The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-06-12
thrilling later history than it's early

thrilling later history than its early
one.
In 1887 Captain Driver retired from
the sea and went to Nashville, Tenn,
to make his home, but when he sold
his ship he did not sell "Old Glory"
Safe in its camphOrwood chest it went
to Tennessee with him. On patriotic
occasions and on his own birthday
st. Patrick's day, for he was born
the chest and flung to the breeze for
all to see and to reverence. And Cap
tain Driver invariably saluted it with
these words, "My country, my flag
Old Glory!"
AS the dispute between the North
and South became more intense and
the Civil war drew nearer and near
er, Captain Driver became increas-
ingly unpopular with his neighbors in
Nashville because of his outspoken
devotion to his country and his flag.
During the Presidential campaign
sold Glory" was displayed on a rope
stretched from his home to a tree
across the street but the bitterness
of that campaign brought to Captain
Drivers ears unmistakable hints that
his flag might be stolen or destroyed,
so he bought another flag for display
and retired "Old Glory" once more to
it's camphOrwOod chest.
After the secession Of Tennessee
f,oy, tho TIniop tho canfaip honan 70
fear for safety of his flag at the
hands Of the Confederates. So he
took it by night to the house of
Union sympathizer named Bailey and
asked Mrs. Bailey and her daughters,
Mary and Patience, to hide it for him
so that it could not be found and de-
stroyed if the Confederates searched
his house. At the time Mary and Pa
thence Bailey were making comfort,
padding it heavily with cotton, and
thus suggested an ideal hiding place.
So Captain Driver folded "Old Glory"
placed it between the layers of cotton
in the comfort where the Bailey girls
tackled it in and sewed up the out
side covering. Again at night Captain
Driver took the comfort to his home
and placed it in large iron wash
kettle in the attic Of his home.
There "Old Glory" stayed until
Union troops occupied Nashville in
February, 1862. Immediately there
after Captain Driver and group of
soldiers ripped open the comfort, took
out the flag and hoisted it over the
state capitol to the strains Of "The
Star-Spangled Banner" played by a
regimental band. 1t remained there
for hours, but so fearful was Captain
Driver that his flag might even then
be injured by hostile hand that he
stood guard over it day and night. In
the morning "Old Glory" was taken
down and replaced with another Amer
lean flag. By this time it was very
old, much worn and the captain
feared that a strong wind would whip
it to pieces.
After this "Old Glory" was always
kept in the captains house and late
in his life he gave it to his daughter,
Mrs. NJ. ]. Roland Of Nevada, where,
so far as is known, it still is. In 1907
the flag had become SO worn that
Mrs. Roland placed it on piece of
sheeting and stitched it fast to the
cloth to preserve it for future gen.
erations of the family. Captain Driv-
er died March 2. 1885, and was buried
in Old City cemetery in Nashville.
Just as it was Yankee sea captain
which gave to our flag its name of
sold Glory" so it was that another
Yankee-a soldier, instead of a sailor.
however-whO took another "Old
Glory" on one of the most romantic
expeditions in our history. Bates was
his name and he had served as color
sergeant in the Twenty-fourth Massa-
chusetts regiment during the Civil
war. In 1872 Color Sergeant Bates
had an idea which he proceeded to
put into effect in dramatic fashion.
At that time there was much talk
In this country Of the hostility of