{"id":2117,"date":"2015-03-26T09:00:32","date_gmt":"2015-03-26T13:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/?p=2117"},"modified":"2025-10-16T16:27:02","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T20:27:02","slug":"firemen-flags-rallied-nations-cause","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/firemen-flags-rallied-nations-cause\/","title":{"rendered":"Firemen with flags rallied to nation\u2019s cause"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Firemen-turned-soldiers<\/a>
Firemen-turned-soldiers were called on to fight a fire in Washington, D.C.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The conclusion of the four-year-long 150th anniversary of the Civil War is a good time to remember how some firemen put down their hoses to pick up flags and firearms.<\/p>\n

In the spring of 1861, when southern states began to secede, The New York Times reported that \u201cthe extreme danger to which the Federal Capital is now exposed\u2026has prompted an appeal to the New-York Firemen to organize into a Regiment\u2026to assist in defending it from the threatened invasion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Firemen were summoned because they were \u201cinured to hardship\u201d and accustomed to working as a team in dangerous circumstances. The article said that \u201cone fire company\u2026volunteer[ed] en masse, while Brooklyn\u2026proffered 300 of her hardy sons.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Poster<\/a>Naturally, those firemen wanted flags<\/a> to carry into battle, and \u201ca stand of colors was presented to the regiment,\u201d The Times said, \u201con behalf of the New-York Fire Department.\u201d<\/p>\n

The president of the Fire Department told the firefighters to take the flags, \u201cplace them in the midst of your gallant band, and wherever the fight is the thickest, and the bullets fly the fastest, let these banners be borne, and\u2026remember the proud motto emblazoned upon them: \u2018The Star Spangled Banner <\/a>in triumph shall wave.\u2019\u2026Bring it back, though it be tattered and torn in the fight\u2026.Swear by that flag to live, for that flag to die!…These banners will ever wave in triumph, even though it be in the midst of ruins.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Firemen<\/a>The chief exhorted them to \u201cspring with the same alacrity to the performance of your duty, at the call of the bugle, as though the old familiar note of the fire-trumpet fell upon your ear. Do this, and you will succeed. Let no man\u2019s heart fail him; be firm, be united, be true to each other, have confidence in your commanders and yourselves, and when you return we will rejoice with you over the glories you have won, and weep with you over those that may have fallen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Escorted<\/a>
Escorted by firemen, colleagues who volunteered leave New York City to fight the Civil War.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Also presenting flags to the firemen was the wife of John Jacob Astor Jr. She remarked that giving them the banners was \u201can honor second only to that of commanding such a regiment as I see before me.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the men marched onto a boat to take them to Washington, \u201cthree cheers were given for the presentations\u201d of flags. The tune that played them aboard was \u201cThe Red, White and Blue.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The conclusion of the four-year-long 150th anniversary of the Civil War is a good time to remember how some firemen put down their hoses to pick up flags and firearms. In the spring of 1861, when southern states began to secede, The New York Times reported that \u201cthe extreme danger to which the Federal Capital… continue<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":6095,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[43,275,143,276],"class_list":["post-2117","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history-lessons","tag-civil-war","tag-fire-department","tag-fireman","tag-firemen"],"yoast_head":"\nFiremen flags rallied to nation\u2019s cause<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The president of the Fire Department told the firemen to take the flags, \u201cplace them in the midst of your gallant band...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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