whether we fought in defense of the Union or arc younger, I speak, I know, the minds of the whole people of Stoughton when I say we will carefully cherish this flag and keep it and preserve it to the best of our power."

Chairman Britton also speaks as follows: -"Veterans of Co. I, 12th Regt., Mass. Vols. 1861;-It gives me great pleasure to have the honor and privilege of being one of the accepting town officials of this interesting memorial gift to our beloved town. It seems to us to be eminently fitting that we should accept this gift; it is such as I am certain our town's people will forever cherish and I earnestly and sincerely tender additional thanks to that of my associates, Messrs. Pratt and Capen, on behalf of the town and personally thank you for the honor and privilege it affords me. At the time this flag was presented, I was 7 years old, and I vividly remember its presentation in Morton square, and the scenes and incidents thereto,."'

Selectman Britton read some war letters which, were interesting and the informal gathering broke up. The flag will be placed in a conspicuous place in the town house and remain on view to the public.

[Historical note: The flag was removed from the Town Hall during the renovations in the 1980's.  Upon inquiry by the members of the Stoughton Historical Society it was located.  It now again has a place of honor on display once again in the Stoughton Historical Society as of July 2006.]