Old glory is captain drivers true story of adventure, high drama, heroism, patriotism, and incomparable public service during his later life on behalf of the helpless. Old glory, the weatherbeaten 17 by 10foot banner that has long been a. The life and times of patriot captain william driver benz, jack, williams, garrett, arnold, nancy adams on. Captain bill driver handed old glory to his daughter mary jane and said, cherish it as i have cherished it for it has been my friend and protector around the world. This performance was during the prince william county celebration of black history month, february, 2020, as a tribute to the american flag, all. When he gave up seafaring and moved inland to nashville, tennessee in 1837, driver continued to display the flag proudly by hanging it. William driver 18031886, american ship captain who coined the phrase old glory for the u. His mother and her circle of sewers presented him with a beautiful twenty four star flag in 1824. Driver was given an american flag, sewn by his mother, to celebrate him becoming a commander of his own ship.
Driver is best remembered for his quote my ship, my country and my flag, old glory made in 1831 as a firsttime captain. Old glory is captain driver s true story of adventure, high drama, heroism, patriotism, and incomparable public service during his later life on behalf of the helpless. Confederates in nashville demanded the old glory of driver. Perhaps no story is as powerful as the story of old glory william drivers old ship flag that inspired the popular nickname for all american flags today. Driver 18831941, american football coach for washburn university, mississippi, tcu and uc davis. The original old glory was a flag owned by the 19thcentury american sea captain william driver. Driver greatly prized the flag and ensured its safety from the confederates, who attempted to. When his home was searched by confederate soldiers, navy captain william driver, a passionate unionist, hid his beloved old glory inside of a quilt keeping it safe from destruction. As captain of his own ship, his mother sewed an american flag which he nicknamed. Old glory civil war flag relic, plus cowans auction. Old glory traveled with captain driver on his ship and circled the globe twice before retiring with him to nashville. William driver obituary shelbyville, tn the tennessean. This term has now come into use for the american flag of any design.
Driver flew his american flag from his ship during his seafaring years, when he retired he brought his flag with him. The original old glory was a flag owned by the 19thcentury american sea captain william driver march 17, 1803 march 3, 1886, who flew the flag during his career at sea and later brought it to nashville, tennessee, where he settled. Old glory continues to inspire drama and intrigue the. Originally, however, old glory was not a generic term. Mary jane driver, the product of william drivers first marriage, took old glory with her to utah when she married a gift from her father. The famous name old glory was coined by captain william driver, a shipmaster in salem, massachusetts. The sixth ohio regiment cheered and saluted and later adopted the nickname old glory as their own, telling and retelling the story of captain driver s devotion to the flag we honor yet today. The term old glory has become synonymous with american flag and the stars and stripes. Old glory this is the first american flag to be named old glory. Alumnus publishes book on greatgreat grandfather captain.
He never gave up his old glory despite the massive pressure that the confederates mounted on him. Old flag, captain william driver, charles doggett, when driver, civil war. The life and times of patriot captain william driver jack benz, garrett williams, nancy adams arnold on amazon. At 21, he qualified as a master mariner and was licensed to sail a ship. Captain william driver was born in salem, ma in 1803 to puritan parents with a heritage of seafarers. Driver was finally able to reveal the flag again and presented it to general william bull nelson, commander of the 6 th ohio infantry, the first group of federal troops to enter the city. Culture the name old glory was first used by william driver, a ships captain from massachusetts, in 1831. The story behind the term old glory this famous name was coined by captain william driver a shipmaster of salem, massachusetts.
Old glory flag national museum of american history. Old glory this famous name was coined by captain william driver, a shipmaster of salem, massachusetts, in 1831. As the story goes, after the capture of nashville where william driver lived, folks began asking captain driver if old glory still existed. Photo by echelon custom homes he had it hidden inside a quilt on his bed. Old glory is a nickname for the flag of the united states. May 02, 2014 when his home was searched by confederate soldiers, navy captain william driver, a passionate unionist, hid his beloved old glory inside of a quilt keeping it safe from destruction. When he gave up seafaring and moved inland to nashville, tennessee in 1837, driver continued to display the flag proudly by hanging it from a locust tree. Old glory when it was young gettysburg flag works blog. Driver and old glory jun 17, 2010 thank you for your timely story, veterans honor forgotten salem man on flag day tuesday, june 15. The name comes from a particular american flag that was flown by william driver, a former sea captain who lived in nashville, tennessee. Born march 17, 1803, in salem, massachusetts, william driver is credited with nicknaming the american flag old glory.
Rather, it was the name of a specific banner that belonged to william driver, a shipmaster from salem, massachusetts. The original had 24 stars, with more added as additional states joined the union. When the union army occupied nashville, he gave the flag to the troops to be flown for a short time over the state capitol. Inspiring the common nickname for all american flags, drivers flag is. Mar 29, 20 on the corner of essex and north street there is a small park dedicated to the memory of captain william driver and his naming of the united states flag, old glory. The sixth ohio regiment cheered and saluted and later adopted the nickname old glory as their own, telling and retelling the story of captain drivers devotion to the flag we honor yet today. William thomas tom driver was born in march 1869, in mississippi. William driver was born on march 17, 1803, in salem, massachusetts, and he died in nashville, tennessee in 1886. His mother and the girls of salem made him a flag to sail on his own ship. Old glory continues to inspire drama and intrigue the sextant. This is the story of our beloved old glory youtube. The name old glory was given to a large, 10by17foot flag by its owner, william driver, a sea captain from massachusetts. In 1824, captain william driver hoisted a flag on his ship before he set sail on a voyage around the world.
Capt william christopher bill driver, sr 18031886 find. Captain william driver a shipmaster from salem first gave her the name which she bears today. At age thirteen driver ran away from home to be a cabin boy on a large sailing ship. Jul 23, 2019 confederates in nashville demanded the old glory of driver. How the flag came to be called old glory history smithsonian. The sixth ohio regiment cheered and saluted and later adopted the nickname old glory as their own, telling and retelling the story of captain drivers devotion to the flag we honor. Old glory flag description the name old glory was loudly proclaimed in 1824 by captain william driver as he hoisted the flag given to him as a birthday present. This was the flag that accompanied captain driver in his sea voyages until 1837 when he.
Captain drivers grave is located in the old nashville city cemetery, and is one of three 3 places authorized by act of congress where the flag of. We expect this issue will generate remarkable interest among firearms enthusiasts and passionate fans of elegant patriotic presentation firearms. Captain driver s grave is located in the old nashville city cemetery, and is one of three 3 places authorized by act of congress where the flag of. As the banner opened to the ocean breeze for the first.
The flag would accompany driver on his numerous voyages around the world. As he was leaving on one of his many voyages aboard the brig charles doggett and this one would climax with the rescue of the mutineers of the bounty some friends presented him with a beautiful flag of twenty four stars. Clipping found in the tennessean in nashville, tennessee on jun 11, 2008. William married elizabeth ann driver on november 14 1850, at age 19 in dover, kent, england. Old glory, the famous flag belonging to sea captain william driver during the civil war, is part of the smithsonian national museum of american historys collection. As the banner opened to the ocean breeze for the first time, he exclaimed old. Driver flew his american flag from his ship during his seafaring years. The story behind the term old glory this famous name was coined by captain william driver, a shipmaster of salem, massachusetts. Culture the stars and stripes the stars and stripes the us flag, usually called the stars and stripes, is an important symbol to all americans. Born in salem, massachusetts, at age, he ran away from home to be a cabin boy on a sailing ship. William driver historical records and family trees. The nickname given to that flag became so well known that during the civil war, the confederates tried unsuccessfully to confiscate and destroy captain. Every holiday, he displayed old glory outside his house. Genealogy for captain william driver, named old glory 1803 1886 family tree on geni, with over 200 million profiles of ancestors and.
William driver historical records and family trees myheritage. At twentyone he qualified as a master mariner and was licensed to sail a ship. Old glory was then flown from the capitol building in celebration of this key union victory. The life and times of patriot captain william driver tells the story of a young driver who goes to sea at age 14, becomes captain at 21. About captain william driver, named old glory a new england sea captain who moved to nashville in his thirties, captain william driver is given credit for naming the american flag old glory.
Driver 18731948, american politician from arkansas. William driver was presented a beautiful flag by his mother and a group of local young ladies. He went to sea at age 14 and later became a captain of the new brig, the charles doggett. The famous name old glory was coined by captain william driver, a shipmaster in. Driver 18731948, american politician from arkansas william l. William driver was born on march 17, 1803 in salem. The former northerner, however, remained loyal to the union, and despite repeated attempts, refused to give up old glory and had it sewn into a coverlet to hide it. Jun 10, 2019 perhaps no story is as powerful as the story of old glory william drivers old ship flag that inspired the popular nickname for all american flags today. So how did william driver keep his beloved old glory safe during times of war. To salute all her virtues her honors, her tributes to remember her past and signal her future. Rather, it was the name of a specific banner that belonged to william driver, a.
Interestingly, old glory was the name that captain william driver placed on a flag he was presented in 1831. This famous name was coined by captain william driver, a shipmaster of salem, massachusetts, in 1831. William francis driver was born on june 1 1831, in dover, kent, england, to william driver and ann mary driver. Old glory is an informal name for the flag of the united states. Driver administrator 19181985, american administrator for. On the corner of essex and north street there is a small park dedicated to the memory of captain william driver and his naming of the united states flag. Ship captain william driver coined the nickname old glory for his u. Apr 10, 2020 driver was finally able to reveal the flag again and presented it to general william bull nelson, commander of the 6 th ohio infantry, the first group of federal troops to enter the city. But her formal name which we do have to mention is the stars and the stripes and we stand at attention. The discourse old glory this famous name was coined by. William driver was a master mariner, patriot, and author of the title, old glory for the united states flag.
Interestingly, he decided to sew it into a coverlet and hid the coverlet. A nickname for the 24starred american flag flown during the civil war as coined by salem, mass. The story of old glory is really quite interesting. He was born in salem, massachusetts on march 17, 1803. Fearing that rebel soldiers might try to destroy old glory, driver stopped displaying it. During the civil war, driver remained loyal to the union and sewed old glory into a quilt for safekeeping. Old glory was made with 24 stars and red and white stripes representing the original colonies. The officially licensed colt american eagle old glory tribute pistol is a celebration of a beloved national icon and one of the most unique and timeconsuming tributes that we have ever created. William driver was born on month day 1803, at birth place. Old glory is actually a specific flag made in 1824 for captain william driver. His mother and her circle of sewers presented him with a beautiful 24star flag in 1824. Driver was very loyal to his union that was in the north. There is even a bit of mystery involved in this story.
Sep 12, 2011 old glory is actually a specific flag made in 1824 for captain william driver. The name old glory was loudly proclaimed in 1824 by captain william driver as he hoisted the flag given to him as a birthday present. When his home was searched by confederate soldiers, navy captain william driver, a passionate unionist, hid his beloved old glory inside. No war could diminish her radiance, no faulty administration foul her name. The life and times of patriot captain william driver. Explore historical records and family tree profiles about william driver on myheritage, the worlds family history network. Captain william driver was a shipmaster out of salem, massachusetts. Later, his wife and daughter remade the flag and added an anchor to the 34 stars. Captain william driver, named old glory 1803 1886 genealogy. The flag was made in 1824 for captain william driver, who flew it on his ship twice around the world and displayed it regularly on patriotic occasions and holidays. The legend the story behind the term old glory this famous name was coined by captain william driver a shipmaster of salem, massachusetts. Born in salem, massachusetts, driver was apprenticed to a blacksmith at age thirteen.
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