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Part 1: Alejandro de Quesada, Jr. Collection

Sat, Nov 22, 2025 09:00AM EST
  2025-11-22 09:00:00 2025-11-22 09:00:00 America/New_York Fleischer's Auctions Fleischer's Auctions : Part 1: Alejandro de Quesada, Jr. Collection https://bid.fleischersauctions.com/auctions/fleischers-auctions/part-1-alejandro-de-quesada-jr-collection-20329
This exclusive catalog presents a select offering from the personal collection of Alejandro "Alex" de Quesada Jr., renowned historian, author, and collector. The catalog features exceptionally rare swords, historically significant belt buckles and military insignia, original Civil War flags, and a wide range of ephemera representing pivotal moments in military history.
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Lot 27

[CIVIL WAR] Eve of War: Beauregard’s Charleston Signal Orders, Three Days Before Sumter

Estimate: $750 - $1,500
Current Bid
$450

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $10
$100 $25
$300 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$50,000 $5,000

Special Orders. Period manuscript copy document. Head Quarters Provisional Forces, S.C.A., Charleston, South Carolina, 9 April 1861. 4to, 1 page. 

 

Upon Louisiana's secession, Beauregard renounced his commission and returned to his home state of Louisiana. Jefferson Davis selected him to take command of Charleston's defenses in response to the Federal presence at Fort Sumter. Arriving in March, he strengthened the batteries aimed at Fort Sumter. 

 

The document here, a fine period manuscript copy of the original, are Beauregard's orders on signals to be used to signal the arrival of the "enemy," issued just 3 days before the bombardment began.

 

The document reads in full: "The following "light Signals" are substituted for those wich have been furnished heretofore: / Prepare to see signals one Rocket / Enemy Coming in, two Rockets and one blue light / Enemy's boats in Maffitt Channel, one blue light / Enemys boats in North Channel, one Blue Light and two Rockets / Enemeys boats in Ship Channel, One Blue Light and one Rocket / Enemeys Boats pulling for Sumpter two blue lights. By Order of Brig. Genl. Beauregard."

 

An important Fort Sumter document. 

 

[Civil War, Union, Confederate] [Manuscripts, Documents, Letters, Ephemera, Signatures, Autographs, Archive, Archives]

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