On the final day of my visit with an out-of-state friend last month (September 2006), the uncle of mine who lives down where I had been visiting gave me a ride to the bus station.

During our conversations on a variety of subjects during that brief trip, he reminded me that he had the family civil war dress sword.

My uncle recounted the story of how when they were boys, their paternal grandfather lined the boys up and gave them certain items. Since my father was named after their paternal great grandfather, my father received the civil war dress sword that the former had passed down to his son, etc. When my father died in 1993, the sword of course became mine.

Upon the news of my father's death, I quickly traveled down to Rhode Island to take care of his affairs, the funeral arrangements and the like. Since I was traveling by bus, as much as I wanted to keep the sword in my possession, it seemed best to leave it behind in the care of my aunt.

 Later, when my aunt was traveling abroad, she gave the sword to my uncle for him to hold onto for me.

Much like what I believe my father felt about the sword, I never felt the sword was truly mine so much as I was merely the steward of what is a treasured piece of family history. Yet, being its current steward, the decision about its fate is entirely mine and, mine alone; something my uncle also reminded me about in his own way when I was bouncing some of my ideas regarding it off of him.

The fact is that the sword is not in the greatest of condition and also does not hold any actual value (i.e., financially or materially speaking), other than possibly being of historical or sentimental significance both to family members and the town within the home state the family came from.

While my inclination is to keep the sword within the family and, not have it either be sold or trashed or whatever; because I can no longer be certain of its fate after it were to leave my stewardship at some point in time in the future and due to such things not always having a particular value to others in the family as they might have to my father and myself, during my conversation with my uncle on the subject it came to mind to consider donating it to either a local or state (i.e., Rhode Island) civil war or historical society that might appreciate receiving it and keeping it for display.

It was my desire to return the sword to the area the Brown side of my family came from in honor of my family name and history in the region if at all possible or, otherwise some official civil war or historical society within the state of Rhode Island whom may be interested in being entrusted with it.

Last Saturday I e-mailed the town manager with an inquiry about the matter and earlier this week they replied, letting me know they had passed on my e-mail to the town historical society.

Yesterday (Friday, September 23rd) I received an e-mail from a representative of the historical society indicating that they would be proud to accept possession and display it proudly in our Historical Society premises, along with the history of the sword and owner/family.

Thus, my decision is made and the sword will be sent to them.

Since the sword and, potentially other Brown family information or material (e.g., copies of family photos), would be on display there; if it is possible for me to do so, it is my hope that I will be able to travel down to the town for a visit to view it on display, maybe next year either during the Summer or Autumn.

 

(Excerpted from an original blog post on mine on the subject, here; via Norsehorse's Home Turf)