Two Artifacts Related Through History

[CW Watch & Sword Guy]

The artifacts in question are a watch that Lt. Colonel John Hodges Jr. of the 59th Massachusetts Infantry was wearing when he was KIA during the Battle of the Crater on July 30, 1864, and the sword of Major (soon to be Lt. Colonel) Joseph Colburn, who took command of the 59th when Hodges fell. It was in all probability Lt. Col. Colburn who sent the letter to John's brother, Captain Thorndike Hodges of the 35th USCT, with which the watch was enclosed, informing Thorndike of John's death. All the details and much more about all three men and their careers is included in the attached pdf.

 

[CW Watch & Sword Guy]

The artifacts in question are a watch that Lt. Colonel John Hodges Jr. of the 59th Massachusetts Infantry was wearing when he was KIA during the Battle of the Crater on July 30, 1864, and the sword of Major (soon to be Lt. Colonel) Joseph Colburn, who took command of the 59th when Hodges fell. It was in all probability Lt. Col. Colburn who sent the letter to John's brother, Captain Thorndike Hodges of the 35th USCT, with which the watch was enclosed, informing Thorndike of John's death. All the details and much more about all three men and their careers is included in the attached pdf.

Follow up: The Massachusetts Historical Society's reference librarian found a "Warren Base Ball Club," which was founded in Roxbury in 1858! I'd give 10:1 odds that was the organization, identified as "W.B.B.C." on the scabbard inscription, that presented Major Colburn's sword to him. I have contacted the Roxbury Historical Society to see if I can confirm that Colburn was a member. I am guessing that the W.B.B.C. was named for the same Revolutionary War hero, General Joseph Warren, after which the Warren Manufacturing Company of Roxbury, the immediate predecessor of the Boston Watch Company, also was named. (Roxbury became part of Boston in 1868.) There is a Warren Square in Roxbury. Note: Before 1880, "base ball" commonly was two words, rather than one.

 

[CW Watch & Sword Guy]

Based on my most recent acquisition, I should now change the title of this thread to "Three Artifacts Related Through History," as I just bought another sword:

Jacob Parker Gould served as a major in the 13th MA Infantry, where, because of attrition and reassignments in the officer corps, major Gould commanded the regiment at 2nd Bull Run, Thoroughfare Gap, Chantilly, South Mountain, and Antietam. In his report, Gould's C.O. complimented Gould's performance at Antietam, stating, "I would here make especial mention of Major Gould, commanding this [the 13th] regiment. He brought his men well into action, by his gallantry maintained and encouraged them while there, and was among the last to leave the field."

At Gettysburg, the 13th was not under Gould's command, but he was there. On Day 1, the 13th suffered 65% casualties, yet managed to capture 130 Confederate prisoners. Joseph Colburn also was with the 13th at Gettysburg. The 59th MA was formed in April of 1864 with Jacob Parker Gould as Colonel, John Hodges Jr. as Lt. Colonel, and Joseph Colburn as Major. After the first major battle of the Overland Campaign at the Wilderness, Gould was promoted to brigade command and Hodges took command of the 59th. At the Battle of the Crater on July 30, 1864, Gould was mortally wounded and died of a ruptured blood vessel three weeks later, and Hodges was KIA from shrapnel from an exploding rebel shell. Major Colburn took command of the regiment when Hodges fell. He was promoted to Lt. Colonel shortly after and he continued to command the 59th.

As I've previously related, Lt. Col. Hodges's pocket watch was recovered from his dead body and sent to his brother, Captain Thorndike Deland Hodges of the 35th USCT (and formerly of the 35th MA V.I.) This history was documented in the Harvard Memorial Biographies. I have shown John's watch and Major/Lt. Col. Colburn's sword on this thread earlier, but here is Colonel Gould's sword. He was a major in the 13th MA when he received the sword, so one might have expected to see a Model 1850 Field & Staff officers sword with his name on it, rather than a foot officer's sword, but as we know, presentation swords often did not completely conform with regulations.