Cased presentation sword given to Union general Alpheus Williams
Poulin Antiques & Auctions, Inc.
A splendid bestowal for a popular commander
The Artifact
Cased presentation sword given to Union general Alpheus Williams
Condition
The double-sided blade’s etched panels retain most of their original polish and luster, with small areas of staining and pitting. The hilt and scabbard maintain virtually all their original gilt, which will sparkle if cleaned, and the guard is slightly loose. The sash is complete and sound, the sword belt is complete but has breaks in both straps, and the regulation general’s sword knot and hat cord are both sound and complete, though the gilding has dulled.
Details
At the outbreak of the Civil War, Alpheus Williams, 50, helped train the first volunteers in Michigan, where he had held a variety of occupations, from probate judge to bank president to newspaper editor. He had come to Detroit from Connecticut in 1836, and had gained military experience with Michigan’s prewar militia. In May 1861, he was promoted to brigadier general and assigned to the Army of the Potomac. The following March, Williams assumed command of a division in that army’s V Corps, which was transferred to the Shenandoah Valley to oppose Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson’s troops, then to John Pope’s Army of Virginia, then rejoined the Army of the Potomac as part of its XII Corps. Williams’ division saw action at Antietam, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg, where he and his troops performed admirably; along the way, his men—who affectionately referred to him as “Pap” for his fatherly qualities—presented him with the cased presentation sword shown here, made by Bailey & Co. of Philadelphia. In the fall of 1863, Williams’ command was transferred again, this time west, where it became part of the newly formed XX Corps, which participated in both the Atlanta Campaign and the March to the Sea. Toward war’s end, Williams received a brevet promotion to major general. He returned to Michigan after leaving the army in 1866, served as U.S. minister to San Salvador until 1869, and in 1874 was elected to Congress. He was in the U.S. Capitol Building in 1878 when he suffered a stroke and died at 68.
Quotable
Williams wrote his daughter on January 27, 1863, to inform her about an unexpected gift. “[S]ome sixty officers … received me with a very flattering speech, opened the box, and took out a most magnificent sword and a belt and sash…. I was so taken by surprise, so affected by the manner in the mode the testimonial was made, so filled with recollections of the past several months that this gallant brigade has been under my command, of the many changes that death has made, that I fairly broke down and for the 2nd time since I have been in service, tears flowed freely. You can hardly realize how attached I have become … [to] many of these officers who have been with me through so many trials…. Of course it makes me very happy to know how they love me, as I know they do, sincerely. The sword is the most gorgeous thing I have seen, costing nearly $400.”
Price
$44,062 (realized at Fairfield, Maine, in December 2020). “The sword’s raised relief and engraved embellishments are unique—as all Bailey custom-made swords are one-of-a kind—and this example is among the very best of their Civil War swords,” a representative of Poulin Antiques & Auctions Inc. noted at the time. “Most high-grade Baileys are in museums today.”
