Gen. Grant's Sword Draws $1.6M Bid

AP ^ | 25 June 2007 | AP

[BGHater]

A diamond-adorned sword once owned by Gen. Ulysses S. Grant brought a winning bid of more than $1.6 million in an auction of Civil War items.

The sword given to Grant, who later became the 18th president, was one of the marquee items among the 750 to be auctioned Sunday and Monday by Heritage Auction Galleries of Dallas.

Another showcase item up for bid was Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer's frayed battle flag, which was auctioned for $896,250. Another item of note was a "Bonnie Blue" flag carried by the 3rd Texas State Cavalry, which drew a bid of $47,800.

The priciest item was Grant's sword, which went for $1,673,000 to an unnamed bidder. It was presented by citizens of Kentucky in 1864 to honor Grant's promotion to General-in-Chief of all Union forces.

The silver and gold sword contains a 28-diamond monogram and is covered with intricate designs, including engraved battle scenes on its 33-inch blade.

Gary Hendershott, Heritage's director of Civil War auctions, described the sword as maybe the finest from the Civil War period.

"It's really a hallmark of American silversmith craftsmanship."

[BGHater]

[Moose4]

Absolutely exquisite. I wonder if the ol’ drunk ever actually wore it? :)

Stainless, I know it’s about Grant, but here’s a Dixie ping anyway. I don’t care what side of the Mason-Dixon you’re on, you can appreciate a beautiful piece of history like this.

}:-)4

[lovecraft]

Grant we can live with and respect. For the most part he conducted himself as a gentleman and the man was a warrior.

Sherman on the other hand is where we have a problem....IMHO :-).

[battlegearboat]

My Great Grandfather marched with Grant and Sherman.

He was wounded twice and was a POW twice.

He enlisted as a Private with the 14th Wisconsin Volunteers and ended up as a Captain, writing the Company's history in Mobile, Alabama.

Thank you General Grant for taking care of my Great Grandfather. I enjoyed reading your book.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks for the ping, DLR.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.

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[rdl6989]

I had ancestors who served under Grant as well as against him.

[JerseyHighlander]

Here is the auction description page for the sword:
http://americana.ha.com/common/view_item.php?SaleNo=663&LotIdNo=1009#Photo

[stainlessbanner]

Thanks for the ping Moose4.

3rd Texas Cavalry Bonnie Blue flag - would love to see a picture of that. Anyone know the winning bidder?

[StoneWall Brigade]

Great pice of history to own

[StoneWall Brigade]

Thanks for the ping SB

[wardaddy]

credit is due where credit is due.....no doubt about that

Grant was hell on wheels...an extremely capable Army commander...one of the best this nation ever produced

He also cared more about his men than given credit for...hence laying siege at Vicksburg rather than continue to send them up to slaughter

and he gave my side great terms at the end...as did his unusual sidekick WT...

I think it is wonderful that they all be honoured for risking their lives when duty called

Lee would have been expected to be great. Ulysses rose far above himself and had to deal with serious demons. That says a lot....not to mention when he wrote his memoirs suffering from extremely painful cancer near death trying desperately to pull his family out of debt...it worked.

I might quibble with some things but I respect the guy....without him....the outcome might have been far different for the Union

[LeoWindhorse]

Stainless : as the 7th cavalry rode to their fate on the Little Bighorn , they stopped upon the prairie and stacked their sabers , both to reduce clatter noise and the move faster towards their prey , the encamped Sioux .
We all know they were never to retrieve these swords....
However they were recovered by follow on forces at the time .
Over a century later a US Army Col. ,that happened to be my brother’s father-in-law was tasked to cleanup and clean out an old Army post in that area . A Spec4 came to him to report the discovery of a big crate deep down in a basement and upon inspection he found that it contained many old cavalry sabers . He took responsiblity to take them to the Smithsonian in DC and sure enough these were the remainder of those same sabers left by the 7thCav. In recognition for his honor in turning them over for the national heritage the Smith presented him with 3 of the sabers . He in turn gave one to his son-in-law . It rests above his mantel today....
ps: that good Colonel was laid to rest in Arlington last week.

[LeoWindhorse]

“hence laying siege at Vicksburg rather than continue to send them up to slaughter”

Wardaddy sir....old Grant tried to frontal assault the fortifications and redoubts of Vicksburg 3 times! Repulsed
by the Confederate forces each time . My own great granddaddy
was among those Rebs that stood against the waves of Union blue.

[stainlessbanner]

"Grant stood by me when I was crazy, and I stood by him when he was drunk, and now we stand by each other."
-William Tecumseh Sherman

If the Army of Tennessee ever got organized properly, they would have given Grant hell. Politics in Missouri and Tennessee wasted valuable time in drilling at the start of the war. Davis and his boys focused on the successful ANV in the east, and they neglected the western theater (out of sight, out of mind).

The west had some much talent: A.S. Johnston, Cleburne, Forrest, Smith - all were hampered by circumstances that played against them.

I believe Grant and Sherman had some luxuries in fighting the CSA Western army. Meade, McClellan, Hooker, Burnside had a rough go of it with Lee/Jackson/Longstreet.

[stainlessbanner]

What a story. Amazing.

[LeoWindhorse]

true story.....

[endthematrix]

http://americana.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=663&Lot_No=72107&type=prte-pr062507c

[endthematrix]

Sorry, this link should give the hi res pic. HERE

[wardaddy]

My great great granddfather was there too at age 15 as a civilian on a wagon team from Smith county trying to deliver supplies. Thomas Raspberry Byrd....fathered 23 kids...buried Carr Methodist Cemetary, Pineville MS

that is why I used the word “continue”....to send them to slaughter.....better to siege rather than waste men....Grant was often accused of wasting men..not really fair...in Heohling’s book, it talks about Grant not wanting to bomb the populace but torn tween that and wasting his men more.....so...47 days of bombarding civilians and troops...those who had not left when given the chance