Collection Identified Confederate Sword (long post)

[scooter748driver]

A while ago I asked whether it would be better to have a wide range of "average" items in a collection or a few "unique" ones. While I haven't figured out the answer to that question, I was fortunate enough to acquire at least one unique item - a pre-war foot officers sword identified to Confederate Captain John H. Stegin, founder of the German Volunteers of Savannah, Georgia.

John Stegin was born in Hamburg, Germany and immigrated to this country arriving in New York in October of 1832. After living in Charleston, South Carolina and running a grocery business there for several years he moved to Savannah, Georgia. In 1846 he organized the German Volunteers and commanded the unit until the outbreak of the Civil War.

In 1861 the German Volunteers were mustered into Confederate service as company I of Olmstead's 1st Georgia infantry regiment. Captain Stegin and the German Volunteers were assigned as part of the defense of Fort Pulaski east of Savannah.

Fort Pulaski, a large masonry fort on Cockspur Island was a key part and vital to the defense of Savannah. The fort was attacked and under siege in April of 1862. The fort at one time was thought to be impregnable but the south wall was finally breached by concentrated mortar and rifled cannon fire from Union batteries on Tybee Island and the fort was surrendered. During this action Captain Stegin was wounded and captured. He was imprisoned at Fort Columbus on Governor's island in New York harbor until his exchange on November 10, 1862.

The sword is from the collection of the late Paul Blatener who was a charter member of the Coastal Empire History Hunters Association and the Savannah Archeological Club and was a co-founder and first curator of the Great Savannah Exposition, now called the Savannah History Museum. In the 1970's Mr. Blatner purchased this sword from descendants of Captain Stegin.

Although I do not see any manufacturer markings, the sword was reported to be made by Horstman of Philadelphia. It has sharkskin grips and scabbard, and a pommel cap design usually found on model 1852 Naval swords. The blade is nicely etched and has the Gothic letters GV for German Volunteers. It is supposed that this design was done by Horstman to dress it up and make a little bit fancier.

The sword is pictured in Relics of the Coastal Empire: The Civil War Years on page 74, and in Civil War Relics from Georgia on page 14.

While certainly not a sword belonging to a famous or high ranking Confederate, I am thrilled and consider myself very fortunate to be the caretaker of this sword that belonged to an officer who served honorably defending the Confederacy.

This is the most unique item in my growing collection. As such I've probably posted way too many pictures of it. I trust you'll forgive my exuberance.

PORTRAIT ALLEGED TO BE CAPTAIN JOHN H. STEGIN (not confirmed)

BLADE ETCHING

BLADE ETCHING

BLADE ETCHING

GOTHIC G V FOR GERMAN VOLUNTEERS

SHARKSKIN GRIP

POMMEL CAP LIKE THAT OF MODEL 1852 NAVAL SWORD

AS SHOWN IN RELICS OF THE COASTAL EMPIRE

AS SHOWN IN CIVIL WAR RELICS FROM GEORGIA

DRAWING OF FORT PULASKI

FORT PULASKI UNDER BOMBARDMENT (illustration from French newspaper)

NEWSPAPER DRAWING OF FORT PULASKI OFFICERS SURRENDERING THEIR SWORDS

GERMAN VOLUNTEERS CIRCA 1880 SAVANNAH

 

[lelliott19]

Wow. That's a beautiful sword! Of course, I love it because of the GA connection.

Daily Morning News. (Savannah, Ga.), April 18, 1861, page 2.

The Savannah Daily Republican. (Savannah, Ga.), June 21, 1861, page 2.

Reprinted from Savannah Republican in The Rome Weekly Courier. (Rome, Ga.), April 18, 1862, page 2.

<Muster Roll of the Wise Guards omitted>

Georgia Journal and Messenger. (Macon, Ga.), April 23, 1862, page 3.

There's lots more about Captain Stegin. Let me know if there's anything specific you'd like me to search for.

 

[Cavalier]

@scooter748driver Very nice! And there can't be too many pictures of something like that in my humble opinion. Thanks

John

 

[lelliott19]

While certainly not a sword belonging to a famous or high ranking Confederate, I am thrilled and consider myself very fortunate to be the caretaker of this sword that belonged to an officer who served honorably defending the Confederacy.

This is the most unique item in my growing collection.

These articles will perhaps be of interest?

A Friend of the Family. (Savannah, Ga.), June 29, 1850, page 3.

Daily Morning News. (Savannah, Ga.), July 06, 1850, page 2.

And this one where Capt Stegin was quoted posthumously

Savannah Morning News. (Savannah, Ga.), May 09, 1877, page 3.

 

[lelliott19]

The description of the monument ceremony at Laurel Grove Cemetery (Savannah GA)

The Morning News. (Savannah, Ga.), April 27, 1893, page 8.

 

[scooter748driver]

@lelliott19 thank you for those articles! I've only ever seen the one summarizing the surrender of Fort Pulaski before. The ones referencing Captain Stegin before the war and especially the presentation of the sword are wonderful! Where did you find them? I'll need to print or save them to keep with this sword.

Anything you can find on him is of great interest and I would greatly appreciate it! If easier to send to me via PM please do so, or I'm happy to message you my email if you'd prefer to email anything you find.

 

[R. Porter]

Well, if your sword's original owner wasn't famous before, after having his sword published twice and a number of contemporary articles collected to appear here on CivilWarTalk, he is now! One of the benefits of this site is that you can keep history from being lost.

 

[UCVRelics]

Awesome addition to your collection. Thanks for sharing it with us.

 

[lelliott19]

Although I do not see any manufacturer markings, the sword was reported to be made by Horstman of Philadelphia. It has sharkskin grips and scabbard, and a pommel cap design usually found on model 1852 Naval swords. The blade is nicely etched and has the Gothic letters GV for German Volunteers. It is supposed that this design was done by Horstman to dress it up and make a little bit fancier.

The newspaper articles describe a sword presented to Captain Stegin on July 4, 1850. I don't know enough about swords to know what model your sword is. If this basic model was produced in, or prior to, 1850, then that supports the presentation described in the newspaper as being the date that Captain Stegin received the sword.

Is it possible that the sword was purchased plain and the etching was done locally? Which might explain the absence of manufacturer markings? If it was taken apart to be etched, then the pommel cap might have been replaced at the same time? I've said this lots of times before, but I wish I knew more about swords. Hopefully someone who does can answer these questions. @ucvrelics @gjpratt

 

[Story]

Plot twist - was it dad's sword or his son's?
And if the son was the wartime company commander, what was dad doing during those four years?​

John H Stegin

Capt John H Stegin (1804-1876) - Find a Grave...

Founder of the German volunteers of Savannah, GA 1845

www.findagrave.com

John H Stegin Jr

John H Stegin Jr. (1838-1875) - Find a Grave...

Name: STEGIN, JOHN H., JR. Cemetery: LAUREL GROVE NORTH Section: 0 Block: 0 Lot: 250 Death Date: 02/16/1875 Burial Date: 02/17/1875 Age: 36 YRS 10 MOS

www.findagrave.com

 

[scooter748driver]

I would think the sword belonged to the father/senior Stegin and that he was the wartime commander as the son would have been 8 years old when the German Volunteers were formed. Based on the information I have plus the information from the books, etc. I am confident that this sword belonged to the senior. However, if you have facts that might suggest otherwise I'd be very interested. Thanks.

 

[Michael W.]

I don't care what else you add to your collection. Having an identified Confederate officer's sword, that's hard to beat.
Pretty awesome acquisition, thanks for sharing.

 

[lelliott19]

nything you can find on him is of great interest and I would greatly appreciate it! If easier to send to me via PM please do so, or I'm happy to message you my email if you'd prefer to email anything you find.

I took the liberty of compiling the articles and adding some more. Attached, please find a PDF document including clean copies of the articles I provided above -- as well as additional ones.

There's a really interesting one about a meeting of the "German inhabitants of the city of Savannah" held on May 15, 1861 at Armory Hall (Savannah, GA.) You'll probably want to take a look at that to get an idea of the inclination of the German population in Savannah.

Here's an excerpt.

The Savannah Daily Republican. (Savannah, Ga.), May 17, 1861, page 2.

 

[scooter748driver]

That's great! Thank you so much! The more I read the more connected I feel.

 

[Richard E. Schenk]

The newspaper articles describe a sword presented to Captain Stegin on July 4, 1850. I don't know enough about swords to know what model your sword is. If this basic model was produced in, or prior to, 1850, then that supports the presentation described in the newspaper as being the date that Captain Stegin received the sword.

Is it possible that the sword was purchased plain and the etching was done locally? Which might explain the absence of manufacturer markings? If it was taken apart to be etched, then the pommel cap might have been replaced at the same time? I've said this lots of times before, but I wish I knew more about swords. Hopefully someone who does can answer these questions. @ucvrelics @gjpratt

I doubt the sword presented to Capt Stegin on 4 July 1850 was a M1850 foot officer's sword. Although adopted on 9 April 1850, the earliest Ames had completed swords was in October and the earliest delivery to the Army was in early 1851. The Naval-style pommel on Capt Stegin's sword was adopted in 1852. It is likely Capt Sregin purchased the new-style sword sometime after the promulgation on the Uniform Regulation of 1851 made it standard. Perhaps he kept the sword he was presented on 4 July 1850 for special occasions.

The supposition Capt Stegin's sword was made by Horstmann is supported by the use of oak leave decoration on the pommel. Almost all other makers of M1850s used laurel leaves.

 

[R. Porter]

I doubt the sword presented to Capt Stegin on 4 July 1850 was a M1850 foot officer's sword. Although adopted on 9 April 1850, the earliest Ames had completed swords was in October and the earliest delivery to the Army was in early 1851. The Naval-style pommel on Capt Stegin's sword was adopted in 1852. It is likely Capt Sregin purchased the new-style sword sometime after the promulgation on the Uniform Regulation of 1851 made it standard. Perhaps he kept the sword he was presented on 4 July 1850 for special occasions.

The supposition Capt Stegin's sword was made by Horstmann is supported by the use of oak leave decoration on the pommel. Almost all other makers of M1850s used laurel leaves.

It's nice to get tips on differentiating M 1850 officer swords. Thillmann indicates that there are so many different makers and assemblers that he doesn't try to show them all; only a representative sample.

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

I doubt the sword presented to Capt Stegin on 4 July 1850 was a M1850 foot officer's sword. Although adopted on 9 April 1850, the earliest Ames had completed swords was in October and the earliest delivery to the Army was in early 1851. The Naval-style pommel on Capt Stegin's sword was adopted in 1852. It is likely Capt Sregin purchased the new-style sword sometime after the promulgation on the Uniform Regulation of 1851 made it standard. Perhaps he kept the sword he was presented on 4 July 1850 for special occasions.

The supposition Capt Stegin's sword was made by Horstmann is supported by the use of oak leave decoration on the pommel. Almost all other makers of M1850s used laurel leaves.

I'm just an amateur here, but when I first saw that sword, I was sure it was an Ames sword. So that I can understand better, you don't think it is? Would the Springfield Amory in Springfield, Mass know by looking at the pictures. I have an Ames Civil War foot officer's sword dated, I believe from my memory 1861 and there is so much here that looks similar except the scabbard on this one looks like sharkskin, just like the handle. I didn't know they would make a scabbard out of sharkskin. Please explain.

 

[Story]

I would think the sword belonged to the father/senior Stegin and that he was the wartime commander as the son would have been 8 years old when the German Volunteers were formed. Based on the information I have plus the information from the books, etc. I am confident that this sword belonged to the senior. However, if you have facts that might suggest otherwise I'd be very interested. Thanks.

What about the information you do not have?

Unless the sword has a date inscription, know one knows *when* it was made.

 

[scooter748driver]

Looking through old newspaper articles on the German Volunteers, I found this from May 1853. Makes me think that the portrait I posted above might actually be of Captain Stegin after all. More research is needed.

Edited to add: a search shows that Peter Laurens was a Savannah artist/portrait painter who was born circa 1787. He painted the portrait of Mary Marshall in 1830 (she was the founder of The Marshall House in Savannah) among many others. Still researching but welcome any information anyone digs up or runs across.

 

[scooter748driver]

I'm just an amateur here, but when I first saw that sword, I was sure it was an Ames sword. So that I can understand better, you don't think it is? Would the Springfield Amory in Springfield, Mass know by looking at the pictures. I have an Ames Civil War foot officer's sword dated, I believe from my memory 1861 and there is so much here that looks similar except the scabbard on this one looks like sharkskin, just like the handle. I didn't know they would make a scabbard out of sharkskin. Please explain.

My understanding (which is very rudimentary) is that swords could be ordered in a variety of styles, finishes, etc. I suppose that this one was ordered with some "non-standard" features such as shark skin grip & scabbard, naval style pommel, etc. to make it different or unique. Without knowing who ordered it, when and why, etc I don't think we'll ever know why it's the way it is. There are many styles of swords that are "one offs" or whatever that were special ordered for individuals.

I'm intrigued by the comment about the oak leaves vs. laurels being an indicator of the sword being made (or at least assembled by) Horstmann. I need to read more about that.