How Old Glory Got Its Name, Or The True Tale Of Captain Driver

The true story of how the American flag came to be known as "Old Glory."

The recent attacks on America have inspired many citizens to display the American flag more than they have in years. Have you ever wondered, though, how our American flag got its respected nickname Old Glory?"

Historical accounts vary in the details," said Emma Carpenter, who has been researching the subject. But the basic story is the same."

In the early 1800s a shipmaster named Captain William Driver (or Stephen Driver, by some accounts) was leaving on a voyage when friends surprised him with a beautiful American flag as a gift. The flag was large, with at least one historical reference describing it as 12 feet by 24 feet. As the flag was raised for the first time, Captain Driver exclaimed Old Glory!" The nickname stuck, but only to that particular flag.

Several years later," Mrs. Carpenter describes, Captain Driver retired to Nashville, taking his beloved Old Glory with him. He was an ardent patriot and flew his flag frequently. Everyone for miles knew about the flag, and of the nickname that had been given it."

When the Civil War began, Tennessee was taken over by Confederate Rebels. Knowing that Captain Driver was for the Union, the rebels were determined to find his flag and destroy it. Captain Driver, however, hid his flag and the Rebels were never able to find it.

Then," Mrs. Carpenter continued, in 1862 Union forces liberated Nashville, and raised an American flag over the capital. It was such a small flag that people asked Captain Driver if he still had his Old Glory. The Captain hurried home and began tearing loose the seams of his bedcover. As the quilt-top came loose, friends and soldiers who had accompanied him looked between the layers and saw the 24-starred, original Old Glory."

Some versions of the story claim that even though Captain Driver was now around sixty years old, he climbed up the tower at the capital himself to replace the smaller flag with his own. Over time, the nickname became a respected way to refer to all American flags.

Mrs. Carpenter was researching flag etiquette to post on her web site when she ran across the story of how Old Glory got its name. For more information, visit www.TheWorkHorse.com, Wild and Western Shopping." There you can find information on proper etiquette for displaying the American Flag as dictated by the Flag Code Standards Of Respect.