Original Item: One Of A Kind: Beautiful Presentation Grade Model 1860 Staff and Field Officer’s Sword by an unknown firm. Dating the Model 1860 Staff and Field Officer’s Sword is difficult as they were made from 1860-1900. Generally, the best way to date the sword is either by the maker or the blade used on the sword itself. Elliptical double-edged blades are the earliest, which is what our example has.

The blade is handsomely hand engraved, with a federal eagle on the left side of the blade. Military and floral engraved motifs are present on both sides of the blade. On the right side of the blade is etched with the standard “US”.

The Sword hilt and handle is brass, with the handle having a separate brass wrap to mimic the wire used on the leather handled versions. Scabbard is brass finished steel with filigree brass furniture. The scabbard is beautifully hand engraved with the following:

PRESENTED TO JAMES J. BUTLER
COMD’R J.A. RAWLINGS POST No. 80 G.A.R.
BY HIS BROTHERS JAN. 10th 1894

It is our belief that this sword was used during Butler’s military service and then repurposed as his dress sword for when he was commander of his GAR post in Elk Falls, Kansas. The Elk Falls GAR post was active from 1882 - 1895 and 1896 - 1922.

While conducting research for a “James J. Butler” with service in the Civil War, we came up with a few results. We believe that this sword belonged to James J. Butler, born in 1844 and enlisted with the Union Army on June 29, 1863. He is seen mustering on July 20, 1863 in Ohio with Company G of the 11th Ohio Cavalry Regiment. He mustered out of service July 14, 1866 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

This is a very handsome sword which is a must have for the collector of 19th Century U.S. Militaria! Comes ready for display and further research.

Dimensions:
Blade Length: 30”
Overall length: 36 1/4”
Handguard: 5”L x 5”W
Scabbard length: 31"

Grand Army of the Republic

The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Springfield, Illinois, and grew to include hundreds of "posts" (local community units) across the nation (predominantly in the North, but also a few in the South and West). It was dissolved in 1956 at the death of its last member, Albert Woolson (1850–1956) of Duluth, Minnesota.

11th Ohio Cavalry Regiment
The 11th Ohio Cavalry Regiment, known in vernacular as the 11th Ohio Cavalry, was a cavalry regiment raised in the name of the governor of Ohio from several counties in southwest Ohio, serving in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was stationed in the Dakota and Idaho territories on the American frontier to protect travelers and settlers from raids by American Indians.

The first four companies of the regiment were originally raised by Lt. Col. William Oliver Collins as the 7th Ohio Cavalry Regiment, but were later to be consolidated into the 6th Ohio Cavalry Regiment posted at Camp Dennison. Collins refused to redesignate his companies, and to settle the political dispute, they were detached from the 6th in February 1862 to be sent west under the command of Collins, a 52-year-old lawyer from Hillsboro and member of the Ohio Senate. On April 4, 1862, the battalion was ordered to St Louis, Missouri, and during the month of May, marched to Fort Laramie in the Idaho Territory, a prominent post along the Oregon Trail. It was permanently detached from the 6th Ohio Cavalry and designated the 1st Ohio Independent Cavalry Battalion. The battalion located its headquarters at Pacific Springs, Nebraska Territory, assigned to protect travelers and interests along the North Platte and Sweetwater Rivers, and then at South Pass, Idaho Territory, to guard the Overland Mail routes from Julesburg, Colorado, to Green River, Wyoming.

In June 1863, Collins recruited four additional companies at Camp Dennison, including 40 former Confederates enlisted from the prisoner-of-war camp at Camp Chase, who were to be sent west to combine in July with the 1st Independent battalion as the 11th Ohio Cavalry. The additional four companies were activated as a defense against Morgan's Raid in July before being sent to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, at the start of August. Following the burning of Lawrence, Kansas, the battalion was sent after William Quantrill for a short time. Companies E through H arrived at Fort Laramie on October 13. Three more companies (I, K, and L) were formed in 1864 from surplus recruits and men of Companies A through D who did not re-enlist at the expiration of their enlistments.

Companies A through D mustered out April 1, 1865, along with Collins. He was replaced in command by Lt. Col. Thomas L. Mackey, former captain of Company C. Companies E and K, many members who were "Galvanized Yankees", accompanied the column of Brig. Gen. Patrick Edward Connor on the 1865 Powder River Expedition and saw action in the Battle of the Tongue River. The remaining seven companies mustered out July 14, 1866. They were the last volunteer troops from Ohio in service.

The 11th Ohio Cavalry suffered three officers and 20 enlisted men killed in action, and one officer and 60 enlisted men died from disease.