PROGRAMME OF THE ORDER OF EXERCISES AT THE RE-RAISING OF THE UNITED STATES FLAG, ON FORT SUMTER, CHARLESTON, S.C. APRIL 14th, 1865, ON THE FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE EVACUATION OF THE FORT. [with:] GENERAL ORDERS, No. 50. WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE, WASHINGTON, MARCH 27, 1865 [caption title].

[Civil War]: [Fort Sumter]:

Edité par Port Royal, SC; Washington: Printed at "The New South" Office; [s.n.], April 14, 1865; March 27, 1865.

A propos de cet article

A pair of documents related to the celebrations of April 14, 1865, surrounding the re-raising of the United States flag over Fort Sumter. The recapture of Fort Sumter in February of 1865, while perhaps not of great strategic value, was nonetheless as concrete a symbol as possible of the imminent restoration of the Union. The War Department's General Orders No. 50, issued by order of the President, were sent to prominent individuals as an invitation to the celebrations. They declare "That at the hour of noon, on the 14th day of April, 1865, Brevet Major General Anderson will raise and plant upon the ruins of Fort Sumter, in Charleston harbor, the same United States flag which floated over the battlements of that Fort during the rebel assault, and which was lowered and saluted by him and the small force of his command when the works were evacuated on the 14th day of April, 1861." They also specify a hundred-gun salute from the fort, a National salute including "every fort and rebel battery that fired upon Fort Sumter," and explicitly mention "the delivery of a public address by the Reverend Henry Ward Beecher." Lincoln apparently chose Beecher personally to speak at the event, remarking that "if it had not been for Beecher there would have been no flag to raise." In addition to Beecher's popularity as a speaker and his efforts speaking abroad on behalf of the Union during the war, the selection of such a noted and influential abolitionist for this event symbolically ending the war left no room for doubt about its causes. Present along with the General Orders is an official, postmarked envelope of the Adjutant General's Office, signed by Assistant Adjutant General E. D. Townsend and addressed to John H. Clifford. Clifford, the former Attorney General and Governor of Massachusetts, has docketed the envelope "Fort Sumter. April 14th 1865." Together with the General Orders sent to Clifford is the actual program of events used on the day. The booklet was published by the Port Royal New South, one of the earliest occupation newspapers printed in the Confederacy, and which continued to run until 1867. The activities included a public prayer led by Matthias Harris (who was the chaplain who presided over the raising of the same flag over Fort Sumter in December, 1860), readings of Psalms 126, 47, 98, and 20 by R.S. Storrs (future president of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions), a reading of Anderson's dispatch to the government announcing the fall of the fort, the singing of the Star Spangled Banner, and of course the promised speech of Henry Ward Beecher. A scarce and important group of documents from the ceremony which symbolically ended the Civil War. SABIN 25167. MIDLAND NOTES 91:96 (Programme). Program a bit soiled with a small tear at gutter, not touching text, later ownership inscription in blue pen on last page. About very good. General orders near fine.

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Détails bibliographiques

• Titre: PROGRAMME OF THE ORDER OF EXERCISES AT THE RE-RAISING OF THE UNITED STATES FLAG, ON FORT SUMTER, CHARLESTON, S.C. APRIL 14th, 1865, ON THE FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE EVACUATION OF THE FORT. [with:] GENERAL ORDERS, No. 50. WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE, WASHINGTON, MARCH 27, 1865 [caption title].
• Éditeur: Port Royal, SC; Washington: Printed at "The New South" Office; [s.n.], April 14, 1865; March 27, 1865.
• Édition: Edition originale