Kept in Bank Vaults.

The Most Treasured Possession of the Widow of its Famous Defender – Numerous Accidents Kept it Flying During the Bombardment. 

WASHINGTON May 28 - Hidden away in the vault of a safe deposit company is a memento of that struggle of thirty odd years ago, which no wearer of the Blue or the Gray could look upon without peculiar emotions. Just now, when the remnant of the host that donned the Blue nearly four decades back, is preparing to pay its yearly tribute to its dead throughout the length and breadth of the land this memento–a flag so worn and ragged, is of strange interest. It's history is the history of the war.

This flag flew high in the air over the battlements of Fort Sumter on that  eventful morning of April 12, 1861, when the newly organized Confederate forces began the bombardment which started the greatest conflict of modern times. There were two garrison flags in the fort; one was the fine weather flag and the other the stormy weather flag. Like the chaos in men's hearts the elements threatened on that historic day, so the storm flag was run up and in short time became the target of the Confederate shot.

Before that it was not a fine flag, being made of coarse-meshed, strong bunting, tough enough to withstand the lashing of the winds of the coast. Ten feet one way and fifteen the other it stood out like a board and more than one wild shot aimed by the inexperienced gunners on shore went so high over the fort that big gaps were torn in the fluttering emblem.

Mrs. Elizabeth Anderson, widow of Brevet Maj. Gen. Anderson, commander of Fort Sumter, now owns the flag and she treasures it so carefully that it is rarely removed from the strong box in the safe deposit vaults. The ravages of time have had little effect upon it color. The red, white and blue are almost as bright today as they were [several] years ago, and were it not for the rips and tears, it would make a grand appearance today flying in the bright sunlight.

Seven times during the first day of the bombardment the flag staff was struck but by a strange series of accidents the flag was nailed to fly at the peak. After on of those accidents Maj. Anderson exclaimed: "God Almighty nailed that flag to the staff and I could not lower it if I tried."

This particular accident happened in this way. Outside the bar marking the entrance to the harbor were several Federal vesells. This fleet could not enter the harbor without being sunk by the cannon of the land batteries and all it could do was to anchor out of range and observe the bombardment. It is needless to say with what anxiety the men on these ships watched the flag flying over Sumter. They knew that sooner or later it must come down, but they also knew Anderson and felt that he would hang on to the last gusts.

Every little while Maj. Anderson gave orders to dip the flag to the fleet to show that everything was all right. During one of these salutes, and when the flag was being hoisted back into place after the third dip, a shell burst near the staff cutting the halliard. The flag started to come down with a run, but a piece of the cut rope got jammed in a section of the shivered staff and the flag was more secure than ever. It was this that caused Maj. Anderson to utter the historic words referred to.

All through the night the flag fluttered bravely in the breeze, but at 1 o'clock the next day, after the staff had been hit twice, a shot struck it squarely, cutting it in two. A temporary staff was immediately rigged up and the flag hoisted on the parapet by Lieut. Snyder of the Engineer Corps. There it remained until the afternoon of Sunday, April 14, when the little garrison marched out with drums beating and the beloved flag flying in the van and to a salute of twenty-five guns.

After the evacuation of Sumter Maj. Anderson journeyed to New York, where he made the usual garrison invoice to the War Department, including the famous flag in the returns. The Secretary of War promptly ordered the return of the flags to the Major, accompanying them with a letter in which he said that they could not be in better keeping than in the hands of the man who so gallantly defended them.

Maj. Anderson had the flags placed in the vaults of the Metropolitan Bank in New York and there they remained until it was evident that Gen. Sherman would wring fort Sumter from the dying grasp of the Confederacy. The flag was again sent South and on the day the Confederates surrendered the fort it was again hoisted to the peak of the flag pole by Maj. Anderson himself.

This happened on April 14, 1868, exactly four years to the day from the evacuation. A salute of 100 guns was fired at the Fort in honor of the flag and the guns of the surrounding batteries and ships joined in the uproar.

After that the old flag was returned to the bank vaults, not to be seen again until death called its owner. Then it was used as a pall at the soldier's funeral at West Point, where he was burled, near the school of his youth. Since then it has only been used once or twice in celebrations and then under the guardianship of the Anderson Zouaves of New York.

In course of time it will probably take Its place among the battle flags in the War Department, and with each succeeding generation its unique historical value will increase. 

Utica Daily Union, May, 1897.