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Old Glory (U.S.)

by Rick Wyatt, 12 January 1999

The Legend
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United States of America

The Legend

The story behind the term "Old Glory"

This famous name was coined by 'Captain William Driver' a shipmaster of Salem, Massachusetts. His mother and her circle of sewers presented him with a beautiful twenty four star flag in 1824. Twice it went around the world

In 1831. 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 (the flag was flying when survivors of the mutiny on the "Bounty" were picked up.) As the banner opened to the ocean breeze for the first time, he exclaimed "Old Glory!"

He retired to Nashville in 1837, taking his treasured flag from his sea days with him. In 1860, the Captain's wife and daughter took the flag apart, cut off the raveled and frayed seams, replaced the old stars and added new ones to make 34 total (the correct number for the date) and an anchor embroidered in the lower right corner of the canton. The last was to commemorate Capt. Driver's sea service.

By the time the Civil War erupted, most everyone in and around Nashville recognized Captain Driver's "Old Glory." When Tennessee seceded from the Union, Rebels were determined to destroy his flag, but repeated searches revealed no trace of the hated banner.

Then on February 25th, 1862, Union forces captured Nashville. The Captain was on hand to greet the Ohio Regiment when they became the first to enter the city and they followed the Captain home, where he began ripping at the seams of his bed cover. As the stitches hol