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A very rare pair of patriotic prints issued right at the beginning of the Civil War. The first battle of the war took place with the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter in 1861. The Southerners demanded the surrender of this fort in the mouth of the harbor at Charleston, S.C., but they were refused by the Union commander Major Anderson. The Confederates opened fire on the fort on April 12, 1861, continuing to hail canon balls on Fort Sumter for 34 hours straight. The besieged garrison proudly flew the American flag over the fort throughout, until Anderson was forced to surrender at 2:30 on the 13th. The Union forces evacuated, but Anderson saluted the flag as it was lowered and carried it with him as he left. It was later hoisted to the mast of their ship as they returned defeated, but unbowed to the North.
This attack on the United States and its flag caused a swell of patriotic fervor in the North. Henry Ward Beecher gave a famous talk glorifying "The National Flag," in which he stated that "The stars upon it were to the pining nations like the bright morning stars of God, and the stripes upon it were beams of morning light." This image was taken up by Frederic Edwin Church, who painted a small oil entitled "Our Banner in the Sky." In that oil, the American flag was formed by a field of stars in the evening sky, the colors of the sunset forming the stripes, and a tree trunk forming an apparent staff for the celestial banner. Nature itself demonstrates it partiality to the American flag. This painting was soon turned into a chromolithograph by Goupil & Co.
As copyright laws tended to be ignored, and as "flag mania" was raging, publisher William Schaus had artist William Bauly modify Church's image somewhat in order to make his own chromolithograph, entitled "Our Heaven Born Banner." The print is accompanied the text of Joseph Rodman Drake's poem, "The American Flag," which describes the stars and stripes formed in the sky. In this print, a Zouave sentry looks out towards the celestial banner dawning over the hills, near which is seen Fort Sumter lying before Charleston. The sentry's rifle and bayonet form the flag's staff.
As a companion to this print, Schaus published "Fate of the Rebel Flag," which vilifies the Confederate flag in a similar manner to the glorification of the Union flag in his other print. A ship, representing the Confederacy, is shown sinking into a watery grave, consumed by a raging inferno which forms the flag of the secessionists. A streak of lightening is shown hitting the ship, indicating that the conflagration and inevitable doom for the Confederacy are the work of the Devine Will. The pair, $3,800
"Johnson's New Chart of National Emblems." New York: A.J. Johnson, 1863. 17 x 23. Lithograph. Original hand color. Very good condition.
A colorful image of flags and signals from around the world, including a number of American flags such as the "American Jack" and a flag of the Hawaiian Islands. Of particular note is the inclusion in this edition of the chart of the flag for the "Confederate States of America (so called)." $225
Lithograph "From A Pfotho[gr.]" "The Battle Of Bull's Run." 1861. Lithograph. 11 5/8 x 17 3/4. A few repaired tears, and chips in margins. Bottom right corner missing, just affecting last word of attribution. Otherwise, very good image and condition. Weitenkampf: 130.
An unusual pro-Confederate cartoon, lampooning the Northern forces and politicians in the wake of the first Battle of Bull Run, July 1861. In this early engagement of the Civil War, the Union attack on the Confederate position was turned back. An initially orderly retreat turned into a full-fledged rout, with the troops racing back to Washington. The battle is noteworthy for the many politicians and civilians, including many women, who carriaged from Washington in order to watch an anticipated Union victory. These spectators joined in the flight after the battle, adding significantly to the confusion and panic. This print caricatures the Union troops, politicians, and civilians, including "ladies as sputatiers," all of whom are shown fleeing from the Confederate troops in the background. A key at bottom identifies many of the participants, including Jeff. Davis, Gen. McDowell, and several members of Congress. The central figures are from the New York Fire Zouave troop, who were routed by the Virginia Black Horse Cavalry. This event was a long-time sore point for the Union infantry and was ridiculed in a number of popular illustrations, including this one. This separately issued print is unidentified other than the claim that it was based on a 'pfothograph.' Though pro-Southern, the print may have been issued in the North, where sympathies had not yet fully swung behind the Union cause. $1,200
"Distinguished Militia Genl. During an Action." New York: Currier & Ives, ca. 1861-62. Lithograph. With old creases and folds. A few expertly repaired tears. Print professionally conserved and lined with rice paper. Weitenkampf, Political Caricatures in the United States: p. 131. C: 1591.
A rare Civil War cartoon issued by the famous Currier & Ives lithographic firm of New York. From 1834 to 1907 Nathaniel Currier, and then Currier and Ives, provided for the American people a pictorial history of their country's growth from an agricultural society to an industrialized one. These prints had a profound effect on popular culture, both reflecting and influencing the tastes, attitudes and perception of the world held by many Americans. One type of print they issued were cartoons lampooning politicians and other figures of the day. In this case, the firm is caricaturing the volunteer militia officers in the Union Army, who held their positions more because of political or financial influence than for any reasons of military competence. The image shows a "Distinguished Militia Genl." reading a book of tactics in the midst of a fight, while his men lie dying at the feet of his horse. A Confederate officer is shown stopping one of his men from shooting the general with the comment, "we shall never lose while he commands." A rare and delightful Civil War cartoon. $650
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