My family on both my mother and father's side served in the Confederate Army during the war. I had several Grandfathers and Uncles who served in Mississippi Infantry and Cavalry Regiments. One of my Grandfathers was Daniel Sartir/Sartor Johnson who served in the Confederate Cavalry. I have been told and read conflicting information regarding his service. I have seen it written and read in some places that he served in Forrest's Regiment for the entire 4 years of the war, and I have read he joined the war in 1864. He was in the 8th Mississippi Cavalry I believe.
I have read he was captured with Forrest's Regiment at Selma, Alabama, and I have seen his parole papers stating this as well. After the war, my grandfather was a county supervisor in Chickasaw County, Mississippi and he helped write the Mississippi Constitution of 1890. Some of what I am told and read I can confirm, and other things may just be family lore.
My uncle, Daniel Johnson's gggrandson, passed away a couple of months ago. My uncle lived in Colorado, and while I had visited with him on the phone, through email, and at the occasional family get together in Mississippi, I had not been to see him in Colorado since I was a child. I was told many times that my uncle had Daniel Johnson's cavalry swords from the war in his possession. While I always wanted the swords myself, I knew my uncle had two sons of his own and 2 grandsons and I suspected they would inherit the swords upon my uncle's passing.
Well, yesterday I got home from a business trip and my wife told me she had a surprise for me. She presented me with two swords and told me my mother was able to acquire them from my uncle's sons after his passing, and they wanted me to have them. I was completely in shock and I can't believe I have been given these swords. My mother told me she remembers the swords being in the possession of her grandfather when she was a child. She remembers my grandfather, her father, inheriting the swords and them being in his possession until his passing, at which time my uncle took possession of the swords. My mother says she remembers the swords very clearly, and the swords I have are definitely the swords that have been passed through my family. With that said, while I am extremely grateful and very very happy to have these swords, I am not sure they were ever carried by my Confederate Cavalryman Grandfather.
One of the swords has a very weathered, aged dark blade. The blade is in great shape, but it definitely has the patina my completely untrained eye would expect of a sword of that era. It is marked with the Ames stamp on one side, and U.S. 1864 on the other side. The sword also has a pommel that is slightly different from the typical cavalry sword that I have seen of that era. The other sword appears to have been cleaned/polished at some point. The blade is very shiny, but shows signs of previous slight pitting maybe. This blade is marked with a very faint makers mark on one side and what appears to be a U.S. J.M. 1864 on the other side. I think the part of me that wants to believe these are the swords my family member carried in the war thinks the U.S. on this blade could actually be a C.S. that has been weathered or polished off, but I realize it probably actually says U.S. on the blade. My mother says she remembers the swords being in the scabbards when she was younger, but she says my uncle hung the swords on the wall of his home without the scabbards, and no one knows what has become of either scabbard.
I am hoping you all can answer some questions for me about the swords. Is it possible these swords were carried by a Confederate Cavalryman during the war? I suppose the swords could have been captured or taken from dead union soldiers maybe? Since I know my grandfather was captured at Selma, and from what I read that was the end of the war for him, would he have been allowed to keep his sword or swords after surrendering? I would think not, but I don't know. What I believe the likely answer to my questions about the origin of the swords may be is my Grandfather, who was active in reunions and Confederate Veteran groups, bought swords to replace the swords he lost in the war, and these are probably those swords. I would think he would want a sword to have when he dressed up for reunions, if he was going to wear his uniform. I guess it is also possible that some family member bought both swords at a yard sale in the early 1900's. Either way, I am happy to have these family heirlooms. I know they have been in family for at least several generations, and that makes them very special to me.
I am attaching links to some information I have about my grandfather, Daniel S. Johnson, as well as photos of the swords. I took these photos last night, and if needed I can take more later today. Thanks in advance for any information you may be able to provide.
http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi/pages.suddenlink.net/</fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=58615130
https://books.google.com/books?id=gDBEAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA107&lpg=PA107&dq=daniel+s.+johnson+chickasaw+confederate&source=bl&ots=0NFB3GNmXW&sig=Y0w6sdeJJ_0Q2sFFvkNPZrfYNOs&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwicqIzCxufQAhXISCYKHcf9ASIQ6AEINjAF#v=onepage&q=daniel s. johnson chickasaw confederate&f=false
I have read he was captured with Forrest's Regiment at Selma, Alabama, and I have seen his parole papers stating this as well. After the war, my grandfather was a county supervisor in Chickasaw County, Mississippi and he helped write the Mississippi Constitution of 1890. Some of what I am told and read I can confirm, and other things may just be family lore.
My uncle, Daniel Johnson's gggrandson, passed away a couple of months ago. My uncle lived in Colorado, and while I had visited with him on the phone, through email, and at the occasional family get together in Mississippi, I had not been to see him in Colorado since I was a child. I was told many times that my uncle had Daniel Johnson's cavalry swords from the war in his possession. While I always wanted the swords myself, I knew my uncle had two sons of his own and 2 grandsons and I suspected they would inherit the swords upon my uncle's passing.
Well, yesterday I got home from a business trip and my wife told me she had a surprise for me. She presented me with two swords and told me my mother was able to acquire them from my uncle's sons after his passing, and they wanted me to have them. I was completely in shock and I can't believe I have been given these swords. My mother told me she remembers the swords being in the possession of her grandfather when she was a child. She remembers my grandfather, her father, inheriting the swords and them being in his possession until his passing, at which time my uncle took possession of the swords. My mother says she remembers the swords very clearly, and the swords I have are definitely the swords that have been passed through my family. With that said, while I am extremely grateful and very very happy to have these swords, I am not sure they were ever carried by my Confederate Cavalryman Grandfather.
One of the swords has a very weathered, aged dark blade. The blade is in great shape, but it definitely has the patina my completely untrained eye would expect of a sword of that era. It is marked with the Ames stamp on one side, and U.S. 1864 on the other side. The sword also has a pommel that is slightly different from the typical cavalry sword that I have seen of that era. The other sword appears to have been cleaned/polished at some point. The blade is very shiny, but shows signs of previous slight pitting maybe. This blade is marked with a very faint makers mark on one side and what appears to be a U.S. J.M. 1864 on the other side. I think the part of me that wants to believe these are the swords my family member carried in the war thinks the U.S. on this blade could actually be a C.S. that has been weathered or polished off, but I realize it probably actually says U.S. on the blade. My mother says she remembers the swords being in the scabbards when she was younger, but she says my uncle hung the swords on the wall of his home without the scabbards, and no one knows what has become of either scabbard.
I am hoping you all can answer some questions for me about the swords. Is it possible these swords were carried by a Confederate Cavalryman during the war? I suppose the swords could have been captured or taken from dead union soldiers maybe? Since I know my grandfather was captured at Selma, and from what I read that was the end of the war for him, would he have been allowed to keep his sword or swords after surrendering? I would think not, but I don't know. What I believe the likely answer to my questions about the origin of the swords may be is my Grandfather, who was active in reunions and Confederate Veteran groups, bought swords to replace the swords he lost in the war, and these are probably those swords. I would think he would want a sword to have when he dressed up for reunions, if he was going to wear his uniform. I guess it is also possible that some family member bought both swords at a yard sale in the early 1900's. Either way, I am happy to have these family heirlooms. I know they have been in family for at least several generations, and that makes them very special to me.
I am attaching links to some information I have about my grandfather, Daniel S. Johnson, as well as photos of the swords. I took these photos last night, and if needed I can take more later today. Thanks in advance for any information you may be able to provide.
http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi/pages.suddenlink.net/</fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=58615130
https://books.google.com/books?id=gDBEAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA107&lpg=PA107&dq=daniel+s.+johnson+chickasaw+confederate&source=bl&ots=0NFB3GNmXW&sig=Y0w6sdeJJ_0Q2sFFvkNPZrfYNOs&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwicqIzCxufQAhXISCYKHcf9ASIQ6AEINjAF#v=onepage&q=daniel s. johnson chickasaw confederate&f=false