A Civil War prison camp newspaper: a set of all 3 issues...
Item # 706102
March 13, 1864
THE OLD FLAG, Ford City, February 17, March, 1864
* Extremely rare Civil War era set
* Camp Ford - Tyler, Texas
A fascinating newspaper which lasted but three issues, all present in this volume. The original three issues were hand written during an imprisonment of 13 months in Tyler, Texas, and with only one issue of each in existence, each was read aloud at the various prison cabins.
In an attempt to enliven the monotonous & unbearably event-less life in this prison camp, editorial contributions were solicited upon a wide variety of material. At the conclusion of the war, the 3 originals were lithographed and attempts were made to provide a set to each of the men who were imprisoned at Camp Ford. Rarely have such lithographed issues turned up, but here is a volume with all 3. In handwritten format yet remarkably similar to a 'regular' newspaper in format.
Measures 10 by 12 inches, included are the outer blue wrappers, plus the hard-cover binding still in nice condition, as well plus a "Preface" page' which tells much about these issues. Included at the back is the "List of Officers, Prisoners of War at Camp Ford, Tyler, Smith County, Texas". All in very nice condition.
background: The rarity of The Old Flag cannot be overstated, as it is considered an "exceedingly rare" artifact of Civil War ephemera that survived only through a miraculous act of preservation. Because the original three issues were handwritten on scraps of paper and physically smuggled out of Camp Ford by Captain William H. May—who allegedly sewed them into the lining of his uniform to avoid Confederate detection—the subsequent post-war lithographed edition was produced in a very small, private run intended almost exclusively for the surviving veterans of the camp. Most copies have been lost to time or decay, and finding a complete set that retains the original blue wrappers and the definitive prisoner roster is a museum-grade occurrence; it is far more common to find individual, damaged pages than a pristine, bound volume, making this a centerpiece for serious collectors of military history.
* Extremely rare Civil War era set
* Camp Ford - Tyler, Texas
A fascinating newspaper which lasted but three issues, all present in this volume. The original three issues were hand written during an imprisonment of 13 months in Tyler, Texas, and with only one issue of each in existence, each was read aloud at the various prison cabins.
In an attempt to enliven the monotonous & unbearably event-less life in this prison camp, editorial contributions were solicited upon a wide variety of material. At the conclusion of the war, the 3 originals were lithographed and attempts were made to provide a set to each of the men who were imprisoned at Camp Ford. Rarely have such lithographed issues turned up, but here is a volume with all 3. In handwritten format yet remarkably similar to a 'regular' newspaper in format.
Measures 10 by 12 inches, included are the outer blue wrappers, plus the hard-cover binding still in nice condition, as well plus a "Preface" page' which tells much about these issues. Included at the back is the "List of Officers, Prisoners of War at Camp Ford, Tyler, Smith County, Texas". All in very nice condition.
background: The rarity of The Old Flag cannot be overstated, as it is considered an "exceedingly rare" artifact of Civil War ephemera that survived only through a miraculous act of preservation. Because the original three issues were handwritten on scraps of paper and physically smuggled out of Camp Ford by Captain William H. May—who allegedly sewed them into the lining of his uniform to avoid Confederate detection—the subsequent post-war lithographed edition was produced in a very small, private run intended almost exclusively for the surviving veterans of the camp. Most copies have been lost to time or decay, and finding a complete set that retains the original blue wrappers and the definitive prisoner roster is a museum-grade occurrence; it is far more common to find individual, damaged pages than a pristine, bound volume, making this a centerpiece for serious collectors of military history.
Item from last month's catalog - #364 - released for March, 2026.
Category: Yankee
