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PRESENTATION SWORD AND SASH OF "KILLED IN ACTION" CAPTAIN ANDREW STONE 9TH NEW HAMPSHIRE VOLUNTEERS.

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:2,500.00 USD Estimated At:5,000.00 - 8,000.00 USD
PRESENTATION SWORD AND SASH OF  KILLED IN ACTION  CAPTAIN ANDREW STONE 9TH NEW HAMPSHIRE VOLUNTEERS.
This sword orig was sold along with sash and Capt. Stones stencil kit in a Dunbarton, New Hampshire estate sale in 1986. Also accompanying the sword is a handwritten roster of men who donated funds for another sword. The roster reads "We the undersigned hereby agree to subscribe and pay the sums placed opposite our names for the purpose of presenting Capt. Stone with a suitable token of our regard". As can be seen on this document just over $100.00 was pledged with the largest donation of $25.00 made by the proprietor of the local hotel, soldiers donated between $2.00 and $10.00 and most of these sums are marked paid in the margins, by whomever was collecting funds, it would be interesting to see if this sword was purchased prior to Stones death when he was killed at the battle of Spotsylvania on May 20th 1864. The presented sword reads "Presented to Capt. A.J. Stone by the members of Company F 9th Regiment NHV. August 14th 1862". This is most likely not the sword mentioned in the document collecting money as this sword was presented by members of Company F 9th Regiment and most of the men donating money were of other New Hampshire regiments on document and $100.00 would have bought a lot fancier sword than this French import offered here. This is still a fine high grade sword, with decorated brass hilt and backstrap with a large panoply of arms with eagle sitting on shield in center of the guard, with polished steel scabbard with raised relief florally decorated mounts. Also accompanying this sword is a fine red silk sash, just over 12 feet total length with orig large silk knots. In two frames are found the orig handwritten document of men raising money to buy Capt. Stone "a suitable token of our regard", along with his framed stencil kit which includes a small ink bottle, brush, brass stencil with name "A.J. Stone", cut in script all orig fitted in a small 3" X 2" tin box. Also included in frame is a postally used patriotic envelope commemorating the 9th Regiment New Hampshire Volunteers dated Aug. 28, 1862, a fired Enfield minie-ball and a post Civil War veterans ladder badge for Company F, 9th New Hampshire Volunteer infantry. There is also an accompanying regimental history of the 9th New Hampshire written by William Marvel in 1988 in which Capt. Stone is mentioned numerous times and a war time photograph of his is shown. The 9th New Hampshire had 68 men killed and 200 wounded between May 12-May 18, 1864 with Capt. Stone among these massive casualties. One compatriot cited in this biography, Herman Clement, wrote that after he found Stone in a field hospital, Stone asked him "How is the fight going? How many of my men were killed?" Clement goes on to state that Capt. Stone's wound was turning black and when they arrived at Fredricksburg hospital on May 20th, he died at 8:00 that evening. Clement dug Capt. Stones' grave alone in Fredricksburg, and laid him to rest in a blanket, and makes clear in his writing that "This was not the dignified burial that Stone deserved". CONDITION: Sword overall is in very good condition with fairly bright blade retaining much of its orig frost and complete etched patriotic panels. The French maker at Klingenthal is marked on spine of blade. There is a large bend in scabbard, about 10" from end that has never been repaired. Sword still fits in and out of scabbard with no problem, but damage maybe from the time Capt. Stone was mortally wounded. 4-47521 JS25