Old Glory-From Salem to Nashville-Abridged: The Life and Times of Patriot Captain William Driver

This story is about Captain William Driver as told by his Great-Great-grandson Jack Benz in collaboration with other writers and advisers. The text is strikingly enhanced by over 200 professionally crafted images and by an appendix of founding father documents. The resources substantially came from Benzs collection of items up to 200 years old. Some episodes are in print for the first time. Captain Driver was born in Salem MA in 1803 to puritan parents within a culture and heritage of seafarers. His homes were ports and vessels that sailed the vast oceans in the early 19th century. It is a true story of adventure daring high drama heroism patriotism and incomparable public service on behalf of the helpless. Young William was gifted beyond his years as evidenced by his scholarliness in Salems famed Hacker school and at 14 his hiring on a trading vessel. This background immersed him in ventures around the world seeking fame and fortune trading rare spices and other prized commodities. By 21 he captained ships that circled the world on odysseys that exposed him to numerous dangerous encounters at sea including horrific storms and turbulence with waves over 50 feet high. Ashore he confronted life-changing events in the lands of cannibals giants pirates savages and scantily clad island women. In a famous episode he rescued families of survivors of the original mutineers on HMS ship Bounty and delivered them to their adopted home on Pitcairn Island. This venture was part and parcel in numerous movies including one receiving an academy award for the best picture of the year and touted best nautical film of all Time. Captain Driver retired young and wealthy and moved to Nashville TN. with his third wife. Two others predeceased him and the third is shocking. In this city on the rocks he was an activist Union sympathizer generally shunned by the largely Confederate citizenry at a time Civil War was imminent. As a staunch abolitionist living where the city even owned slaves he was a misfit. He and his home place often were vilified because of his views crusty manner and irritating practice of displaying Old Glory his ships legendary flag. The residents viewed him as a cantankerous rabble-rouser always rocking the boat and supporting unpopular causes on behalf of the downtrodden exploited and uneducated-mainly Native Americans Negroes women the sick and infirmed. He was their defender friend spokesman and hero. Driver was active in civic affairs once running for mayor and later holding several governmental offices. Among his significant civic achievements were helping facilitate the establishment of public education in Nashville and as provost regulating prostitution and disease control. The Captain routinely picked fights over issues with the churches government and establishments in general; even with some in his family members their discord led to estrangement. His uniqueness is best described in his patriotism evidenced by his fierce defense respect and reverence for Old Glory. He had observed and experienced its influence around the world-feared honored and respected like no other countrys flag. He proclaimed its majesty to be so profound it even waves to defend the rights of those whose actions and speech are cowardly despicable. As a bonus the book offers ancillary educational information about world cultures history geography navigation philosophy religion and science. Preliminary reviews termed it as attractively presented cleverly written edifying and intensely entertaining-a must-read!