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LOT 3268
Historic Civil War Clauberg U.S. Model 1850 Staff & Field
Officer’s Sword and Scabbard Presentation Inscribed to
Lieutenant Jerome B. Johnson of the 6th Regiment Wisconsin
Volunteers - The 32 1/4 inch lightly curved blade has patriotic and
martial etching, and the Clauberg maker’s mark is on the left ricasso. The gilt brass hilt includes a eagle head quillon with inlaid stone eyes and silvered brass grip. The iron scabbard has
engraved brass mounts inscribed with “Lieut/J.B. Johnson/Co E 6th Regt/Wis Vol I” on the upper band, “from/his friends of/Fond du Lac/Wis” on the lower band, and “Oct 28th/1862” on
the drag. 1st Lieutenant Jerome B. Johnson of Co. E of the 6th Regiment Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry was presented this sword by his home town of Fond du Lac on October 28th, 1862.
He enlisted on May 10, 1861, as a sergeant and was promoted to 2nd lieutenant on September 18, 1861, and then 1st lieutenant on September 18, 1862. The 6th Regiment was part of
the famous Iron Brigade. Colonels Lysander Cutler and Edward S. Bragg of the 6th later became the brigadier generals that led the Iron Brigade. Johnson is listed in the Wisconsin State
Journal on October 16, 1862, as in the Seminary Hospital with a wound to the thigh. “The History of Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin” from 1880 indicates “Jerome B. Johnson, now Superintendent of
Mails at Milwaukee, was shot through the groin at Bull Run, and lay six days upon the field, without food or attendance. He lived, and, in October, 1862, was able to return to Fond du Lac. But he was
never able to return to his regiment.” Similar statements are made in other Wisconsin history books in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Lieutenant Colonel Edward S. Bragg’s report of September 3, 1862, indicates he was
wounded and taken prisoner at the engagement near Gainesville where the regiment had 504 men engaged and suffered 3 officers wounded, 61 enlisted men wounded, 8 killed, and 3 missing. His obituaries indicated Johnson
was born in Lockport, New York, on January 3, 1832, worked in the Postal Service until c. 1910, and died at the Soldiers’ Home in Milwaukee on January 29, 1912.
CONDITION: Very good with some original gilt finish and otherwise aged patina on the brass hilt and mounts, mostly gray and brown patina on the scabbard body and blade, visible etching, and mild overall wear mostly from age
and storage including some dents and oxidation. The inscriptions are distinct.
Estimate: 3,500 - 5,500
LOT 3269
Historic Silver Hilted Staff
& Field Officers Sword with Scabbard Inscribed to a 1st Lt. William
Pritchard Atwell, a Wisconsin Civil War Officer and Veteran of the
Battle of the Crater - This sword is both historic and attractive and
features a 30 1/2 inch long, curved double fuller blade with the Clauberg
trademark on the left ricasso, panels of scroll etching on each side, “U.S.”
in a panel on the left, American eagle with “E PLURIBUS UNUM” banner on
the reverse, and arrays of arms and flags. The elaborate plated cast brass guard and
pommel have a pierced-through design of an eagle fighting a snake on the guard, scroll engraving on the underside, a
fancy rear quillion, a bust of Columbia on the rear of the pommel along with raised scrollwork, and an engraved silver
grip with engraved brass wire wrap. The brass scabbard is decorated with a fancy scroll pattern drag, raised oak leaf designs on the throat and suspension bands, and the inscription “presented to/1st Lt. William Pritchard Atwell/37
Wisconsin Infantry/13 May 1864/by his friends” between the bands. William Pritchard Atwell (1845-1911) served as 1st Lieutenant of Company G of the 37th Wisconsin which was raised in the Spring of 1864. He was recognize
for gallant and meritorious service before and during the Siege of Petersburg, specifically for his service on July 30, 1864, during the Battle of the Crater. After several grueling weeks of mining, Union forces detonated explosives
under the Confederate defenses creating a massive crater and gap in the enemy lines. Due to political considerations, the black troops specially trained for the assault were replaced by white troops that had not been properly
prepared and were poorly led during the engagement. This resulted in a bloody debacle in which instead of overwhelming the stunned Confederates, Union units delayed and then charged headlong into the crater and came
under hellacious fire from the regrouping Confederates who held the high ground. After the mine explosion, the 37th was tasked with charging to and then occupying the ruined fort under a hail of artillery and rifle fire. The errors
resulted in over 3,000 casualties for the IX Corps, and only 95 of the 250 men of the unit that charged into the battle reported for the roll call that evening. Among those severely wounded was Lt. Atwell. He took a bullet through
his knee that resulted in the amputation of his leg and also had his opposite hip shattered by a shell fragment. He was commissioned as a full captain and also breveted as a major and was later discharged as a result of his wounds.
After recovering, he received a commission in the Army during Reconstruction Era in the 43rd Infantry from January 22, 1867, until his retirement in December of 1870. He then was the consul in charge of the District of Columbia.
He later served as an American consul in Roubaix, France, in the late 1890s and then as consul in Ghent, Belgium, until his death there in 1911. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
CONDITION: Fine with some light to moderate pitting on the blade which is otherwise bright with strong etching. Mild pitting is present on the guard, and the silver grip has a fine attractively aged patina. The scabbard is also very
good and has some light wear and a mixed patina. Overall, this is a very attractive Civil War officer’s sword with a presentation inscription dated to shortly before the man who received it was severely wounded at the historic Battle
of the Crater.
Estimate: 3,000 - 4,500 183