Under a Flag of Truce

Wednesday, November 6, 1861

On the previous day Lieutenant Colonel Palfrey crossed the Potomac at Edwards Ferry under a flag of truce to arrange for transport of the bodies of soldiers killed during the Ball's Bluff conflict. He also inquired about the welfare of the prisoners and asked if it were possible to send them letters and supplies. He was received by officers of General Nathan Evans' staff, who gave permission for their endeavor. At 9:00 AM, again under a flag of truce, Lieutenant Colonel Palfrey arrived with a detail to transport the bodies of fallen comrades for burial and to deliver supplies, money, and clothing to the prisoners.¹

References:
¹George A. Bruce, The Twentieth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry 1861 - 1865 (Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Riverside Press, 1906), 71.