An early Confederate flag likely hand-made by the famous spy Isabella Maria “Belle” Boyd will be offered by Heritage Auctions during a special, joint auction event September 17 celebrating the 20th anniversary of The Rail Splitter, the publication for Abraham Lincoln enthusiasts.
The Lincoln and His Times auction holds unique items, including Boyd’s 5’ x 3’ flag, which was recently discovered had been locked up in Switzerland after the Civil War.
“Heritage has auctioned a number of significant Confederate flags over the years but none more evocative than this one,” said Tom Slater, Director of Americana Auctions. “The beautiful display conditional and thoroughly-documented back story makes the Belle Boyd flag a very special offering indeed.”
Boyd was a Virginia born Southern patriot who utilized her feminine charm to serve the Confederacy for the first two years of the war before she was discovered and arrested by Union troops. When Stonewall Jackson’s troops occupied Front Royal in May 1862, Boyd gave the general valuable information on Union troops and reportedly helped Jackson strategize for battle. According to her memoirs she was a key player in the fight, appearing on the front lines to encourage Confederate soldiers.
After Federal troops took control of Front Royal Boyd became quite a celebrity. When she encountered a Union Captain Frederick d’Hauteville, she gave him a Confederate flag, which was recorded in his journal and in a letter he sent to his wife from Robert Gould Shaw.
Boyd was arrested shortly after that and after being exchanged she continued spying and was arrested again. She escaped custody, tried to flee the country, was put in custody again, charmed a blockage vessel commander who fell in love and proposed marriage. The two escaped together and traveled to England where she stayed for the rest of the Civil War.
d’Hauteville left the army in 1863 and moved to Switzerland where he spent the rest of his life. Boyd’s flag and three of his uniforms, also in the auction, were packed away and did not resurface for 150 years. They appeared in an estate auction in Europe last year.
The entire auction is available for viewing and interactive bidding at HA.com. Questions or comments may be directed to TomS@HA.com or DonA@HA.com.
