Arms, Armor and Militaria

Archive, likely at least partially assembled by Mr. Beard which includes a Mobile, AL etched blade Confederate Staff & Field Officer's sword, possibly by James Conning or Jacob Fraser, with the legend Co K 35th Regt/Miss Vols etched in the presentation panel on the obverse, its brass mounted leather scabbard, a Leech & Rigdon folded and sewn sword belt with two-piece "CS" tongue and wreath sword belt plate (Mullinax 047), a US cap pouch, a flap holster and a Colt Model 1851 Navy Revolver. This grouping was displayed by Mr. Beard at Civil War shows as being attributed to Colonel William Taylor Sullivan Barry of the 35th Mississippi Infantry, but it is unclear where this attribution originated, particularly as the sword is etched "Co K", which may have been misinterpreted to read "Col". More likely this sword was owned by Captain R.H. Shotwell, the original commanding officer of Company K of the 35th Mississippi, who would go on to become the Lt. Colonel of the regiment and command it during part of the Atlanta Campaign.

The Mobile produced sword has a slightly curved, single-edged 29.25" blade with a nominally 22" unstopped median fuller. The blade features nominally 18" etched panels on each side with flowing foliate patterns and the presentation noted above. The sand cast brass hilt is decorated with flowing foliate themes on the face of the guard, as well as the letters CS and has a simple grooved knuckle bow. The grip is of grooved polished wood with fourteen wraps of twisted wire. A blackened buff leather sword knot is attached to the guard. The sword is accompanied by a brass mounted leather scabbard with a central rear seam with the throat attached by two pins on the reverse. Suspension rings are attached to the upper and middle mounts. Included in the grouping are a folded and sewn leather belt attributed to Leech & Rigdon with a two-piece sand cast CS tongue and wreath plate (Mullinax #047) which has a US cap pouch marked DINGEE & LORIGAN/MAKERS/NEW YORK attached to it, along with a flap holster for a Colt Navy revolver. A civilian Colt Model 1851 Navy Revolver is also included with the archive. The revolver is .36 caliber with a 7.5" octagonal barrel and is serial number 125278, indicating production in 1862. The revolver retains no finish, has the standard one-line New York address of that period and all visible serial numbers match. The wedge and wedge screw are replacements, as is the loading lever retention screw. The initials RM are scratched into the butt of the revolver.

Ruben Henley Shotwell (1830-1910) was born in Huntsville, AL and prior to the war worked as a farmer, a grocer and dried goods retailer. In 1861 he was living in Mobile, AL working as a partner in Shotwell, Curry & Co. grocers. He joined the 35th Mississippi Infantry in West Point, MS in March of 1862 and was commissioned the Captain of the Company K in April. Shotwell's pre-war ties to the Mobile, AL business community suggest that he probably knew both Conning and Fraser and explain a Mobile-made sword for a Mississippi infantry company commander. The 35th Mississippi was engaged in the Battle of Corinth in October 1862 and Shotwell was wounded and captured at that time. He was subsequently paroled and rejoined his command, only to be captured again when the entire Vicksburg garrison was surrendered on July 4, 1863. According to at least one obituary, Shotwell was wounded no less than five times in service, although available records only mention two wounds. At the time of the regiment's surrender at Vicksburg Shotwell was listed as being the "acting Major" for the regiment. The 35th Mississippi took part in the Atlanta Campaign during 1864, seeing combat at New Hope Church, Kennesaw Mountain and during the Battle of Atlanta itself. By the time that campaign began, Shotwell was serving as the Lt. Colonel for the regiment, with the commission dating to August of 1863, likely coinciding with the parole from the Vicksburg capture. Shotwell served as the regimental commander for at least part of the campaign, after Colonel Barry was wounded at Altoona. The regiment then returned to Tennessee with the balance of Hood's army, and saw fighting at the Battles of Franklin and Nashville. Shotwell was wounded at Nashville with a gunshot wound to the left thigh. The regiment was captured a final time at Fort Blakely, near Mobile on April 9, 1865 and was formally surrendered on May 4 in Cintronelle, AL. After the war, Shotwell initially retuned to West Point, MS where he worked as both a farmer and dry goods proprietor. He married in 1868 and eventually relocated to St. Louis where he worked as a clerk in the elections office. Shotwell died in St. Louis on August 17, 1910 at the age of 87 and was buried in Florence, AL where his wife Rebecca had previously been interred.