American flag that covered Lincoln's casket during the funeral train tour

[David Lockmiller]

The New York Times reports today:

"[A]n 8-foot-long, 37-star American flag covered [President Lincoln's] casket during the funeral train tour after his assassination in 1865.

Millions of mourners turned out to pay their respects as the train made its way from Washington, D.C., to Springfield, Ill., where Lincoln was interred. Afterward, Maj. Lewis Applegate, an Army doctor, took possession of the flag.

The Applegate lineage kept it for more than a century, and it was eventually turned over to the Museum of Southern History in Florida. In 2024, the flag was put up for sale at a Guernsey’s auction. Tilman Fertitta, the Texas billionaire and owner of Keens, pounced, buying it for a reported $656,250."

Julia Lisowski, the steakhouse’s general manager, stood beside the curtain and faced the guests. “We are thrilled you are able to join us in the Lincoln Room as we confer the Abraham Lincoln Casket Flag of 1865 to its permanent home,” she said.

She recounted how it was made by the nation’s oldest flag maker, Annin & Company, noting that its 37th star existed in anticipation of Nebraska’s statehood. She told of a curator, Rhonda Hiser, who three years ago discovered the flag languishing behind a bookshelf at the Museum of Southern History.

She went on to thank Mr. Fertitta, the restaurateur and casino magnate who bought Keens two years ago, adding it to a portfolio that includes Rainforest Cafe and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Mr. Fertitta, who was not present for the party, also owns the Houston Rockets basketball franchise and serves as the United States ambassador to Italy and San Marino.

Finally, when the curtain was pulled back, the crowd cheered as the majestic hand-sewn flag was revealed. Along its hoist was Major Applegate’s signature and a marking indicating the date of Lincoln’s assassination.

[David Lockmiller]

The flag and its history should have been part of the Lincoln Memorial in Springfield, Illinois from the first day it opened.

[Steve]

(02-17-2026 12:02 PM)David Lockmiller Wrote:  The New York Times reports today:

"[A]n 8-foot-long, 37-star American flag covered [President Lincoln's] casket during the funeral train tour after his assassination in 1865.

Millions of mourners turned out to pay their respects as the train made its way from Washington, D.C., to Springfield, Ill., where Lincoln was interred. Afterward, Maj. Lewis Applegate, an Army doctor, took possession of the flag.

The Applegate lineage kept it for more than a century, and it was eventually turned over to the Museum of Southern History in Florida. In 2024, the flag was put up for sale at a Guernsey’s auction. Tilman Fertitta, the Texas billionaire and owner of Keens, pounced, buying it for a reported $656,250."

Julia Lisowski, the steakhouse’s general manager, stood beside the curtain and faced the guests. “We are thrilled you are able to join us in the Lincoln Room as we confer the Abraham Lincoln Casket Flag of 1865 to its permanent home,” she said.

She recounted how it was made by the nation’s oldest flag maker, Annin & Company, noting that its 37th star existed in anticipation of Nebraska’s statehood. She told of a curator, Rhonda Hiser, who three years ago discovered the flag languishing behind a bookshelf at the Museum of Southern History.

She went on to thank Mr. Fertitta, the restaurateur and casino magnate who bought Keens two years ago, adding it to a portfolio that includes Rainforest Cafe and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Mr. Fertitta, who was not present for the party, also owns the Houston Rockets basketball franchise and serves as the United States ambassador to Italy and San Marino.

Finally, when the curtain was pulled back, the crowd cheered as the majestic hand-sewn flag was revealed. Along its hoist was Major Applegate’s signature and a marking indicating the date of Lincoln’s assassination.

I have serious doubts that this flag draped over Lincoln's casket.

[David Lockmiller]

(02-18-2026 02:05 AM)Steve Wrote:  I have serious doubts that this flag draped over Lincoln's casket.

Steve, you may want to visit this website: https://www.antiquesandthearts.com/guern...1-million/

Leading the sale was the 37-star United States Applegate Flag, which draped Abraham Lincoln’s coffin in 1865, during the transport of his body about his funeral train from Washington, DC, to Springfield, Ill. The 28-by-37-inch flag was constructed from 15 individual pieces of wool bunting as well as 37 hand-sewn, five-point, single appliqué cotton sheeting stars. It contained a maker’s mark, that read “Annin & Co., 99 & 101 Fulton St. N.Y.,” as well as former owner Lewis Applegate’s signature. The somber flag had provenance to former Senator Edwin D. Morgan, one of Lincoln’s six pallbearers, then by descent through Applegate’s family for more than 150 years.

The 37 stars are in alternative rows of stars as may be seen on the excellent photograph of the flag: 7, 8, 7, 8, 7 = 37.

[AussieMick]

(02-18-2026 10:57 AM)David Lockmiller Wrote:  

(02-18-2026 02:05 AM)Steve Wrote:  I have serious doubts that this flag draped over Lincoln's casket.

Steve, you may want to visit this website: https://www.antiquesandthearts.com/guern...1-million/

Leading the sale was the 37-star United States Applegate Flag, which draped Abraham Lincoln’s coffin in 1865, during the transport of his body about his funeral train from Washington, DC, to Springfield, Ill. The 28-by-37-inch flag was constructed from 15 individual pieces of wool bunting as well as 37 hand-sewn, five-point, single appliqué cotton sheeting stars. It contained a maker’s mark, that read “Annin & Co., 99 & 101 Fulton St. N.Y.,” as well as former owner Lewis Applegate’s signature. The somber flag had provenance to former Senator Edwin D. Morgan, one of Lincoln’s six pallbearers, then by descent through Applegate’s family for more than 150 years.

The 37 stars are in alternative rows of stars as may be seen on the excellent photograph of the flag: 7, 8, 7, 8, 7 = 37.

David, I had a look at that site and I think Steve may have a point ... I also looked at this site :
https://flag-post.com/adding-new-stars-t...civil-war/
It has

"Lincoln Funeral Flag at Museum of Southern History in Jacksonville Florida"

the shape of the stars differ from those on the auction flag. Also there is a grommet (hole) that seems in a different place (above the stars). Also the stripes seem a different width.

[RJNorton]

Here's another claim re: the flag:

=============================================

"The flag that draped Abraham Lincoln’s casket in Albany, NY in the Erie County Historical Society Archives."

https://www.hagenhistory.org/blog/lincol...il-27-1865

[AussieMick]

Its obviously possible that there was more than one flag used to cover the casket from Washington, D.C., to Springfield, Ill.

( I hesitate to suggest that some people might have been given or purloined a souvenir along the way, hence requiring the flag to be replaced.)

[Steve]

Since the flag has already been sold at auction, I don't want to go all in-depth on my reasoning on why I believe the steakhouse/Applegate flag couldn't have been from Lincoln's funeral train. But here's an article from two years ago about the flag which goes more in depth and has better pictures of it and the writing on it:

https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/...ct-auction

If you read the article carefully, look at the flag images, and really think about the scenario being presented -- it doesn't make any sense at all, to me at least. Even if you disagree the article's still an interesting read.

If after reading the article, you want more information on Edwin Morgan here's his Wikipedia page:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_D._Morgan

Here's Maj. Lewis Applegate's Find A Grave page:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/1183...-applegate

Assuming my belief about the flag not being from Lincoln's funeral train/casket -- here's my best guess on what the flag actually is. Major Lewis Applegate died in young at only 30 in 1870. I think the flag may be the flag which covered Maj. Applegate's casket during his funeral. There were 37 states in 1870. A relative presumably would've written Maj. Applegate's name on the flag afterward.

Here's a link to another 37-star flag which also has claims to have been associated with Lincoln's funeral:

https://www.flagcollection.com/itemdetai...tem_ID=257

Based on this flag's lack of concrete provenance along with the letter about it's history being written nearly 60 years after the fact, I'm inclined to be pretty skeptical about the authenticity of its story as well---but I think it's at least possible it could turn out to be true with further research, unlike the steakhouse/Applegate flag.

[David Lockmiller]

[quote='Steve' pid='90772' dateline='1771508851']
Since the flag has already been sold at auction, I don't want to go all in-depth on my reasoning on why I believe the steakhouse/Applegate flag couldn't have been from Lincoln's funeral train. But here's an article from two years ago about the flag which goes more in depth and has better pictures of it and the writing on it:

https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/...ct-auction

If you read the article carefully, look at the flag images, and really think about the scenario being presented -- it doesn't make any sense at all, to me at least. Even if you disagree the article's still an interesting read.

The article reads:

‘Applegate Flag has the best provenance’
To prove the flag’s provenance, Hiser enlisted Jim Ferrigan, a vexillologist (flag expert) who has advised and consulted for the Smithsonian; Steve Levine and Ron Levine, rare collectible dealers and researchers who are not related but own L2 Acquisitions; as well as owners of the historic Annin flag company, which made and supplied the Civil War flags.

Questions have been raised about the authenticity of other Lincoln artifacts, but Hiser and her team are confident this is the real thing.

“The facts, deductive reasoning and the overall circumstantial evidence allows for the conclusion that this is ONE of the only known surviving Lincoln coffin flags,” Ferrigan told Sneed.

A 1960 fire destroyed the Annin company’s historic records, but according to Ron Levine, the firm sent a letter this year stating: “After viewing the Annin company stamp [on the flag], Brevet major Lewis Applegate’s signature and the flag’s dignified paperwork, Annin flagmakers are inclined to believe the data presented surrounding these facts support the conclusion that this Annin 37-star flag made in NYC in or around 1865 can very well be the flag that draped Lincoln’s coffin.”

“Of the five dozen or so flags or fragments associated with the assassination and funeral of President Abraham Lincoln, the Applegate Flag has the best provenance and unbroken chain-of-possession attached to the 1800s,” he said.

I would conclude that other flags may have been used in individual memorial ceremonies.