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[American Civil War]. Guidon Carried At Appomattox Court House. ...
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Sold on Dec 15, 2023 for:
$32,500.00
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Description
Witness to Lee's Surrender at Appomattox, Guidon Owned by a Member of Grant's Bodyguard
[American Civil War]. Guidon Carried At Appomattox Court
House. 35-star silk cavalry guidon, carried at Appomattox Court
House when General Robert E. Lee formally surrendered his army to
Union General Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865. There are 35
gold-painted stars in the canton, thirteen red and white stripes, a
2" sleeve, and two blue cords attached on the hoist corners.
Measures 40" x 29.5" and is framed to an overall size of 47.5" x
36.5".The guidon was originally owned by Captain Julius W. Mason, 5th Regiment United States Cavalry. He was promoted Lt. Col. for "gallant and meritorious service" at the Battle of Brandy Station on June 9, 1863. He was appointed bodyguard for General Ulysses S. Grant in March 1864. He commanded Companies B, F, and K and continually guarded General Grant to the end of the Civil War. After the surrender at Appomattox, when the guidon was being held by Company B, Grant's escort, it was given as a gift to Colonel Robert Orr who commanded the 61st Pennsylvania Volunteers.
The guidon is a accompanied by a large file of documentation, including: a notarized 2015 Letter of Provenance from the upstate New York collector, a 16-page analysis report by noted Civil War flag expert Fonda Thomsen, a 22-page report by vexillological consultant James J. Ferrigan, III, 17 pages of photocopied military records for Julius Mason, 25 pages of photocopied military records for Col. Robert L. Orr, two CDs of photos documenting the restoration process, a sealed container of original fabric particles and the circa-1920 typed caption label reference above.
A remarkable Civil War artifact, that clearly bore witness to one of the most important events in American History.
Exhibition History: National Park Service Appomattox Museum. The 14" x 16" metal exhibit "story board" used in the display is included. It shows the guidon in its pre-conservation state along with two war-time images of Mason. In one of these, a similar, if not identical flag, appears on the extreme left.
Condition: Guidon has undergone professional conservation. The stripes exhibit a substantial amount of loss, not unexpected, given the brittle nature of period silk, environmental issues and prolonged handling. Perhaps a third of the stripes remain. The canton, stars, and sleeve are essentially intact. Not examined out of frame.
Provenance: Label reads as follows: "A Flag Carried at Appomattox. This guidon of a company of the 5th U. S. Cavalry was at Appomattox during the Surrender 9 April, 1865. Captain Julius W. Mason commanded the 5th Cavalry as H. Q. Escort to General Grant. After the war, Mason gave this guidon to Col. Rob't Orr of the 61 Pennsylvania Vols., who in turn gave it to Reginald Hart, a famous military collector C. 1890." Reginald Hart was, of course, one of the most famed and revered military collectors of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The flag, subsequent to Hart's death and the dispersal of his collection, passed to Robert C. Laurens of Wayne, Pennsylvania who sold it to Gettysburg dealer George Lower who, in turn, traded it to an upstate New York collector who retained it for thirty-five years. Two collectors have since been the proud caretakers of this remarkable and important artifact.
Auction Info
2023 December 15 Historical Platinum Session Signature® Auction #6280 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
December, 2023
15th
Friday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 3
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 805
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