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It was 2 years ago on August 10th, 2006 that Davis was diagnosed with cancer. My God, it seems like a lifetime ago, yet as fresh and real as yesterday. A sad anniversary. How I can close my eyes and feel those days upon me. Compared to all we've endured, these are truly the "good days". Sure, he can't physically run, he's behind developmentally given the terrible treatments and lack of ability to simply walk, learn, & socialize, he will have possible permanent problems and effects the rest of his life--but that word is the key: "life." So long as he has life, there is hope for a better tomorrow. Fortunately, I'll be at the Marietta Show to pass this sad anniversary, keeping my mind occupied.

As of late, Davis is really recovering from his leg injury in May, even playing soccer every night here lately, being able to kick the ball into the goal and try to "run" around as best he can. He laughs and giggles the whole time (especially when I try to kick the ball at his mama! He LOVES that! And, secretly, so does Daddy! Boys will be boys...). We're also getting everything ready to begin a Christian home-schooling program, so that we may actually launch his "official" schooling. Given his continued treatments and lowered immune system, any kind of actual enclosed school environment--exposed to mass germs and infections--is simply out of the question. But at least we will have times to be with other children, go on field trips, have other teachers, have many local school system tutors every week, as continued physical therapy.

We're also all preparing for both of our birthdays--mine is August 12th, and his is the next day on the 13th. The last two birthdays for Davis were spent in the hospital. This year, we pray it'll be different. We've got a birthday party planned at the local Sonic, which has a huge playground facility there. Besides his usual and all-time favorite meal of chicken fingers and french fries, he'll get to slide down all the cool slides, play in the sand with the toys, have friends over, balloons everywhere, and best of all, endless "train rides" on a tractor with trailer converted to look like a big train. He'll have a blast. And oh, the presents! He's so spoiled. Everyone who has visited our house KNOWS that it is really Davis's playhouse and repository for all his toys. He merely lets us live here to pay the rent and be his servants. Pretty good deal in the end, for both parties.

As for me and my birthday, my wish is already fulfilled--my beautiful boy healthy and healed with us to love and enjoy.

PLEASE keep praying for our son. We still have a year and a half of treatments to go. A long road, but we make progress. So long as he is cancer-free and truly healed, we shall rebuild from here with the Almighty's merciful blessings.

You will rarely, if ever, have a chance to add one of these to your ordnance collection. Phenomenal condition, extremely rare CS 2.6" original rifle canister round with the original wooden sabot. This was a Georgia manufactured piece, coming from the Milledgeville Arsenal. Whether made there or in nearby Atlanta, Macon, or Augusta, it is not precisely known, but this and a few other specimens have been recovered from the Milledgeville stock. This one is in outstanding condition. The tin is solidly complete, and even in such fine condition that much of the original "shiny" patina of the tin is intact! It appears non-dug, it looks so good. The wooden sabot is solidly attached. Every piece of the tin foldings on the top are also complete and present (many examples of canister rounds existing today have broken folded tines missing--not so on this one.) Canister rounds were used for very close-range combat usage, when being assaulted by an enemy who was intent on capturing a battery. It literally acted as a gigantic shotgun shell, ripping bone and flesh into a thousand pieces. What a terrifying effect canister rounds had upon massed lines of attacking infantry. George & Dickey like to refer to these 2.6" CS Rifle Canister rounds as being for a 2.6" Wiard gun--and it certainly could and would have been fired from a Wiard gun, which the Confederates are known to have captured and used them. However, being the "good engineer" that I have been in my professional life, I know that firing a 2.6" can of iron balls for short-range effect can easily be fired from a 2.9" Confederate rifled piece as well Since the rifling has no bearing on firing a "shotgun blast" of iron balls, that 0.3" won't make a darn bit of difference in firing in terms of ballistics. It'll just blow the balls out like the shotgun effect it intended to have regardless of that 0.3" difference. Therefore, I am absolutely sure from a Physics standpoint that they also could/probably used these for 2.9" CS rifled guns as well. (Note: even with rifled projectiles, there is "room" for good variation in caliber, as I have personally dug 3.67" Hotchkiss shells fired from DeGolyer's 8th Michigan Battery of 3.8" James Rifles at Champion Hill--in that case, the 3.67" lead sabot would expand into the 3.8" rifling, thus giving stability for flight out of the larger bore, and the slight caliber difference meant nothing to the Physics in play for the ballistics.)

Yet another unbelievably rare piece of ordnance for the truly advancer collector. This is a rarely seen example of a 10-Pound Read/Parrott shell, with intact iron sabot, that is fused with a Confederate Bormann fuse. This shell appears to be a US Read/Parrott that was captured and fitted for the CS Bormann fuse. The shell my be a Confederate Read/Parrott, but there is no "tell-tale" CS attributes (lathe-marks, lathe dimple, etc). Clearly, the Bormann fuse is a 100% Confederate Bormann fuse, so it clearly had to have been at the very least a captured shell that the Confederates fused for their use--a commonplace occurrence, as the supply-starved southern forces would utilize any equipment and ordnance they could get their hands on. The Bormann time fuse proved inadequate for use with rifled ordnance, and both the Federal and Confederate forces quickly stopped using them (unless out of necessity for the Confederates). Only the rifled Archer and Read/Parrott shells were ever fused with Bormann fuses for Confederate rifled projectiles. This specimen is clearly a fired projectile, though the iron sabot remains intact. The CS Bormann fuse is punched out at about 4 seconds, and the seconds and hash-marks are quite clear. It has been disarmed, cleaned, and coated long ago, and ready for your display...

Here's a really cool piece for the price! A whole lot of gun for the money: an original .69 caliber German-made imported large-framed single-shot pistol. It is a classic Germanic style, given the hammer and bolster/cone "flared" style, and also does appear to be a flintlock conversion. It is still fully-functional in every way. No repairs t all or significant damage anywhere. Nice dark-toned metal, and actually quite beautiful wood retaining it's nice original finish. The brass hardware is also classic Germanic-quality of brass, being higher in copper content with a redder hue, and much darker that the typical American copper/zinc mix. Very attractive brass tone. The ramrod channel is unique with a great cut-in design--possibly having some ornate brass piece at one time, but doesn't appear to ever have. Very pretty styling. An old cane ramrod is with the piece, and that makes it feel more like a "Johnny" gun, all the way. After all, cane doesn't grow in Europe, or anywhere in America but the very deep South! Great display weapon amongst many of the imported pieces that found their way into our War to feed the weapon-starved armories. The Europeans had a "field day" dumping-off all of their old, antiquated weapons at exorbitant prices to anyone willing to buy them...

The 6-pound (3.67") smoothbore gun was a stable field artillery piece of the US armies until the Civil War, and so many were present within Southern armories at the outbreak of war and within militia artillery units. They were being quickly outdated, even just prior to the war, thanks to the classic "Napoleon" 12-pounder (4.5") field piece. The main armies in the East had largely phased these smaller-calibered 6-pounders by the beginning of 1862, though Grant's army still had some for the Vicksburg Campaign. The Confederate forces were still utilizing them in great numbers everywhere through 1863, out of sheer necessity. This specimen here is a nice example of the archetypical 6-pounder Bormann-fused shell, and actually appears to be a Southern ball. It has the crude mold seam and mold anomalies present, and does utilize a standard brass spanner underplug. This is a cool example in that the Bormann fuse is not in the shell, so you can see the underplug clearly, and thus quite educational to show how the Bormann-fusing system worked. The excavated blown Bormann fuse comes with it, and is also a nice, representative example. It does not screw back in, and though you could use a Dremmel Tool to clean the threading of the shell to make it fit, I'd recommend not doing that--it's far more educational as it is. Professionally disarmed and cleaned.

I really try to find the finest pieces for the price to offer you all, and this one "fits the bill." This is a fine condition--"minty" in every way--example of the very desirable and collectable US Model 1836 Flintlock .54 cal. single-shot pistol. These were made under contract by two makers--Asa Waters and Robert Johnson--from 1836 until 1844. They were the last US Model flintlock pistols in the US armed forces. Many of these were converted in the 1840's through the War years to keep them in service, as this one was. This Asa Waters' made piece is in spectacular condition--the finest I've ever had, and about the finest I've ever seen. It has no flaws worth mentioning whatsoever. No visible repairs. Fully-functional and crisp in ever way. All-original--no replacements at all. The metal has the most beautiful grayish-brown patina that you could ever want to see. No pitting at all. Nipple is in fantastic condition. The wood has the original finish, and no cracking or chipping whatsoever. The double cartouches are so vividly clear--you can see them "across the room". Ramrod swivels and functions easily. Very good bore--only a little dust from the years you can swab-out. The lockplate markings are perfectly clear--"A. Waters -- Milbury, MS - 1837" with eagle's head. The conversion was performed by a very meticulous arsenal, as it was a nicer bolster conversion and quality job (and not the simple "cone" in the barrel job). If looking for anything "not perfect" on here, you'll be hard-pressed and find very little. Only a minute few nicks or scratches to be seen anywhere on the metal or wood on any part or piece. For a weapon which is old enough to have seen action in two wars (Mexican and Civil War), this one is superb. No need to ever upgrade. Collector's/museum-grade all the way. You will lovingly display this one, and never have to make any "apologies"--it'll be a fantastic centerpiece of mid-19th Century American craftsmanship for a sidearm of war...two wars, to be precise!

Nice Fuse Display Grouping, w/ Fuse Packs, Half-Cut Fuses, CS Bormann Fuse, Friction Primers, CS Fuse Adaptors, & More

Yet another great artillery display for my "heavy metal" enthusiasts. This has a little of everything, and really makes for a splendid general display of artillery fusing and ignition. I shall list all of the items, starting at the top left and going down row by row (left to right):

   Hotchkiss percussion fuse, 1864-dated 5 sec fuse pack , 1863-dated watercap fuse

   Hotchkiss slider fuse, sectioned watercap fuse, NICE CS Bormann fuse, sectioned Schenkl combo fuse, slider

   Crossed cannon insignia [looks period--possibly pre-war--but not sure if it is, so it's thrown in for display only]

   Blown Bormann fuse, sectioned Parrott time fuse adaptor, friction primer, sectioned cannonball CS time fuse adapt., friction primer, sectioned Hotchkiss fuse with paper fuse, fuse piece

   Blown Hotchkiss fuse, Armstrong friction primer, 10 second time fuse [ from pack ], Armstrong friction primer, Confederate lead side-loader plug

   Confederate Read time fuse adaptor, piece of CS wood fuse adaptor, pack of 10 sec fuses, wood piece, Hotchkiss time fuse adaptor

It comes with a nice oak display case with latching glass door/cover. You'll pay far more individually than if you buy this entire grouping, and doubt you'll need to buy many other fuses to add this this representative display.

$895 (Price Reduced!)

Click On Thumbnails Below For More Pictures

There's a lot to describe here on this absolutely gorgeous, complete, and all-original Officer's belt rig, so I'll just jump-in and start. This Officer's rig has everything any field or staff officer would have worn in the war, from his beautiful sword belt, the gorgeous imported officer's sword with fantastic etching, down to his holster and Colt Navy at his side. Though no real provenance accompanies this rig, it was acquired just last month in Columbia, South Carolina, and this rig also has a distinct "Southern flavor" to it in several attributes. The belt leather itself is complete, undamaged, and solid, with no repairs whatsoever, being perfectly pliable and no crazing at all. It is a rougher finish leather, and has a more local-made feel to it--not some Federal arsenal quality or style. More like an unfinished leather or poorer quality leather that plagued the leather-starved South (they didn't use cotton canvas to make accouterments instead of leather for nothing!) The M1851 Eagle Sword Plate is a small-tongued, pre-war version with beautiful and intact German silver applied wreath. Though the two plates are both numbered and clearly fit like a glove, the plate is marked "408" and the keeper is "723". They fit perfectly, and clearly came from the same maker (probably Ames, as the style looks like theirs, and they were good quality makers before the war), and thus, they fit like a glove (each plate was essentially hand-fitted, as any of you know it's hard to find just any old keeper to fit any tongue--they were hand-fitted at the maker's shop.)

The Colt M1851 .36 cal. Navy Revolver comes with the original local-made and very pretty leather holster--which definitely has a southern-style to it. Not only is it clearly a local-made piece (not arsenal) in its design, form, and construction, but it has some very unique and ornate fruit and leaf designs impressed into the edges of the flap in front, and all the way around the back. I've seen this style of embossing on a great southern/local valise I had once owned, and it was clearly the style that was used before and during the war, and was considered as "officer-grade" for finer, more expensive tastes. The Colt M1851 Navy Revolver is complete, all-original, fully-functional in every way, and has a splendid look. The metal is that perfect just-toned-down dark patina where the original bluing has just faded. The all-matching serial numbers of 135412 are easily readable. The original grips are still very pretty, and the typical holster wear to be found on a piece carried and used in service within the holster through the war. No missing or replaced parts--everything "righteous", on the Colt, and on everything on the rig.

Wonderful ID'ed M1860 Spencer Carbine, 1st Vermont Cavalry, Attributed to "K. R. Wintz" or "Wentz"

Complete, All-Original, Fully-Functional, Untouched Condition -- Serial 47,479 -- Double Cartouched

Initials "K R W" Carved Largely Into Stock

Just as with the listed Spencer Rifle below, the Spencer weapon design of cartridge-firing, repeating rifles and carbines truly revolutionized military weaponry in the mid-19th Century. It was a large technological advancement in the art of war--killing men rapidly. It was the terror of the their Confederate opponents, as was quickly realized at the Battle of Hoover's Gap, Tennessee: Wilder's "Lightning" Brigade of Mounted Infantry were armed with Spencer Rifles, and several Confederate brigades assaulted for hours to no avail. This was one of the very few battles where the South greatly outnumbered the Yanks--but the Johnnies quickly complained that the Billie's "had a gun they could load on Sunday, and fire all week..." Heavy casualties and defeat to the Confederates was the result.

This M1860 Spencer carbine is a wonderful piece in so many ways. Not only is it all-original, complete, and fully-functional in every way--being entirely untouched--but is has the unit designation as being from the 1st Vermont Cavalry, thanks to the serial number range. In fact, it is only one number off of one of the ID'ed Spencer's issued to Company D of the 1st VT within the Springfield Research System (number 47478 versus this one of 47479). I will happily provide the future owner with a copy of the serial number ID range with this piece for their records. Better yet, there is familial provenance attributing this piece to a "Karl R. Wintz" or "Wentz", with the initials "KRW" carved large into the stock. Almost certainly, Karl Wintz (or Wentz) was a good German immigrant that took the nice sign-on stipend (or replacement stipend) to fight for the Union, as many desperate immigrants came to this country for the bounty to fight, speaking little to no English. By the tens of thousands did the Federal ranks swell with such immigrants. Many Southerners complained repeatedly over these Yankees--especially as prisoners--who were German and couldn't speak in any intelligible language they could understand. There are multiple Wintz's and Wentz's in the NPS Soldier's and Sailor's System from the North, but no "K R" initials. Don't know if he died in combat or disease, never applied or reached age to receive a pension, or went back to his home country, or the record has been long lost (since the NPS system is based SOLELY upon a soldier or their widow who received a pension, and many records simply don't exist to document anymore). Someone needs to do some homework with the Vermont Historical Archives to see if any specific information about Wintz can be found-out about his history. Since so many Germans had their names "Anglo-sized" and misspelled, you may have to be diligent (i.e.: my wife's family German name is "Rauch", the German word for "smoke"--but upon arriving, it was changed it to "Rick" to be "Anglo-sized" in spelling and pronunciation. So no records of "Rick" exist before the time of the change).

This specimen is clearly in it's original, untouched, complete and fully-functional condition. The typical "honest wear" from actual combat and campaign duty is seen, but there are no repairs or significant damage whatsoever. The stock is still quite good for a "combat veteran", retaining a pretty and dark patina. The metal also has a nice gun-metal gray patina, with very little expected pitting from being in service. Nothing is loose or broken, or repaired at all. Simply untouched from the war. The double cartouches are still quite visible, as is the maker's marking and patent info. Even the sling swivel is still present, and the flip-up rear sight. The loading tube fits snugly still, and the action is nice. The serial number 47479 is easily readable. The 1st Vermont saw battle and action from the beginning of the war to the very end of the war. Formed on November 19th, 1861, they would ride and fight in the eastern theater, through Gettysburg, Cold Harbor, the fall '64 battles, to Five Forks--and about all the "big" battles and cavalry action in between--to the climax at Appomattox itself. This is a wonderful "war horse" weapon--literally--with good provenance, and would be a fine addition to your battle weapon collection. "Righteous" in every way, it is an example of the revolutionary weapon that a Vermont German immigrant used against the South...much to their dismay...

$2595

Click On Thumbnails Below For Close-Ups

Nice US M1913 "Patton" Sword & Scabbard-- Designed by (the then young LT ) Patton, for US Cavalry Service

This US Model cavalry trooper's saber has the historic distinction of being designed by the soon-to-be famous General Patton himself, as a young Lieutenant in the service. It replaced the US Model 1904, and was indeed the last combat cavalry sword of the United States cavalry service. Patton--ever the student of warfare, from equipment, uniforms, weapons, and tactics--designed this sword specifically by the true science of cavalry combat, in that cavalry in actual combat was intended as "shock" troops for mounted attack against other foot soldiers or other mounted forces, thus it needed both the ability to cut with a blow (against infantry) and thrust at speed against another mounted foe. His design was so that it was a straight blade for thrusting, while still granting at least a one-third thrusting force greater than the M1904 cavalry sword. A great website documents Patton's thoughts regarding his designed and produced sword at http://www.pattonhq.com/sword.html If you love Patton, you'll love to read this! This specimen is a 1918-made and marked piece, with crisp markings on both sides of the ricasso. The handle and guard are in very fine original condition, and the blade is untouched and virtually nick-free. The original canvas-covered scabbard is nice as well, having only two small areas where the stitching of the scabbard cover is split (so typical of these). It is complete, untouched, and a very reasonable specimen for you die-hard cavalry/US militaria collectors. There's an eBay auction running right now as I type this, and the current bid is $600 for one of these in identical condition--yes, these swords are worth as much or more than Civil War-era swords! And they ain't getting any cheaper...

Here's a pretty example of the British classic firearm of the mid-1800's, well loved and used here by both sides during our Civil War...the Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle. As my friend Tim Prince of College Hill Arsenal likes to succinctly put it, "The Enfield was in it's day what the AK-47 is today..."--the most widely used, acclaimed, coveted, and copied weapon weapon in the modern world at the time. They were solidly built, had fine craftsmanship, good sighting mechanisms, high accuracy, and very reliable. The Confederacy imported around 300,000 Enfields into the War, and the North imported at least 400,000. This specimen is a nice and affordable example of the type. It is fully-functional, and has all original parts, right down to the Enfield ramrod and sling swivels. No import markings anywhere on the stock or barrel, and has both the Birmingham "*25*25*" barrel proof with the Crown / "TP" / broad-arrow proof, showing it was approved for British military service. The Crown / TP / Broad Arrow proofs are commonly seen on British weapons approved for their military use, but this one was never issued for service (given the void of no other proofs). The stock has a most gorgeous original walnut patina with no cracking visible whatsoever, and extremely few nicks or scratches, despite it's clean combat usage. The British Stock-maker's mark of "W. Pape" is clearly visible upon the backstock opposite the lockplate. The metal is unpitted, with a nice dark metal, uncleaned original patina, and does show clear signs of heavy combat usage, given the powder residue and burn in the nipple/bolster area. It is obviously been fired many times in the line of duty. The nipple on this piece is an original/period nipple, but obviously a replacement after such service, as it is not as pitted or smashed at all from the firing this one saw. A nice, representative example of the famous British Enfield Rifle that was so widely imported and used in our War...

Gorgeous & Rare Small-Sized (Pre-War) OVM Oval Buckle -- From the Vicksburg Campaign

I've only seen a few of these OVM's from the Vicksburg Campaign, and they are rare and desirable enough to be found from anywhere. It is one of the few Union plates as rare as any Confederate plate, and also reflected in their very high dollar value. This one has a beautiful chocolate-brown facial patina--the kind you always want to see on a dug plate! With very little ground action from being an early find, the "OVM" (Ohio Volunteer Militia) letters stand-out literally across the room. The plate has the most minor hairline freeze-crack or two, and small thin spots around a few parts of the edge, but as you can see in the photo's, it doesn't detract from the natural beauty and display of the piece at all, and is completely stable and "solid". One arrow hook remains solidly intact--the other broke-off, and is clearly the reason why this little plate was discarded by the soldier. We find a few of these OVM's and Ohio State Seal Breastplates scattered about the Vicksburg Campaign from the many Buckeyes who marched, bled, and camped all over. This one is about as pretty as any I've seen from this area.

Slick & Dark, Rarer 20-Pound Parrott Excavated "Bottlenose" Bolt From Atlanta, W/ Complete Brass Sabot

The Federal armies by 1863 through 1864 had equipped their artillery arsenal with far more accurate, longer-ranged cannon, which became the terror of their foe. Able to fire accurately at 2 miles or more, rifled Parrott and Ordnance field pieces in multiple calibers were forcing the Confederates to depend upon fixed positions and fortifications for protection from the Federal "rain of fire". In response, newly-designed solid-shot "bolt" projectiles were created and used to pound away at Confederate fortified defenses to batter them down. This larger 20-Pound Parrott (standard field size was 10-Pound) "bottlenose" bolt projectile is one of them, being a very advanced engineering design utilizing Physics of the design to concentrate the force of the round's impact for maximum force, penetration, and destruction. Much like our use of "shaped-charges" today, the tapered nose comes to a much smaller "nose", in the shape of a bottle, and thus it's moniker. Far advanced thinking and design for the 1860. This specimen was excavated in Atlanta, and these rounds were well-used by Federal forces for accurately and effectively causing destruction to both the massive fortifications guarding Atlanta, and the physical structures of the town, as well. It is completely stable, with virtually no pitting--only the expected ground-action to be seen over the piece. The brass sabot is entirely intact, and shows the rifling of the 20-Pound Parrott Rifle very crisp. The form of the nose is still very distinct and intact as well (often they are chipped or highly deteriorated). A great displaying, quality specimen, as you can see in the photo's below.