American Historical Ephemera & Photography

Approx. 139 x 232 in. hand-sewn and machine-sewn wool flag with 34 hand-sewn, single-appliquéd cotton stars configured in 7/7/6/7/7 horizontal rows (some holes and few areas of separation throughout, few sections with stitched repairs, occasional spotting, toning). Hoist is cotton, with 2 whip-stitched grommets. The initials "E.W.M." are written on the hoist in addition to a few other notations that are difficult to discern. 

The 34th star represents Kansas, which was admitted to the Union in January 1861 and was the last state admitted before the outbreak of the Civil War.

The consignor relates that this 34-star flag purportedly flew over Fort Warren, in Boston Massachusetts, during the Civil War per auctioneer Arthur Crisafulli (Crown Auctions, New Hampshire). No further provenance or documentation supporting this association with Fort Warren accompanies the lot.

Fort Warren once served as a training facility for Union soldiers and functioned as a prison for Confederate officers and government officials during the war. It held a number of high ranking civilians, most notably CSA Vice President Alexander Stephens.