The sword and trunk used by Union Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman during the Civil War are going to auction at Fleischer’s Auctions on Tuesday.
Sherman is best known for torching Atlanta in 1864 and marching his troops from inland Georgia to the state’s Atlantic coast in the “March to the Sea,” which culminated in the taking of Savannah.
The sword and trunk were passed down to his descendants, starting with his daughter Maria Fitch, and are only now being put up for sale.
Sherman used the sword, a rare variant of cavalry saber with a 30.5-inch blade until he succeeded future President Ulysses S. Grant as the commander of the war’s western theater. According to the lot listing, it saw use in the Battle of Shiloh and other engagements before 1864.
The current bid on the items is $31,000, though Fleischer’s Auctions estimates they will eventually command a final price between $40,000 and $60,000.
The other Sherman memorabilia being sold Tuesday include his rank insignia, the Sherman family bible, and the general’s personal copy of “Photographic Views of Sherman’s Campaign,” the definitive photo record of his “March to the Sea.”
The entire Sherman collection being sold could fetch as much as $300,000, belying Sherman’s importance to American history.
“As Americans, we live with the consequences of the Civil War whether we know it or not, and if you remove William Tecumseh Sherman from history, the war could have ended very differently,” Fleischer’s Auctions President Adam Fleischer told the Associated Press.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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