This rather classic Confederate D-guard Bowie was recovered at Milledgeville, Georgia, the site of the state Capitol, but also the State Arsenal, and other military stores facilities. In the wake of the fall of Forts Henry and Donelson in early 1862 Georgia Governor Joe Brown called for the production of pikes and knives by private parties to be delivered for inspection and purchase by state authorities. Almost 5,000 knives were submitted to the State Arsenal at Milledgeville for purchase, the majority of which were still in store in November 1864 when Sherman’s troops arrived. Many of these were taken as souvenirs, but most seem to have been burned and/or dumped in the Oconee River.

This one shows traits of some Georgia Arsenal types, but is shorter, measuring 16 3/8 inches overall and with an 11-inch blade, where Governor Brown specified 18 inches, so it may have come from one of the makers supplying them even if it was not one of the contract pieces. The blade shows some roughness to the edge for a third or half of the way from the guard, but is solid, with the back of the blade flat, turning to a false edge and more of a spearpoint than clip point at the tip, which does not seem to missing anything. The guard is forged iron, very rectangular in form, though with a quillon that was bent over forward, very much like known Georgia Arsenal patterns, the Type III or Type VI in particular, but shows no sign of a ferrule for the grip. The guard looks intentionally damaged by forcing the quillon forward, which in turn cracked the guard on the right side of the blade slot and broke out the piece on the left.

Confederate knives are a very specialized collecting field, but one with a lot of variety and lots of work yet to be done. D-guard bowies were recognized at the time as a characteristically Confederate weapon, sought after by new recruits to bolster a fearsome appearance and by Union soldiers anxious to acquire an impressive war relic.    [sr] [ph:m]

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