Post-war CDV view of Robert M. Sims of South Carolina wearing a light civilian suit. Image is from the waist up.

Contrast is a bit light but the clarity is good. The paper and card are also good with only minor surface dirt.

Reverse is blank but does have an odd period pencil inscription that reads “THE OLD GENTLEMAN AS HE COMES OUT OF THE STORE- SUPPOSED TO BE 35. MAJ. ROBERT SIMS, SUMPTER, S.C.” Then at bottom is “COUSIN ROBERT SIMS-18.”

Robert Moorman Sims was born on Christmas Day 1837. He was educated in local grade schools and then attended the South Carolina Military Academy. After graduation he took up life as a farmer in Craigsville, South Carolina.

Sims first enlisted as 1^st sergeant in the “LANCASTER GRAYS” on April 8, 1861. The unit later became Company A, 9^th South Carolina Volunteers. On the last day of December 1861, Sims was elected to the position of 1^st lieutenant in Company B 6^th South Carolina Infantry.

After a short sick leave, Sims took up his duties with the 6^th in May of 1862 and was wounded at Antietam. During the winter of 1862-63 Sims was promoted to captain and assigned as brigade inspector on the staff of General Micah Jenkins and in July of 1863 became an assistant adjutant general.

On February 7, 1865 General James Longstreet wrote a letter to the Adjutant General at Richmond requesting Sims be promoted to major and assigned to his staff. Longstreet said “Sims is a very gallant and meritorious officer and has served with great credit to himself and the cause since the beginning of the war.”

Sim’s was assigned to Longstreet’s staff where he remained until the end of the war. At Appomattox he carried one of the flags of truce to halt the fighting. In fact, in Sim’s obituary it was written that “the fact has been repeatedly recorded in history that it was Captain Sims who carried the towel which was used as the flag of truce which resulted in the surrender to General Grant.”

After the war, Sims was a member of the South Carolina state senate and in 1876 he was elected secretary of state. After two terms in office he returned to farming and was connected with the Customs House in Charleston.

Sims died on December 9, 1898 and is buried in Elmwood Memorial Gardens in Columbia, South Carolina.  [ad] [ph:L]

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