This Model 1840 sword wields a remarkable story. A Union sergeant bestowed it at war's end to a Confederate prisoner with whom he shared the name Lemon

Model 1840 sword, blade detail and leather frog (Picket photos), Capt. Lemon during the Civil War

Capt. James Lile Lemon might have walked with a limp to shield what he was carrying in his trousers. Or perhaps he somehow covered the gift as he left Fort Delaware for freedom after serving years in Union prisons.

Whatever the circumstances, the Confederate officer was determined to bring the item back to his home in Acworth, Ga. And that’s where it is kept today – 160 years later.

I visited the Lemon house recently during events marking two new Civil War markers out front, one describing Lemon’s service and the other the Federal occupation of the town in June 1864. Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman used the residence as his headquarters for a couple days.

I asked Mark Lemon, who was sitting in a rocker on his front porch, whether I could see any of the captain’s belongings. Lemon’s second great-grandfather was remarkable for not only his military service, but his penchant for saving nearly everything he owned during the Civil War.

Most of the artifacts are in the collection of the Atlanta History Center, which purchased them in 2020 from the widow of a Macon, Ga., collector.

But one that stayed in the family is an NCO sword given to James Lemon at Fort Delaware in June 1865 after he finally took an oath of allegiance to the United States. The Confederate had earned the respect of one of the prison staff, who also had the name Lemon -- Sgt. Lemon Kline of the 215^th Pennsylvania Infantry. It’s easy to speculate whether the shared name had anything to do with their apparent friendship.

I don’t know whether the two men – who were both in their 30s during the Civil  – maintained a friendship after the war, but Mark Lemon said the story goes Kline told James Lemon, “Tell your family you once knew a good Yankee.”

Mark Lemon showed me the sword and a framed piece of paper written by James Lemon, who routinely made notes on his belongings. The note mentioned how he came to receive the sword.

(Civil War Picket photo)

One side of the blade (above) records it was made by Ames Manufacturing of Chicopee, Mass., a significant provider of weapons and tools for the Union. Some consider Ames the Cadillac of US military sword makers during the period.

The reverse has the stamp:

U.S.
ADK
1863

I am no sword expert, so I turned to the Authentic Campaigner Facebook group for help.

Built for combat, used mostly for presentation

I quickly learned the weapon is a Model 1840 sword for use largely by infantry and artillery NCOs. The initials ADK indicate the name of the manufacture inspector. The handle is made of brass.

When I examined the blade, I noticed it was quite light and not sharpened. Some commenters compared it to the spadroon, a light sword with a straight-edged blade.

One commenter said this model was mostly a symbol of rank and authority. The military used the sword, based on French and English models, for about 70 years.

So it is understandable Kline, as a sergeant, would have carried one. (At left, a Union NCO holds a Model 1840 sword, Library of Congress). Some of the weapons were issued to musician NCOs.

Another commenter presented a brief history of the weapon and a different take on its usefulness.

“Don't believe the hype where folks say that swords were unimportant to the war. This particular model sword may not have been frequently used in combat, mostly because sergeants would be using their bayonet in hand-to-hand combat before resorting to the sword.

"Regardless, this design of sword was intended for combat, with a design used for over a century, and not exclusively for presentation.”

The Model 1840 also could have been useful in “directing traffic” by keep troops and inmates in a straight line. 

Interestingly, the scabbard of Lemon's sword is made of leather. A few Authentic Campaigner commenters noted the "frog," a piece of leather which allows the wearer to carry a sword for a short time, likewise was in very good condition and at least as valuable as the sword.

Lemon items will get big play in next exhibit

Two years ago, the Atlanta History Center invited Lemon descendants to see the amazing collection, which is not currently on display. Mark Lemon showed the sword to AHC senior military historian and curator Gordon Jones.

Mark Lemon (left) brought the sword to the Atlanta History Center in 2023. (Picket photo)

The Lemon collection – which features  a captured drum, revolver, letters, canteen, photographs and much more -- will be showcased in its own case after a revamp of the center’s aged “Turning Point: The American Civil War” exhibit. (The sword will remain with the family).

“That story has a lot to say about Confederate soldiers' wartime experiences,” Jones recently told me.  

The historian said the new exhibit is set to open in June 2026. It will go deeper into “causes and results,” including slavery, politics and Reconstruction. There will still be plenty of weapons and military items on display in that space and the Goldstein gallery, Jones said.

The George Wray Jr. collection of rare Confederate weapons will be in the Goldstein space.

Confederate captain reluctantly took oath

Mark Lemon keeps this note by his ancestor near the Model 1840 sword (Picket photo)

James L. Lemon served with Company A, 18^th Georgia Infantry, part of John Bell Hood’s Texas Brigade. He enlisted as a second lieutenant in 1861 for a three-year term. Lemon was described as having a “light complexion, dark hair, blue eyes, [and] 6 feet” in height.

The regiment fought in numerous Eastern battles – including Antietam, Fredericksburg, Second Manassas and Chancellorsville. The farmer and merchant from Acworth had a close call at Gettysburg, when a Yankee bullet struck his canteen, causing it to strike his head.

His combat days came to a close in November 1863, when Lemon was severely wounded by a Minie ball in the pharynx and taken prison after an assault on Fort Sanders in Knoxville, Tenn. .

By the time he arrived at Fort Pulaski, Ga., in October 1864, Lemon had already been in at three Federal prisons: One in Louisville, Ky; Camp Chase in Ohio and Fort Delaware, Delaware. He kept several diaries. The officer etched his name onto a wall at Pulaski.

Capt. Lemon etched his name and regiment into a wall at Fort Pulaski (Picket photo)

In March 1865, the Rebel officers, including Lemon, were returned to Fort Delaware, where they were held until the end of the war. Shortly after their return to Delaware, the captain’s diary describes harsh conditions at Fort Pulaski and alleged mistreatment by his captors. 

“We have recently returned to this place after a most brutal & cowardly outrage against humanity. I cannot now speak of the sufferings & deprivations & humiliations we were subjected to. Many among us are now dead from starvation, disease, shot or beaten to death and the rest of us are about used up from the shameful journey forced upon us by the Yanks. I know not of the reason for this but we are told it is for some reported offense against a few of their prisoners in Charleston.”

He held off taking the oath for two months after Appomattox but finally relented.

In his journal, Lemon wrote: “I have done the unspeakable but I am now paroled & today set out for home. My duty to my country is done, mine to my family remains.”

Lemon returned to Acworth and had 11 children with his wife Eliza. He was a retail merchant and then a bank executive. He was serving as president of the bank when he died on June 12, 1907, at age 71.

Mark Lemon has lived in the house for 30 years and with the help of friends, has been restoring the home’s exterior and side buildings, with plans to turn to the interior.

The house is painted in bright yellow (a suitable color?), but he says it was clad in white for at least a short time in the 19^th century.

Illness sidelined Lemon Kline in two great battles

I have been unable to learn a great deal about Kline, beyond service and pension records. The blue-eyed farmer lived in York County before and following the Civil War.

Much of what I learned comes from a Findagrave page, which lists his birth as July 24, 1830.

Sgt. Lemon Kline's Pennsylvania veterans card via Fold3

Rosters indicate he first enlisted in the 30^th Pennsylvania Infantry

“Admitted to a Washington hospital on September 9, 1862, for illness, he almost certainly missed the battle of Antietam. He returned to duty but was again hospitalized January 18 through July 1, 1863, thus missing the battle of Gettysburg,” says the page.

He was transferred to the state’s Veteran Reserve Corps and honorably discharged in June 1864.

Kline reenlisted in late March 1865 in Lancaster, joining the 215^th Pennsylvania. Presumably at Fort Delaware, he was promoted to first sergeant on April 21. He was mustered out with his company on July 31.

He apparently got a disability pension in 1878. The 1880 census lists the veteran, his wife, Catharine, and three daughters and three sons. Kline died at age 69 in November 1899 and his widow received a pension. She died in 1904.

The York County History Center has not been able to locate a photograph of the soldier.

“However, it does seem we have some information on him and his family, including census abstracts, his marriage record, and cemetery record,” said library assistant Emma Streb.

(At right, Findagrave photo courtesy ajtarman710)

A view of the sword and scabbard on the porch of the Lemon house in Acworth, Ga. (Picket photo)

Mathew Brady's photographs captured the reality of the Civil War. A new gravesite memorial celebrates the diversity of his subjects

A partial view of the memorial depicts Brady in foreground (Congressional Cemetery)

A new memorial at his gravesite in Washington, D.C., celebrates pioneering Civil War photographer Mathew B. Brady’s legacy.

Photo historian Larry West spearheaded the effort to honor Brady, who died destitute in 1896 and was buried in Congressional Cemetery. The photographer is remembered for his depictions of famous and everyday Americans, and battlefield scenes that brought the horrors of war to American's doorsteps.

Matthew B. Brady

A dedication on Sept. 17 showcased life-size bronze statues of President Abraham Lincoln and civil rights figure Frederick Douglass – among famous Americans photographed by Brady -- a portrait on stone of Brady, a reproduction metal camera and 85 fired porcelains of images, most by the photographer and his associates.

“The memorial features Mathew, recognizing him as the entrepreneur, innovator, team leader and posing artist that he was,” West wrote the Picket in an email this week. 

While it does not include his famous scenes from the Antietam and Gettysburg battlefields and those of campsites, many of the porcelains depict people who were wartime figures.

Historians this year are marking Brady’s 200^th birthday, emphasizing his importance to the field of photojournalism.

“Brady’s photographs of Gettysburg caused a sensation when viewed by members of the public,” says Congressional Cemetery. “Americans were little used to scenes of war that before had only existed in imagination.

“The prior year, in 1862, Brady had shocked the public when he exhibited photographs of dead enemy soldiers, captured by associates Alexander Gardner and James M. Gibson, from the Battle of Antietam.”

Lincoln, Douglass and Anna Murray-Douglas (Congressional Cemetery)

Brady’s team took more than 10,000 photographs by war’s end. He had spent some $100,000 but the federal government initially declined to buy them. Brady declared bankruptcy and struggled financially for the rest of his life.

Eventually, the government purchased Brady's photographs for $25,000, providing him some financial relief. Fortunately, most are available on the Library of Congress website.

Upon his passing in 1896, veterans of the 7^th New York Infantry helped finance Brady's funeral and interment at Congressional Cemetery.

Sept. 17 dedication in southeast Washington (Congressional Cemetery)

"His photographs, and those he commissioned, had a tremendous impact on society at the time of the war, and continue to do so today," says the American Battlefield Trust.

West, a board member of Congressional Cemetery, designed and provided primary financial backing for the memorial.

“Celebrating Brady's outstanding artistic achievements, the memorial reflects the diversity of his subjects and the Washington, D.C. community,” a Facebook post says.

Congressional Cemetery, founded early in the 19^th century, has graves of Washington residents and numerous national figures.

It is the final resting place for about 600 Union service members and 100 Confederates.

“Generals lie next to privates, and brothers who fought on opposite sides rest only a few feet apart.”

Among those buried there are Alfred Pleasanton, a Union cavalry general, Maj. Gen. Andrew Humphreys and executed Lincoln conspirator David Herold.

Visitors can take a self-guided, Civil War-themed walking tour.

Man who created and sold a fake Civil War-themed desk gets probation. His victims say the pain endures. Why did he do it?

(Courtesy of John Banks'
Civil War blog)

Harold Gordon says he fashioned and sold a fake Civil War memorial desk because debilitating medical problems left him in a financial crisis. The federal government contends he methodically duped a renowned art dealer, and by extension a museum and curator -- and caused lasting harm to their reputations.

The cost of Gordon’s scheme is detailed in federal court documents filed before he was sentenced Tuesday in US District Court in Connecticut to five years’ probation and restitution.

The government had argued a sentence of 12 to 18 months in prison followed by supervised release would be within guidelines. The judge cited the retired self-employed antiques dealer's health when issuing the sentence.

Gordon, who claimed to have bought the ornate desk from the descendant of a Connecticut soldier, pleaded guilty in January 2019 to one count of wire fraud.

“Harold Gordon has caused me severe embarrassment, loss of my nationally recognized reputation as a foremost expert and an unmeasurable loss in business,” folk art expert and “Antiques Roadshow” appraiser Allan Katz said in a court document.

Gordon, 71, a master woodworker, admitted to converting a secretary desk at his Templeton, Mass., home into an extravagant fake.

According to the government, Gordon, by “engaging in mendacity at every turn,” told Katz that the circa 1876 desk was made for the family of a Connecticut soldier, John Bingham, who died at the Battle of Antietam in 1862. Gordon’s calculated efforts included providing false provenance for the piece of furniture, authorities said.

“He further falsely stated that the surviving members of the soldier’s regiment, including Wells Bingham (John’s brother), had decorated the secretary desk to give as a war memorial to the fallen soldier’s family,” prosecutors said in a presentencing memo.

Desk in Hartford in 2017 (Courtesy of John Banks' Civil War blog)

While the Bingham boys did fight with the 16^th Connecticut Infantry, the story about the desk wasn’t true. Gordon’s exacting work on the desk was convincing, down to the Civil War-era tools and materials he used in the scheme.

Standing 8-feet tall, the desk, made of walnut, oak and maple, has drawers, a bookcase and intricate artisanal touches. The handcrafted the words “Antietam” and “Sept. 17, 1862” were made from barnyard bone and Gordon fashioned a cloth star out of period fabric to make it resemble a remnant of the 16^th Connecticut’s battle flag, prosecutor asserted. A clock at the top includes the words “The Union Preserved.”

Gordon sold the desk to Katz – who had studied the desk for its authenticity – in March 2014 for $64,500. Katz made a video detailing the desk and it was put up for sale for $375,000, according to news reports, at the Winter Antiques Show in New York. The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, Conn., purchased the desk for an undisclosed price in early 2015. Katz later paid another $25,000 to Gordon because of the tidy profit from that sale, prosecutors said.

(Courtesy of John Banks’ Civil War blog)

At the time, the museum said it was “thrilled to add this stunning piece” to its collection of folk art and Civil War-era items.

Civil War blogger John Banks, who has followed the story of the desk for several years, detailed what’s known about the Bingham brothers in a 2011 post. The East Haddam residents were just teenagers when they joined the Union army. John, 17, son of a farmer, died in the fighting at a cornfield at Antietam. Wells survived the war

The story of the amazing artifact unraveled in 2018, according to reports, when the editor of the Maine Antique Report noticed the Bingham desk appeared to be similar to an unadorned desk photographed at Gordon’s home. The woodworker then admitted the desk’s story was bogus.

Gordon was boastful about the fraudulent piece and said that he “had created a new art form,” the government contended. “It’s the apotheosis of my own making,” Gordon said in an interview, according to a March 2018 New York Times article.

Detail of Abraham Lincoln (John Banks)

In a memo filed with the court, a federal public defender detailed a litany of health conditions, including a stroke, Gordon has endured. “In 2014, at the one of the lowest points in his life, he sold a prized possession: a Victorian-era secretary desk which he had elaborately decorated and for which he had created a semi-fictional historical backstory.”

Gordon apologized Tuesday via video conference, according to the Hartford Courant.

His lawyers argued that when he first began work on the fake, he had no intention of selling it. He worked from a desk that indeed dated to the Civil War period, they stated.

“He put the piece in his living room and intended to keep it. But when his medical conditions intensified in 2012, impeding his ability to work, and his medical expenses mounted, he grew desperate,” they argued in documents.

Katz, in his written statement, said Gordon “has caused me severe embarrassment, loss of my nationally recognized reputation as a foremost expert and an unmeasurable loss in business.” He said the master craftsman spent two years working to deceive him and basked in the attention he gave in interviews about his fraudulent handiwork.

Gordon’s lawyers have said their client was not motivated by money or prestige.

Katz made full restitution to the Hartford museum, which said forgers like Gordon do great damage to the cultural marketplace. “The opportunism of this forgery was both craven and bald in its intent to maximize financial gain and to ensnare a number of institutions and organizations in the process,” the CEO for the Wadsworth Atheneum said.

The unidentified curator involved in the transaction no longer works for the museum.

“Mr. Gordon has deeply impaired my credibility as a scholar and curator. As a result of Mr. Gordon’s crimes, my achievements and relationship with the Wadsworth Atheneum have been completely incinerated. I will never be able to return to this institution that once valued my service and applauded my efforts as a curator,” she wrote.

The Picket reached out Thursday to Gordon’s federal public defender but did not hear back. His lawyers wrote that Gordon had no previous criminal history and he hopes to make restitution to Katz.

The desk had been on exhibit at the Hartford museum for about three years before the ruse was detected. The Wadsworth Atheneum said Friday it had no new comment on the matter. It confirmed it not longer has the desk.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer ordered Gordon to also pay $84,500 in restitution to Katz, who retained the item. The latter said in a 2019 interview that he and his wife “plan on donating it to an institution that might be receptive to having it.” 

According to the Courant, Meyer said he would have sent Gordon to prison if it were not for his health problems, which include cardiovascular and Parkinson’s disease.

Burnside Bridge: TLC and lots of work go into preservation of Antietam landmark

Stones on walls were marked for guide when they are reinstalled (NPS photos)

Extensive work on the famous Burnside Bridge at Antietam National Battlefield in Maryland is nearing the one-year mark, and officials expect it to continue until the end of the year.

The $1.7 million preservation project is bringing repairs and stabilization to the stone structure, which was built in 1836.

Park Superintendent Susan Trail responded Friday to the Picket’s questions about the bridge project. She said the project is going “very well.”

Temporary dams were built for work on eroded pier bases. 

Q.  You said the piers would be repointed and the voids filled with grouts. Has that been completed? Was that the extent of the work on the piers?

A. All of the pier work was completed in late winter. The work was extensive, as concrete ribbon footers had to be poured for each due to extensive erosion.

Q. I saw some Facebook photos (above) last week of work on top of the bridge. What's that work? Looks like maybe some wall reconstruction and a new walking surface?

A. Most of the work on the stone bridge involved dismantling substantial sections and rebuilding them. This is the work that is going on right now. The wall sections were photographed and mapped, so that the stones could be returned to their exact locations prior to the dismantling. The repaving will happen later this fall when the stone work is complete.

Q. Can you briefly summarize what all has been addressed in this restoration/preservation effort?

A. The project addressed substantial voids and erosion in the two piers and the two abutments. It also addressed unstable parapet and spandrel walls that had deteriorated over the years, due primarily to water infiltration. It also will include new wood coping and asphalt paving, which will be done this fall.

East bridge abutment

Q. What do you hope will be the long-term benefit of the work?

A. This project will keep the bridge standing in good condition for decades to come.

Q. Anything unexpected come up during the construction/repairs?

A. The biggest unforeseen condition was the severe erosion of the pier bases, as this could not be seen before the project started.

On Sept. 17, 1862, America's bloodiest single day, a small force of Confederates on high ground for three hours defended the critical crossing against troops belonging to Ambrose E. Burnside's 9th Corps.

Portion of bridge that bulged, needed repairs

Critics say Burnside did not do adequate reconnaissance before the attack, which cost him about 500 casualties. 

"After taking the bridge at about 1 p.m., Burnside reorganized for two hours before moving forward across the arduous terrain -- a critical delay. Finally, the advance started -- only to be turned back by Confederate General A.P. Hill’s reinforcements that arrived in the late afternoon from Harpers Ferry," according to the NPS.

After the battle, the bridge was actively used for traffic until as recently as 1966, according to the NPS. The last significant work occurred in the late 1980s.

Place your own luminary at Antietam house

A tourism group is asking travelers to add lights to the 23,000 that will decorate the Antietam National Battlefield during the traditional illumination on Dec. 5. The Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area plans to place candles in paper bags outside of the Newcomer House, a farmhouse where the Federal army cared for wounded after the Sept. 17, 1862, battle. • Details

Update on Burnside Bridge, Observation Tower repairs at Antietam National Battlefield

Roof repair on Observation Tower (NPS)

The Picket reported last week that the Burnside Bridge at Antietam will undergo an extensive repair and stabilization project. The structure closed over the weekend.

Officials at Antietam National Battlefield say the Observation Tower at the Maryland park also is closed. The 60-foot stone tower should reopen the first week of November following roof repairs.

Superintendent Susan Trail responded Tuesday to the Picket’s questions about the bridge restoration project.

Q. When do you expect people will be able to walk over Burnside Bridge again?

A. The bridge is now closed to pedestrian traffic and we anticipate the first phase of the project to end sometime around the end of the calendar year, but much depends upon the weather. The bridge will reopen at that time and remain open until the second phase begins in early spring. Then we anticipate it to remain closed through the summer.

Q. The National Park Service plans in-stream work to strengthen the stone piers. Does that mean rebuilding the piers? 

A. Voids in the piers will be grouted and the piers will be repointed. They will not be rebuilt.

Q. What kind of stones make up the bridge? Are they local, or would you need to bring new ones in, if required?

A. The bridge is constructed of local limestone. At this time we do not anticipate having to bring in additional stone, but we will not know until the work is underway.

Q. Will the closure of the bridge change the park's interpretation in the area?

A. Visitors can still walk down to the bridge. It should not impact interpretation in this area too much, except that visitors will not be able to cross the bridge.

Antietam's Burnside Bridge closing Saturday for repairs on walls, arches and piers

Damage to upstream wall in January 2014 (NPS)

A $1.7 million project will stabilize Antietam National Battlefield’s iconic Burnside Bridge, which lost a section of stone wall in January 2014 after the bitter “polar vortex."

Temporary repairs were made, but a deeper engineering assessment found the 12-feet wide by 125-feet-long stone has substantial deterioration of the walls and significant water infiltration, the park in western Maryland said in a Wednesday press release.

The bridge over Antietam Creek will close Saturday (Oct. 10). It was not immediately clear when the pedestrian structure is expected to reopen.

The investigation also found that the instability extended to bridge piers with voids that need to be filled, officials said.

Phase 1 of the preservation will focus on strengthening the stone piers and arches, the National Park Service said. Portable dams will be installed in the creek to divert the water. Phase II will begin in early spring with repairs that require selectively dismantling and rebuilding sections of the bridge walls.

Superintendent Susan Trail last year told the Picket that rapid freezing and thawing after weather systems likely added to the natural wear on the stones.

NPS photo

Originally known as Rohrbach's or Lower Bridge, the battlefield landmark was built in 1836 by John Weaver at a cost of $3,200 as a wagon, horse and foot crossing southeast of Sharpsburg.

On Sept. 17, 1862, America's bloodiest single day, a small force of Confederates on high ground for three hours defended the critical crossing against troops belonging to Ambrose E. Burnside's 9th Corps.

“Topography at the site heavily favored the few hundred Confederates who defended it. The road approaching the east end of the bridge swung on a course paralleling that of Antietam Creek; in the last few hundred yards before reaching the bridge, the road plunged into a funnel-like depression between the opposing bluffs of the creek,” the NPS says. 

“Confederate troops were in rifle pits on the west bluff overlooking the bridge and the approach road.”

Critics say Burnside did not do adequate reconnaissance before the attack, which cost him about 500 casualties. 

"After taking the bridge at about 1 p.m., Burnside reorganized for two hours before moving forward across the arduous terrain -- a critical delay. Finally, the advance started only to be turned back by Confederate General A.P. Hill’s reinforcements that arrived in the late afternoon from Harpers Ferry," according to the NPS.

Gen. Robert E. Lee's army was saved, but he had to end his Maryland invasion and return to Virginia.

After the battle, the bridge was actively used for traffic until as recently as 1966, according to the NPS. The last significant work occurred in the late 1980s.

Sword belonging to officer who fell at Antietam officially handed over to The Citadel

(National Park Service photos)

The Citadel, in a ceremony at Antietam National Battlefield, on Wednesday formally received a sword that belonged to a graduate who died at the 1862 battle.

A contingent from Charleston, S.C., traveled to the western Maryland battlefield for the ceremony on Sunken Lane, just one day shy of the 153^re anniversary of Confederate Col. Charles C. Tew’s death.

Tew, who led the 2^nd North Carolina State Troops, had brief command of his brigade when he fell with a bullet to the head during an assault. His sword, cup and other belongings were taken by Federal soldiers, most likely from Ohio.

The sword subsequently had a long journey, for many years on display in Ohio before ending up with a Canadian military unit in Ottawa. A foundation associated with that regiment, after proving the provenance of the weapon, decided that it should go to The Citadel, where Tew was in the first group of students and was its first honor graduate. His descendants for generations had tried to locate the sword.

Citadel cadets and staff before the ceremony (Courtesy of David Goble)

The Citadel contingent will now return to the school, which will have a Sept. 17 (Thursday) reception at Daniel Library with the cherished sword on display, and an official transfer on Sept. 18 on Summerall Field, just prior to the traditional Friday cadet dress parade.

The ceremony, on a day with weather reminiscent of the bloody battle, involved the 33 Signal Regiment in Ontario handing Tew's sword over to the National Park Service, which was then to tender it to The Citadel cadets. The sword was given to Tew in 1858 by cadets at the Arsenal Academy, which was affiliated with The Citadel.

(Click here for video of Wednesday's ceremony)

Michael Martin, chairman of the 33 Signal Regiment Foundation, told the Picket that it was a "spectacular ceremony." After speeches, a wreath was placed near where Tew fell and Taps was played.

Descendants of the colonel and The Citadel alumni were present, Martin said. He spoke of the long process of proving the history of the sword and the preparation for its return to the United States.

“We all became vested in the process. Col. Tew became a real person as we looked at the archives and letters from the family. He was a scholar, father, an academic and natural-born leader. He was exceptionally worldly. He had traveled all through Europe as a young man.”

Tew's death at 34 robbed the world of a leader with even more potential, Martin said. 

Antietam park ranger Keith Snyder, who transferred the sword from the Canadian unit to The Citadel, called the event "moving, a perfect tribute."

(Courtesy of David Goble)