Hello, John- Thanks for sharing these images of Liverpool.
I take exception to one statement you made, or maybe the C.S.S. Shenandoah carried two Confederate flags. The flag lowered at 10 am on the morning of the 6th of November, 1865 was taken off ship by the crew. We didn't leave it.
It has been on display for the past year in the Museum of the Confederacy, Richmond, Virginia.

Regards, Henry E. Whittle Bradenton, Florida
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The Liverpool Mercury at the time reported the ship was flying the Palmetto - could be a mistake as newspapers make lots of them. The flag on display in the USA is the Stainless, which makes me think, which flag was actually flying and then lowered for the last time? Was the it the Stainless or a Palmetto which has now disappeared. In Melbourne, Australia the Stainless was definitely flying.

Shenandoah waited at the Mersey Bar Lightship for a pilot to take her up river. She was flying no flag as the crew knew the Confederate state did not exist and the war was lost. The Liverpool pilot would not take them into port unless they flew a flag – they raised one and pilot took the ship into port to the spot where HMS Donegal was anchored in mid river to surrender. But which flag did they raise – and lower?

The officially lowered flag was given back to the crew by the RN, who allowed them to run up the flag again – an unofficial flying of the flag as the vessel now temporarily belonged to the Royal Navy who had a detachment on board. The crew was paroled and I “assume” ran down the flag and took it with them. Which flag? The reported Palmetto or the Stainless? Did the crew take the stored flag and leave the flag flying on the mast?

Just a nagging question mark in my mind.

The crew was a predominantly Liverpool crew – three decided to swim for the shore and walk home on anchoring, probably hearing rumours of being handed over to the Yankees as pirates. A brave thing to do in November in strong cold Mersey currents. The Union wanted the crew handed over, the UK refused and paroled them.

Who did they give the their flag to? Commander Bulloch in Liverpool? He would have been the obvious. Did captain Wardell give a flag to the Lord Mayor of Liverpool at Liverpool town hall on submitting the official letter of surrender? That was the very last act of the US Civil War – war over 100%. The history of the stainless on display would be nice to know – its travels. Most ships carry two flags.