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The following article appeared in Volume VII of the Confederate Veteran
and was submitted by Mrs. A.I. Robertson, Columbia, in 1899. Researched by Claude
Sinclair.
Robert Moorman Sims was born December 8, 1836, and reared in Lancaster County, SC. He
graduated at the South Carolina Military Academy in 1856. At the call of arms he was of the
very first to volunteer in defense of his State, enlisting as private in Capt. John D. Wylie's
Company, Ninth South Carolina Infantry, commanded by Col. J.D. Blanding. Sims was a gallant
and fearless soldier, and was soon promoted to adjutant and inspector general of Bratton's
Brigade, and through several terrible campaigns he did his full share of desperate fighting,
being wounded several times. Always cool, brave, modest, and unostentatious, he was again
promoted to the adjutant generalcy of Longstreet's Corps. It was his sad duty to bear the last
flag of truce at Appomattox. The following description of the event is by a soldier of the
One Hundred and Eighteenth Pennsylvania Volunteers:
"At a maddening gait a single horseman dashed up the lane toward the Union lines and struck
them immediately in front of the One Hundred and Eighteenth. As he rode he swung violently
about his head an oblong article white in color. As he drew nearer a red border was plainly
seen around its edges. It was, in fact, a towel improvised into a flag of truce, and the two
great armies that for four years had so fiercely contended for the mastery were at last
brought to terms in this quiet Virginia vale. This towel had been purchased by Col. Sims a
short time before in Richmond for $40 in Confederate money. It is now in possession of Mrs.
Gen. Custer."
In a letter written by Col. Sims to a member of the One Hundred and Eighteenth Pennsylvania
Volunteers twenty years afterwards in regard to the flag of truce he stated:
"I did not exhibit the flag until near your line, consequently was fired upon until I got to
or very near your people. I went at a full gallop ... At the head of the column we met Gen.
Custer. He asked: 'Who are you, and what do you wish?' I replied: 'I am of Gen. Longstreet's
staff, but am the bearer of a message from Gen. Gordon to Gen. Sheridan, asking for a
suspension of hostilities until Gen. Lee can be heard from, who has gone to meet Gen. Grant to
have a conference.' Gen.
Custer replied: 'We will listen to no terms but that of
unconditional
surrender. We are behind your army now, and it is at our mercy.' I replied:
'You will allow me to carry this message back?' He said, 'Yes,' and directed two officers to
go with me. We rode back to Gordon in almost a straight line ... Just after I left Custer he
came in sight of our lines. He halted his troops, and, taking a handkerchief from his
orderly, displayed it as a flag and rode to our lines."
In the political turmoil of 1876, when the eyes of the world were turned on South
Carolina and the tension was so great that it seemed almost as if our State would again
inaugurate a civil war, Col. Sims came to the front with the same cool intrepidity he had
shown in battle, and again served his country with his best efforts. He served as Secretary
of State for three terms.
His battle of life ended December 9, 1898, when he bore in his last flag of truce, the
white flag of everlasting peace. With him passed "over the river" one of the old guard, always
valiant in times of war, patient and courteous in times of peace.
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