APRIL 9, 2025 — A rare artifact that signaled the opening act of the American Civil War—the improvised surrender flag raised over Fort Sumter in April 1861—is headed to auction later this month in Greenville County, South Carolina, WSPA 7 News reports.
Richmond Auctions, a local firm specializing in antique weaponry and Americana, announced the upcoming sale as part of its Spring Premier Firearms & Sportsman Advertising Auction, scheduled for April 25–26.
According to auction materials, the 28.5 x 33-inch white flag was fashioned from ground cloth linen and used after earlier attempts at communication were hampered by the Confederate bombardment.
With only a white handkerchief available to Confederate envoy Louis Wigfall—reportedly too small to be seen—a bedsheet was cut and displayed to signal surrender on April 13, 1861.
The flag comes from the collection of Dr. John K. Lattimer and includes a provenance report by Civil War historian Gregg Biggs.
The artifact is also linked to Peter Hart, a Mexican War veteran and confidant of Major Robert Anderson, the Union commander at Fort Sumter. Hart, acting as a non-combatant, is said to have retrieved the flag on his last day in the fort.
Supporting documents include a letter attributed to Hart and textile analysis confirming the fabric’s authenticity and age, conducted by the Textile Conservation Workshop of South Salem, New York.
As of Wednesday evening, the highest bid for the Fort Sumter surrender flag stood at $4,000.
Image: Richmond Auctions
