The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Swords from Battle of Mobile in Question-- Part 1

From the Sept. 30th Macon.com (Georgia) "Man wants Civil War artifacts back from Cannonball House" by Joe Kovac, Jr..

This is the article that cost me so much time last week. But, I didn't know anything about the people or that aspect of the battle.

A lawsuit was filed Sept. 29th over a Confederate Naval officer's sword captured at the Battle of Mobile Bay by a man who wanted it back from the Macon museum. Also, the sword of Captain James E. "Fighting Jim" Jouett, who later became a rear admiral in the US Navy.

In the late 1800s, Jouett gave his sword and that of Confederate Navy Captain Peter U. Murphrey, who died in 1876, to Murphrey's daughter. Murphrey had surrendered his sword to Jouett when his vessel, the CSS Selma was captured by the USS Metacomet.

The suit was brought by Murphrey's great-great-great grandson, Michael H. Dunn of Atlanta. He contends that a flag, the two swords and other artifacts loaned to the Cannonball House decades ago should be returned to him. Some of them are in bad shape and others lost by the Friends of the Cannonball House.

The swords and artifacts were passed down for generations in the Mumphrey family until 1967, when they were loaned to the local United Daughters of the Confederacy chapter for display in the house.

More to Come. --Old B-Runner

1 comment:

The Baron said...

I know where Murphey's regulation cap is and the sword belt and cap of its captor Mayo Dyer. If you desire more info. email me at Histmilitaria@comcast.net. Thank you.