High-grade, captured Tennessee Confederate Staff and Field officer’s sword, identified to Captain John B. Galloway of the 9th Tennessee Cavalry.

Once in the collection of well-known collector and author Steve Mullinax, the example offered here is one of the finest extant Staff and Field officer swords attributed to the College Hill Arsenal, located in Nashville, Tennessee. The sword’s blade features an etched, billowing Confederate flag, the initials “C.S.A,” typical embellishments, and “Lt. J.B. Galloway.” Elements of the sword’s production mark it definitively as a College Hill Arsenal product; Its condition overall is exceptional. Affixed to the sword’s scabbard is the remnants of a tag that reads: “A C[…] / found at F[ort Donelson(?)] by … / Bro.  i[n] law J[….,].” Oral provenance and research regarding Galloway’s service has suggested it was an Indiana soldier who acquired this trophy-of-war.

Initially enlisting in Bradshaw Porter’s company of Tennessee Volunteers, John B. Galloway was elected 2nd Lieutenant of the company on November 11, 1861. The sword’s presentation or purchase likely dates to this period of his service, though it is possible Galloway held rank in the company earlier, when it was still a militia unit, with the election merely formalizing his status. The company was officially organized as part of the state forces on November 28, and later mustered into Confederate service for a 12-month term on 23 December 1861, at Camp Maury near Nashville. It became Company B of Gantt’s 9th Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry, one of six companies in the unit.

The battalion remained in the Camp of Instruction until 16 January 1862, when it moved to Fort Donelson. It initially served as Brigadier General Tilghman’s escort from Fort Donelson to Fort Henry, where it was assigned to Colonel A. Heiman’s brigade. As part of this brigade, the battalion fell back from Fort Henry to Fort Donelson. There, Colonel N. B. Forrest was placed in command of all cavalry units. Forrest reportedly disliked Gantt and was particularly angered that he had failed to get the regiment out of Donelson before its surrender, resulting in the capture of all but Company C on 16 February 1862.

Galloway, along with the rest, was sent to the prison camp on Johnson’s Island on April 24. He was transferred on September 1 to Vicksburg for exchange, which took place on 16 September 1862. Following his return to active duty, the regiment underwent reorganization. Galloway was promoted to 1st Lieutenant on September 24 and then to Captain of the company on October 31. The regiment was temporarily consolidated with the 1st Mississippi Infantry until January 1863, when it was remounted.

Galloway served with the regiment through the remainder of the war. He was wounded in action during fighting against Sherman and admitted to the Confederate General Hospital on 22 February 1865, with a gunshot wound to the lower extremities. He was furloughed on 24 March 1865, and was likely recovering at home when the war came to an end. Galloway died on 23 December 1920, his obituary calling him “as loyal and brave a Confederate soldier as ever wore the Confederate uniform.”

Note: This lot cannot be packaged and shipped in-house. Successful bidders winning items marked as being packaged and shipped by a third-party service are responsible for paying the third party directly. We are happy to offer complimentary drop-off service to local third-party packing/shipping companies in Columbus, Ohio.

[Civil War, Union, Confederate] [Swords, Knives, Bowie Knives, Knife, Blades, Presentation Sword]