HISTORIC SWORD PRESENTED TO AMERICAN LEGEND, WILLIAM RUFUS SHAFTER  A.K.A. “PECOS BILL,” MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT & COMMANDER OF AMERICAN FORCES IN CUBA

M1850 Foot Officer’s Sword presented to Lieutenant William R Shafter. 31 1/2 in. single-edged blade. Emons & Marshall, Philadelphia. Blade acid-etched with small foliate designs surrounding the lettering, "Presented to Lt. Wm. Shafter by Co. I 7th Michigan Inf. U.S.A," and, on the alternate side, "U.S," with corresponding flag. Elegant brass hilt and guard decorated with scrolling foliage. Shagreen handle wrapped in double-twisted brass wiring. The leather scabbard is an authentic period appropriate replacement. Published in Richard Bezdek’s American Swords and Sword Makers (page 231), and Volume 19 of the “Record of Service of Michigan Volunteers in the Civil War, 1861–1865” (Brown Book Set), page 80.

Presented to American military legend William Rufus Shafter (1835-1906) during the Civil War while he served in the 7th Michigan Infantry, this sword likely accompanied its owner during the Battle of Fair Oaks, where Shafter's extraordinary valor earned him the Medal of Honor. Despite suffering a grievous wound, Shafter remained on the battlefield for 24 hours, refusing evacuation until the engagement's conclusion. This act of courage exemplified the determination that would define his four-decade military career.

Following the Civil War, Shafter’s service continued on the frontier during the Indian Wars. He emerged not only as a decorated soldier but as a figure whose imposing stature and colorful reputation gave rise to legend. Towering, hard-drinking, and larger than life, he was widely regarded as the model for “Pecos Bill,” the mythical cowboy hero said to lasso tornadoes, tame wild beasts, and shape the West by sheer force of will. The sobriquet originated when his parched men credited him with leading them to the Pecos River, cementing his frontier nickname.

In this role, Shafter became a fixture of the rapidly developing West, where contemporary accounts and folklore alike placed him in contact with many of the era’s iconic figures, from George Armstrong Custer and Wyatt Earp to Billy the Kid, Pancho Villa, and Geronimo. He was active in the Army’s response to unrest following the Wounded Knee Massacre and later earned enduring renown in Cuba, where he directed one of the most decisive campaigns in American military history.

Shafter’s career reached its height during the Spanish-American War, when, as major general, he commanded the V Corps in the Santiago Campaign of 1898. Despite immense logistical difficulties and the ravages of tropical disease, his forces (including Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders) secured the capture of Santiago de Cuba. That victory effectively ended Spanish colonial rule in the Americas and established the United States as a rising world power. Shafter’s career, stretching from Fair Oaks to Santiago, and his connections to figures of both frontier legend and national politics, make him a uniquely emblematic figure of 19th century America.

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]  [Relics, Militaria] [Medals, Corps Badges, Badges] [Swords, Knives, Bowie Knives, Knife, Blades] 

The original leather scabbard for this sword was lost over the years and replaced with an appropriate, period example for display purposes.