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Background
As many believe to be true, 1st Sergeant James Butler of Company L, 7th Cavalry, was sent on a desperate mission by Custer as a “last hope” for rescue. Riding hard, Butler’s body was located almost two miles from Last Stand Hill, the farthest point away from where Custer and his men were found.
Near Butler’s body a scrap of boot leather, badly deteriorated, was recovered. It was stamped with the letters "J.D." or possibly, "J.B.” Either only the first two letters of his initials remained intact, or the entirety of his initials were discernible. Yet the initials “J.D.B” would show up again, though nowhere near Butler’s body. They were stamped on a sword.
Despite Custer's order that swords not be carried on the Little Bighorn expedition - too noisy - it seems unlikely that Butler, trained as a Dragoon and thus always armed with a carbine, pistol, and saber, would have left his sword behind. Orders to the contrary, many soldiers brought along personal weapons – guns and knives, mostly - and in the case of Sgt. Butler, this apparently so. That Dragoon model sword was stamped on the knuckle bow “J.D. Butler”, the identification being, for a career soldier like himself, a likely precaution in case of loss or theft. The sword a cherished relic in the collections renowned Custeriana collectors.
Physical Description
Model 1840 NCO Sword. Circa 1876.
Blade marked: N.P Ames / Cabotville / 1848. Obverse: U.S. / WD. Knuckle bow stamped J. D. Butler. Blade Length: 32 ½ inches. Brass wire wrapped grip.
Owned by 1st Sgt. James Butler, Company L, 7th Cavalry (KIA LBH). Sword recovered near the Custer battlefield at Deer Lane, Montana.
Provenance: Alexander Acevedo Collection, Dr. Lawrence Frost Collection
