Franklin Group sees Rare Flags

By Gregory L. Wade · Originally published August 2017 · p. 15

NASHVILLE, TENN.—The Franklin Civil War Round Table (FCWRT) was recently given a tour of the Tennessee State Museum’s areas rarely seen by the public. The event included opportunities to view several restored flags and some awaiting restoration connected to various Tennessee Civil War units. These included a 20th Tenn. Inf. banner and a Gen. John Adams headquarters flag. Adams was killed at Franklin during the Nov. 1864 battle. Led by curators Dr. Candace Adelson and Richard White, FCWRT members observed several flags still in a very fragile condition. They were also able to view some of the museums storage facilities with everything from old World War I posters to sports and military uniforms. Adelson discussed the huge expense involved in restoring flags that often cost tens of thousands of dollars with the least expensive being around $15,000 for a Federal guidon. “We have received many thousands of dollars from various Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) groups in Tennessee,” she said, and noted the museum is “given a percentage of the SCV’s license tag funds.” These are monies received from the government of Tennessee for license tags with the SCV emblem for which drivers are charged an extra fee. There are many other flags in the museum’s inventory of about sixty Civil War era flags that desperately need restoration, Adelson added. There were some flags with uncertain provenance but known to be of the era. White shared how the term “old glory” became synonymous with the American flag. Before the Union occupation of Nashville in 1862, the famous ship captain William Driver, after moving to Nashville, hid his ship’s U.S. flag from Confederate troops and unfurled it when the city was later occupied by Federal forces. He referred to the flag as “old glory”

when he first raised it aboard his ship and the name stuck. That flag is in the Smithsonian while Driver is buried in Nashville. One favorite flag on public view is one flown aboard the CSS Alabama, the famous Confederate raider sunk by the USS Kearsarge off the cost of France in 1864. The current Tennessee State Museum is located in downtown Nashville, but will be moving to a new facility costing about $160 million and slated to open in 2018. The new location will have a striking view of the state capital from a city park known as the Bicentennial Mall. Many current museums exhibits are already being prepared for the move but FCWRT members on this tour were able to see many priceless flags. Daniel Taylor drove two hours from Jackson, Tenn., and said, “It was well worth the effort.”

Round Table members get to view some of the flags in special storage cabinets.