The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-03-07
AN HISTORICAL FLAG.


ley street, has in his possession flag
carried by his grandfather, William
Bachelor. in the Battle of North
Point. Recently rumor was start
ed to the effect that the flag had been
deposited in the fagroom of the State
House at Annapolis, but Mr.. Batchel-
or says that the flag has left his
keeping since it was given him, short
ly before his grandfather died.
The flag carried by his grandfather
William Bachelor, in the Fifty first
Maryland Regiment, in the Battle OF
North Point, is one of the most inter
esting relics in the city owned by a
private citizen. The flag. which was
made of the purest silk, is now fa-
ded with age, and one can barely dis
tinguish the stripes, the field and the
stars, which were of gold leaf. Mr..
Bachelor has had the flag in his pos
session since the death of his grand
father, 2o-odd years ago. The elder
Bachelor lived to be % years of age,
and few months before he died he
delivered to his grandson the flag
which he had treasured for over three
quarters of century. According to
a recently published article, after the
death of William Bachelor the mem
bers of his family are reported to have
presented the flag to the Society of
the War of 1879. This is denied by
Mr.. Bachelor, and to bear out his
statement he produced the old silken
banner itself.
Mr.. Bachelor did, however, pre-
sent to the Maryland Historical Soci-
ETY. in 1880 flag which his grand
father had given him. This flag was
the one given to the va1ient defenders
in 1861 by the patriotic ladies of Bal
timore. This is probably the flag re
ferred to, for there was only one flag
carried by the Fifty first Maryland
Regiment, and that flag is now treas
ured by Mr.. Bachelor, the grandson
of the Old Defender. The flag pre-
sented to the Maryland Historical So
ciety, with numerous other flags OF
the State was taken to the Statehouse
October 1o of last year and deposited
in cases in the fagroom.
Mr.. Bachelors grandfather was
born In the barracks of Fort McHen-
ry, and was raised in the midst of
military operations and training. At
an early age he associated with several
military organizations, and later he
went to sea. At the outbreak of the
War of 1872 he was in Baltimore, and
he enlisted as drummer boy at Fort
McHenry. From there he was trans
ferred to the Fifty-frst Maryland
Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant
Colonel Henry Amey. He was as
signed to Capt. William Chalmers
company, and at the Battle of North
Point his company was among the
first ordered to the front. In the
heat of battle a ball from a British
musket pierced the head of Ensign
John Kirby, colorbearer of the day.
AS the tottering officer and flag sway
ed to the ground Private Bachelor
grasped the standard and marched on
with the troops. In the engagement
he received a bullet through the leg.
The wound was bandaged and he con-
tinued to hold aloft the colors until
the British were driven back to their
ships. By his display of bravery the
flag was given to Bachelor, and after
the discharge Of the troops he returned
to his home.
The history Of the making of the
flag was never learned, but it Is sup
posed that the standard was put to-
gether by American girls who had
loved ones in the regiment. There
were 13 stars and IS stripes in the
flag. Between the stripes are holes
made by flying bullets. The flag
was used at the funeral services of
Mr.. Bachelor when he died, and was
also used at the christening of North
Point Bachelor, the son of the pres
ent Mr.. Batchelor.-BaIto. Anse, Scan.