Annually, the Colonel Crowther Foundation, a local organization, participates in a special project.
This organization is a non-profit organization dedicated to education and history, specifically of the Civil War.
It is named in honor of Colonel James Crowther, a Civil War veteran. Colonel Crowther was the Commander of the 110th Regiment. This Regiment consisted of five companies of men from central Pennsylvania.
Colonel Crowther was from Tyrone. In fact, his family was one of the founding families of Tyrone. Colonel Crowther also served on Tyrone Borough Council for a number of years.
The project that is being initiated by the Colonel Crowther Foundation in one that will benefit the Tyrone area.
The 110th Regiment carried two flags when they went into battle. They carried what was known as the State Color and another that was known as the Regimental Color. The 110th Regiment marched from Camp Curtain to the state capitol on December 31, 1861, where Governor Andrew Curtain presented the flags to Color Sergeant David Martin.
After these were no longer used in battle, they were returned to the state capitol building. They remained in the capitol rotunda for 90 years. The flags had remained rolled up, which damaged them. These flags were manufactured, they were made of silk, which turns to dust after a period of time. When these flags were taken from the spot in the capitol rotunda to be displayed in a different way, it was discovered that all of the flags were in poor shape. In fact, there is so little of the Regimental Color that hasn’t turned to dust that it is difficult to distinguish that it was the 110th Regiment’s Regimental Color.
As their 2007 project, the Colonel Crowther Foundation would like to have exact reproductions of these flags manufactured and preserved.
Their intention is to have them available for reenactments. However, since Colonel Crowther, the Commander of the 110th was a prominent citizen from Tyrone, they also want to have them for parades and special events in the Tyrone area.
In order to complete this special project, the Colonel Crowther Foundation will be seeking financial donations. It will cost about $3,500 to have exact reproductions made of these flags.
If anyone is interested in making a donation for this special project, they can do so by contacting Bob Hileman, President and Executive Director of the Colonel Crowther Foundation at 814-641-0353 or by email at rhileman@pennswoods.net.
You can find out more information by viewing the Colonel Crowther Foundation’s website at www.colonelcrowther.org.
