Confederate Bowie Knife and Scabbard
date: label: Associated Date
content: 1862
notes: label: Description
content: This bowie knife was found on the battlefield of Perryville, Kentucky.
label: Description
content: It is claimed that the bowie knife was designed by Rezin Bowie, the brother of James Bowie, and made by blacksmith James Black. The blade, made of steel, was up to 14 inches long. Its shape enabled the cowboy or mountain man to skin or disembowel an animal. In general, the bowie is usually classified as any large knife with a clip point. It was popular from the 1840s through 1865 and used by United States troops during the Mexican War and on the frontier during the disturbances in Kansas and Missouri in the 1850s. During the Civil War, it was popular with Confederate soldiers, whose arms generally were inferior.
place: label: found in
content: United States: Kentucky
topic: label: related event
content: Civil War
label: related event
content: Civil War and Reconstruction
setName: label: See more items in
content: Military and Society: Armed Forces History, Military
label: See more items in
content: Military
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content: ThinkFinity
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: AF.32398
label: catalog number
content: 32398
label: accession number
content: 68826
objectType: label: Object Name
content: knife
label: Other Terms
content: knife; Edged Weapons; CSA, Army; Bowie
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: steel (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 5 in x 17 3/4 in x 1 1/2 in; 12.7 cm x 45.085 cm x 3.81 cm