RARE CONFEDERATE BATTLE FLAG ASSOCIATED WITH INFAMOUS ANDERSONVILLE PRISON COMMANDER, HENRY WIRZ

Confederate States of America, circa 1861–1865. Square format, approximately 51 by 51 in. Framed to 56 by 56 in. Constructed of red silk field panels, blue cross, white cotton fimbriation, thirteen white stars, and a black silk roundel beneath the central star; hand-sewn throughout.

An exceptional Confederate battle flag that stands apart for both its visual power and rare construction. Composed in the familiar Southern battle-flag format, it presents a vivid red field divided by a dark blue St. Andrew’s cross edged in white and charged with thirteen white stars. While it generally adheres to the basic Confederate battle-flag scheme, the flag is distinguished by its central star, which is mounted upon a black silk circular ground. It has been theorized the central star on black cloth was a somber ornamental device, perhaps reflecting the grim and character of prison duty.

Oral provenance first recorded in 1972 associated this flag with the “Tuscaloosa Guards” of Alabama. While relatively little was understood about the unit at that time, subsequent research has clarified some of its origins and service. Raised at Tuscaloosa for local and special duty, the company was formed to guard Federal prisoners confined in the city. The prisoners under its watch were chiefly Union captives transferred from Richmond, many taken at First Manassas, with others later identified as prisoners from the Battle of Shiloh. Although the old Tuscaloosa Paper Mill was initially considered for use as a prison, contemporary correspondence shows it was deemed unsuitable, and the prisoners were instead housed in prominent local buildings, including the Washington Hall Hotel and the nearby Drish Building.

In 1862, the unit became known as Freeman’s Company of the Alabama Prison Guards. Significantly, new soldiers were personally recruited by Henry Wirz, who was for a time placed in command of the prison at Tuscaloosa. The infamous future commandant of Andersonville Prison, Wirz was already emerging as an important figure in the Confederate prison system. Not long after, the unit was transferred to service in Salisbury, North Carolina, where they continued to guard Union prisoners. Contemporary accounts describe the conditions of confinement under the Alabama Prison Guards as deplorable, one prisoner’s diary even records that during a revolt, “eighty one [prisoners] were killed and as many wounded.”

The documentary file accompanying the flag is substantial and important. In a 20 October 1972 letter, flag expert Howard Madaus, then Assistant Curator of History at the Milwaukee Public Museum, stated that the flag “appears for all intents and purposes to be an authentic Confederate battle flag, contemporary to the Civil War. Madaus drew special attention to the black silk backing of the central star.

A complete condition report is available upon request. 

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.

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