The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-03-28
The HISTORIC FLAG

n Thrilling Incident.
Following is the full text of the beau
tlful short address delivered at the Ger.
emonles over the remains OF ex- Cover.
nor Pierpont, at the home OF HIS daugh.
ter in Pittsburgh, Sunday, before the
departure for Fairmont. 1, contains the
relation Of historic Incident touching
and thrilling in It's nature. and which
Is worth being chronicled In history. DR..
Breeds said:
Governor Plecpont came to us in
the evening OF his life. the deepening
twilight OF his days; but what an even
Ing 1t has been. We knew him but
long enough to wish that We had known
him in the noontIme OF life when his
sun was at its zenith. We have stood by
his bedside and watched the sun set, q
sunset with but enough clouds 10
make It glorious. We have wondered
and admired his manhood in Its decay.
When life had flown they wrapped him
In the old flag; the old torn and tattered
flag OF his state after the enemies OF his
country had declared against It; the
flag made by the loving hands OF his
own loyal wife"
There were but few OF the many
who had visited the room above where
lay the dead who had not noticed the
dark, solled flag which covered the re-
mains OF Governor Plerpont. Few, how
ever, had given It q second thought. but
around the same flag Is woven TO-
nance pathetic.
ut Is the same flag which was first
noated In Virginia after the government
OF the state had decided TO secede. II
was made before West Virginia was
born. but has always been considered
the official flag Of West Virginia. In
the spring OF 81 feeling ran very high In
parts OF what is now West Virginia.
| Those In the western part OF the state
had refused to be bound by the action
of the state Legislature in declaring for
the south. and had asked that they be
separated from the eastern part of
the state. Marion county, then the
home Of Mr.. Pierpont. was at this time
about equally divided between the north
and south, and quar.els were Of daily
occurrence.
"Plerpont was at Richmond fighting
| for the recognition OF his end OF the
state at this time. and 1t had become
known from Maine to California. and
from the great lakes to the gulf that q
bitter fight was on In Virginia, and that
Pierpont. OF Fairmont, was at the head
OF the opposition to the policy OF the
state leaders.
Figure In History.
i
It was but natural that the family OF
Nc. Plerpont, at Falrmont, should be
the object OF much venom from those
who openly espoused the cause OF the
south, and It Is said that the loyal wife,
who never missed chance to speak q
good word for the Union. had 4 bitter
time. but she never wavered.
Toward the close OF May. 1861, an
alarm was raised among the loyal ones
at Falrmont that party OF rebel cav
airy was coming over the mountains to
destroy the Baltimore & Ohio railroad
bridge which crosses the Monongahela
river about n mile from the town. The
southern sympathiZers were jubilant.
| and ran into the streets cheering for
the southern cause, waving the rebel
| flag. For time the loyal ones kept 4
discreet silence, but over the hills flew
messengers TO the Union army telling
of the impending raid Of rebel cavalry
which threatened to cut of a very valu-
able source of supplies.
IN less than an hour squad OF blue
coated cavalry was flying like the wind
| into Marion county. So quickly were
they set In motion that they hid not
| time 10 take provisions with them and
they did not care to be hampered, rs
they expected to fight hard ut Fair
mont.
They expected to have trouble from
the citizens II the cavalry didn't meet
them. But more speedy than the flying
feet OF cavalry horses flew the news of
the coming OF the boys In blue. On the
morning OF May 2s courier dashed into
FairmoIt with the story that United
States cavalry was on their way to pro-
tect the town and the railroad. 1t was
now time for those who loved the Union
to shout and run madly through the
| streets, and they did. The town went
Wild with Union enthusiasm. and for n
time the southern sympathlzers hid in
cellars.
Made the Historic Flag.
"But there was no flag. For days the
beloved Stars and Stripes had not been
seen. Now no flag could be found with
which the loyal ones could so out to
meet the cavalry. Every minute was
bringing the boys In blue closer to the
town. and for time 1t looked as though
they would not be. greeted with the
flag they loved. II seemed as II there
would be no flag for them to protect in
| Fairmont.
To the rescue came Mrs. Pierpont. wife
OF the leader OF the Union cause in
West Virginia. From her home on the
| hill she sent 4 messenger to the homes
OF her loyal friends. They should come
TO her house where they would make n
flag OF their own. The Union women
responded quickly. and In few hours
the task was done. II was found that
there was not enough white muslin left
over to make the stars. so they were
cut ont of heavy paper and pasted on
| the blue field.
so speedily was the work done that
but small percentage OF the popula-
ton knew that flag was being made.
Groups OF Union men standing on the
streets thought an angel from heaven
had stepped down, as coming down the
1;reet they saw their own beloved ilng,
the Stars and Stripes, rloating In the
wind. What WIS more, II was held aloft
by 4 woman: the loyal little wife OF the
future father OF n new state was bound
for the bridge below TO meet the caval-
ry and show them that in Falrmont
there were some loyal hearts. And she
was not alone. Behind her trailed many
other loyal women who had helped
make the new flag. Strong men rushed
into the middle OF the street and threw
up their hats IN Wild excitement. Her
husband was at headquarters fighting
night and day FOR Union measure. and
she thought It the least she coutd do 10
carry along the flag he loved So we'll.