August Willich's Sword

[LostGettysburgAddress]

Is anyone aware of the present location of Union General August Willich's sword? It was reportedly taken from him when he was captured at Stones River and is inscribed: "Presented to General August Willich" The sword was in a local museum at Lookout Mountain as late as 1890.

I am writing Willich's biography and would like to have a photograph of this item suitable for publication if possible. Thanks.

 

[diane]

I don't know where his sword is, but a biography of August Willich would be most welcome! He did well in a fight. My favorite was when he arrived late at Chickamauga and was afraid he'd missed the fight altogether. "Ver ist dem Gott tem rebels?!?" he hollered.

 

[James N.]

... I am writing Willich's biography and would like to have a photograph of this item suitable for publication if possible. Thanks.

I hope your illustrations will contain a drawing of Willich I remember seeing somewhere showing him standing in shirtsleeves in camp wearing either leather trousers or ones with leather inserts that may be being polished by his manservant! I guess I remember it because it was striking, but silly looking!

 

[WJC]

Is anyone aware of the present location of Union General August Willich's sword? It was reportedly taken from him when he was captured at Stones River and is inscribed: "Presented to General August Willich" The sword was in a local museum at Lookout Mountain as late as 1890.

I am writing Willich's biography and would like to have a photograph of this item suitable for publication if possible. Thanks.

Looking forward to your book. Willich is underappreciated....

 

[LostGettysburgAddress]

Just a follow up here. Willich's sword is on display at Chickamauga National Military Park visitor center. Jim Ogden gave me a good lead on its provenance and I will try to find out where it came from. Some sources say he lost it on a battlefield. If so, this may have been when he was captured at Stones River.

Today I viewed a rare pamphlet at the Newberry Library by an unknown author, written shortly after the battle of Chickamauga, titled Willich at Chickamauga. The writer appears to have been a newspaper reporter embedded in Willich's brigade. If you know of anyone who is an expert on the topic of newspaper reporters in the Army of the Cumberland, I would love to speak with him or her.

 

[Specster]

Old Testament....."Time and chance happens to all". Was at an auction which was taking place every 2 weeks and was looking for miliratria and I didnt have much experience. there was a bible which was embossed with something like "A gift to Winfield Scott". - I took no interest and the Bible sold for $50.......It is often hard to understand what is unique and valuable and what is fake and junk....yet I often think about that Bible....

In saying so i do not mean to belittle the contributions of Union General August Willich or Thomas (The Real" Rock")

 

[Bruce Vail]

Just a follow up here. Willich's sword is on display at Chickamauga National Military Park visitor center. Jim Ogden gave me a good lead on its provenance and I will try to find out where it came from. Some sources say he lost it on a battlefield. If so, this may have been when he was captured at Stones River.

Today I viewed a rare pamphlet at the Newberry Library by an unknown author, written shortly after the battle of Chickamauga, titled Willich at Chickamauga. The writer appears to have been a newspaper reporter embedded in Willich's brigade. If you know of anyone who is an expert on the topic of newspaper reporters in the Army of the Cumberland, I would love to speak with him or her.

I'm no expert on anything, but I would be fascinated to see an electronic facsimile of the pamphlet. Can you provide?

There is a small museum in honor of Civil War newspaper correspondents in Crampton's Gap, Md. Have you checked there?

Also, DC's "Newsuem" lives on this kind of historical anecdote. I'd check there too.

Best,
Bruce

 

[Bruce Vail]

 

[James N.]

... Today I viewed a rare pamphlet at the Newberry Library by an unknown author, written shortly after the battle of Chickamauga, titled Willich at Chickamauga. The writer appears to have been a newspaper reporter embedded in Willich's brigade. If you know of anyone who is an expert on the topic of newspaper reporters in the Army of the Cumberland, I would love to speak with him or her.

They didn't DO stuff like that back then - however, it was not at all uncommon for members of any unit to routinely send home letters that were written in such a way that they were obviously intended for publication by their local hometown newspapers, and sometimes these accounts wound up getting copied by papers with wider circulation. Usually when this happened, there was NO compensation for the writers other than the satisfaction of seeing their names or pseudonyms in print!

 

[Bruce Vail]

They didn't DO stuff like that back then - however, it was not at all uncommon for members of any unit to routinely send home letters that were written in such a way that they were obviously intended for publication by their local hometown newspapers, and sometimes these accounts wound up getting copied by papers with wider circulation. Usually when this happened, there was NO compensation for the writers other than the satisfaction of seeing their names or pseudonyms in print!

Yes, something like that took place in the 3rd NC Infantry Regiment (CSA). Assistant Surgeon Thomas Wood would write detailed accounts of the unit's activities and provide to one of the local papers in his home town of Wilmington. (Most of the officers and men in the regiment had been recruited in Wilmington or one of the neighboring counties.)

Versions of of these accounts appear in the book "Doctor To The Front," which is a collection or Dr. Wood's writings about his Civil War years.

 

[LostGettysburgAddress]

Thanks guys. It would be more interesting if the man was a solider. David Powell has seen it, but the pamphlet is undated and unsigned.

 

[LostGettysburgAddress]

I'm no expert on anything, but I would be fascinated to see an electronic facsimile of the pamphlet. Can you provide?

There is a small museum in honor of Civil War newspaper correspondents in Crampton's Gap, Md. Have you checked there?

Also, DC's "Newsuem" lives on this kind of historical anecdote. I'd check there too.

Best,
Bruce

Bruce thanks for the reply and the advice. I can email you the images but there are eight and the jpg files are large. The writer makes it pretty clear that he is a newspaperman, so perhaps "embedded" is anachronistic on my part. Will send you my email address via PM and if you send me an email, I will bounce back with the images when I get to my next hotel.