CONFEDERATE NAVAL COMMANDER JOHN RANDOLPH TUCKER’S PERSONAL SECOND NATIONAL (“STAINLESS BANNER”) FLAG, PRESENTED BY THE LADIES OF CHARLESTON

Charleston, South Carolina, 1863–1865. Silk, hand‑pieced and hand‑sewn throughout; Canton formed of crimson silk with a pale blue St. Andrew’s cross edged in white; the stars individually hand‑embroidered and applied; double‑sided construction; the white field of plain‑woven silk; hoist with early binding; old mounting threads and stitch‑lines visible. Now conserved and displayed against a dark ground in a modern archival frame. Accompanied by an old manuscript note of family tradition referring to the presentation by the ladies of Charleston. Visible 27 2/16 x 17 1/2 in., framed to 32 5/16 x 27 1/4 in. Note measures: 4 7/8 x 5 5/8 in.

Adopted on 1 May 1863, the Second National flag, popularly termed the “Stainless Banner,” combined the battle‑flag canton with a largely white field. As Flag Officer commanding the Confederate naval defenses at Charleston beginning in 1863, Commodore John Randolph Tucker flew a personal flag aboard his flagship, initially the ironclad CSS Chicora and later the CSS Charleston. According to family tradition preserved with this example, the flag was presented to Tucker by the ladies of Charleston as a testimonial of esteem during his defense of the harbor and subsequent command of the local fleet.

Executed entirely in silk with hand‑embroidered stars and hand‑pieced elements, the flag is characteristic of high‑status presentation work rather than depot manufacture. Its survival with direct family descent, a period manuscript label, and a complete modern conservation record make it a rare and important personal ensign of a Confederate flag officer. In early 1865, as Charleston was evacuated, Tucker marched his sailors overland to rejoin Lee’s army, an arc of service that frames the likely period of use for this flag, which predates the short‑lived Third National design (March 1865).

A compelling relic of naval command in the Charleston theater, and an academically significant artifact of Confederate presentation culture, preserved with exceptional provenance and professional conservation.

Provenance: By descent in the family of Commodore John Randolph Tucker; acquired directly from his great‑great‑grandson in 2013; thence private collection.

Note: This lot cannot be packaged and shipped in-house. Successful bidders winning items marked as being packaged and shipped by a third-party service are responsible for paying the third party directly. We are happy to offer complimentary drop-off service to local third-party packing/shipping companies in Columbus, Ohio.