Description:

COL. ELMER E. ELLSWORTH FLAG RELICS FROM THE MARSHALL HOUSE HOTEL, WITH A SOLDIER'S LETTER (3)
A most stirring relic from the opening days of the Civil War, one piece each of red, white and blue cotton cloth cut from the famous Confederate flag flown from the roof of the Marshall House Hotel in Alexandria - a flag for which Col. Elmer E. Ellsworth, a favorite of Lincoln, would give his life and become the first conspicuous Union Army casualty and the first officer killed in battle in the Civil War. The pieces of this Marshall House flag slightly differs in size, but average about 1 x 1.25 in. They are folded and attached to a piece of yellow paper laid into an empty period photograph case, 3 3/4 x 3 1/8 in. On the opposite, padded side of the case is an absolutely period handwritten description: 'A Part of the Secession flag - taken from The Marshall House, Alexandria, Virginia, on the morning of May 24th, '61 by the late Col. E. E. Ellsworh'. SOLD WITH: a fabulous letter discovered with the flag relics, sent from Union solder Charles A. May, Jr. of the N.Y. 7th Militia at Camp Cameron in Washington, 4pp. 8vo., written the same day Ellsworth was killed. May briefly describes touring and shopping in Washington, but upon return to camp: '...guards would not let me pass...no matter that we had passes or not. We all saw there was something rather out of the usual routine about to take place...Companies received orders to pack knapsacks and get one day's rations...and be ready to march...we were ordered out for guard duty at 11 o'clock...our Corps [was] left behind...We presume that have gone to Alexandria ...We have heard of the death of Colonel Ellsworth, shot be the proprietor of a Hotel in Alexandria while taking down a Secession flag. One of the Zouaves we understand shot the man immediately so quickly it is said that he and the Colonel both fell at the same time...' Split between the two leaves, with a horizontal split mended on verso with archival tape, else near fine. With transmittal envelope. Three pieces. Col. Elmer E. Ellsworth (1837-1861) led the 11th New York Vols., known as the 'Fire Zouaves'. On May 24, 1861, Ellsworth and others in his camp spied an enormous Confederate flag flying from the Marshall House Hotel across the river in Alexandria, Va. Arriving at the scene, Ellsworth sprang up the stairs followed by his soldiers, climbed to the roof on a ladder and cut down the flag with a soldier's knife. The soldiers turned to descend, with Private Francis E. Brownell leading the way and Ellsworth following with the flag. As Brownell reached the first landing, proprietor James W. Jackson jumped from a dark passage, leveled a double-barreled gun at Ellsworth's chest and discharged one barrel directly into Ellsworth's chest, killing him instantly. Jackson then discharged the other barrel at Brownell, but missed his target. Brownell's gun simultaneously shot, hitting Jackson in the middle of his face. Before Jackson dropped, Brownell repeatedly thrust his bayonet through Jackson's body, sending his corpse down the stairs.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, COD (cash on delivery), Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

*SEE ADITTIONAL SHIPPING ABOVE* -Shipments are sent via FedEx and DHL (for most overseas shipments) or FedEx Ground at the auctioneer's option. We will ship with USPS Priority Mail only if the buyer submits their request to us in writing and accepts responsibility for delayed shipments. Signature is always required, unless other arrangements are made. Handling and shipping charges will be added to the invoice in one entry. Buyers should be aware that large, framed, fragile or odd shaped items can incur substantial shipping and packing charges. International shipments are invoiced by DIMENSIONAL weight, not the item weight. Please contact us for an estimate before bidding NOTE: Large, heavy or bulky items may not be shipped by the auctioneer - arrangements for shipping of these items via a third-party shipper may be arranged through the auction house. Customers who supply their own courier account number will still be charged a handling fee. Please allow 2-3 weeks for shipments after receipt of payment due to the high volume of packages being shipped.

March 27, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $999,999 $10,000
$1,000,000 $1,999,999 $50,000
$2,000,000 + $100,000