The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1895-06-15
O OF A SWORD.
A Blade Lost During the Mexican
War Restored.

A Blade Lost During the Mexican
War Restored.
Mr.. Frank A. Butts Of this city has
lust succeeded in restoring to the heirs
of it's owner a sword that has undoubt-
edly had one of the most remarkable
Journeys that ever an inanimate piece
of material could take. Some time ago
he received a letter from a dealer in
wartime relics Of Richmond, Va, tell
ing him that he had in his collection a
handsome sword that he thought could
he restored to the owner Of the owners
family. 1t bore on the blade the in,
scription, "E. Bradford, U. S. A." AS
Mr.. Butts had previously aided the pro
prictor Of this old curiosity shop in
restoring a sword lost during the civil
war to it's owner, the latter thought
that perhaps the Washingtonian, who
has an extensive acquaintance with
fine veterans of the late war, could
succeed in taking the weapon from it's
hiding place and ending it's long wan
behring's. Mr.. Butts found on reference
to the directory of officers of the army
that a certain Edmund Bradford was
appointed as a cadet in the United
States military academy In ana
on graduation four years later was APP
| pointed as lieutenant Of artillery ana
was promoted in 1871. He resigned III
1S49 and so ended his connection. with
the United States service. He joined
the Confederate army in 1861, ana
after serving through the civil war r
rendered at AppomattoX. He died at
Norfolk six years ago.
This being the only Bradford in the
list Mr.. Butts assumed that the SWORD
must have belonged to him. The period
during which he was in active service
in the army covered the time OF the
Mexican war. He learned OIL inveStlga-
ton that the sword was bought by the
curio dealer from a man who said that
he had in turn bought it during the
late wal from a boy in the streets OF
| Alexandria, Va. AS the sword was
owned by Lieut.. Bradford during his
Union service, bearing as it did the
| Springfield, ILL.,, armory mark. there
was evidently q hiatus Of some years
to be filled.
In this emergency Mr.. Butts be-
thought him of Mr. William Lamb OF
| Norfolk, Va, formerly mayor of that
| city, as one who might possibly tell
him of Lieut.. Bradford's family, and
! he accordingly wrote to him and soon
afterward received the desired intor-
nation. Mr.. Lamb said that Lieut..
Bradford's widow, now an invalid, was
| a resident of that city, and that he had
| communicated with her about the
sword. 1t seems that she had preserved
all her husbands swords except one,
which had been missed for many years
and which was highly priced by its
owner. He had lost it in the City OF
Mexico during his service in that war,
and had often spoken Of it and desired
it's recovery, but had given it up as
wholly lost. Mrs. Bradford was ex-
tremely anxious that she should re-
cover the sword, and so the restoration
of the weapon has now been made.
Mr.. Lamb in writing to Mr.. Butts said:
"How time has set things right! Here
you and I, who tried to kill each other
thirty years ago, are now friends under
the old flag, united in bringing a pleas
ant sunshine into the sick chamber of
the widow of a gallant soldier, in re-
storing to her q relic of the Mexican
war;"
1t is a curious coincidence that Mr..
Butts and Mr.. Lamb were on the OPP
posing sides of the great battle Of Fort
Fisher, which was the last great en-
gagement in which each participated.
The real history Of the sword itself
will probably eve be known, as there
is now no method of tracing it's travels
from the City Of Mexico to Alexandria,
but it is probable that the sword was
found in the former city by some SOL
dier and brought home with him as
part Of the plumbers of war, and passed
from hand to hand in a way not now
to be ascertained to the old city down
the Potomac.-Washingto6 Star.