Description:

Civil War Officer's Sword Presented to Captain of All-Jewish Company! Amazing Item!

In mid-August 1862, the Jewish community of Chicago held a series of meetings at Concordia Hall to organize a Jewish company and "afford material aid to the Government to crush out this rebellion, and to support the Government and Constitution." Several Jewish leaders made war speeches stressing "the duty of our Israelite citizens toward their adopted country." The first meeting yielded pledges of $6,200 and 40 recruits. The Chicago Tribune commented, "The Israelites have taken hold of this matter with a determination to succeed. All honor to them for their patriotic efforts and munificent liberality. It cannot be surpassed."

By the end of the third meeting, the community had pledged more than $11,000 for enlistment bounties, and 100 men had joined the Concordia Guards, an all-Jewish company commanded by Captain Jacob Lasalle, for the new 82nd Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Lasalle contributed $100 to the subscription list. At the third meeting, Illinois Lieutenant Governor and German immigrant Francis Hoffmann "made a most powerful and eloquent appeal."

On Saturday, August 16, the friends of the Jewish company met with them at Ibach's saloon, where H. T. Bachman presented Capt. Jacob Lasalle with this "elegant sword" and a sash and belt. The Ames Manufacturing Company of Chicopee, Massachusetts, manufactured this Model 1850 Foot Officer's Sword in 1862. During the Civil War, Ames was a major manufacturer of side arms, swords, and light artillery for the Union war effort, and the third largest producer of heavy ordnance. This sword includes the stamped inspector's mark "J H," for John Hannis or Joseph Hannis, who served as arsenal inspectors from 1844 to 1864, on one side of the ricasso and "1862" on the other side. The sword features a steel double-edged blade with a stopped wide fuller, an integrated narrow fuller, and etching on each side. The detailed brass hilt features a cast guard and knucklebow with cutout oak leaf scrolls and acanthus leaves. The wooden handle is tightly bound with double-twisted brass wire. The accompanying leather scabbard is missing the chape and drag. The brass locket of the scabbard is engraved, "Presented to Capt J. Lasalle. by his Friends & associates. Chicago. Aug. 16, 1862."

On August 18, the Jewish community held an "immense mass meeting" at Bryan Hall. Colonel Frederick Hecker addressed the meeting, and the Jewish ladies of Chicago presented an American flag, with "82d Regiment Illinois Volunteers" on it in gilt letters, to the Concordia Guards, who left Chicago the next day with the regiment for Camp Butler, near Springfield.

[CIVIL WAR; JUDAICA.] Civil War Foot Officer's Sword, Presented to Captain Jacob Lasalle, August 16, 1862, Chicago, Illinois. Manufactured by Ames Manufacturing Company, 1862, Chicopee, Massachusetts. 36.5" long.

Historical Background
In 1860, Chicago had a German-born population of 22,230, more than 20 percent of the city's total population. Within this German-born minority were most of Chicago's Jewish population of 1,500, though it included a few Dutch and Polish Jews as well. The German Jewish immigrants (mostly from Bavaria) had their own synagogue, and the immigrants from Holland and Polish Prussia had a second. A third, consisting of adherents of the new Reform Judaism movement, was founded in 1860. In early 1862, Henry Greenebaum formed the Concordia Club for Jews affiliated with the Republican Party.

Although the 82nd Illinois Volunteer Infantry was composed mostly of German immigrants, it also included Scandinavian and Swiss. The commander when it was forming was Lt. Col. Edward Selig Salomon, a German Jewish immigrant, and Captain Emil Frey of Company H, who later served as Swiss ambassador to the United States (1882-1888) and President of the Swiss Confederation (1894). In addition to the Jews serving in Company C, a small number of Jews also served in other companies of the 82nd Illinois, including Company K's first captain Joseph B. Greenhut, who had served earlier in the war and wounded at Fort Donelson.

After organization at Springfield and mustering in on October 23, 1862, the 82nd Illinois moved to Washington, D.C., where it became part of the Army of the Potomac. It participated in the Battles of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg as well as several smaller engagements. At the Battle of Chancellorsville, the regiment lost 29 killed, 88 wounded, and 38 missing. Colonel Hecker was wounded, and in trying to assist him, Major Ferdinand Rolshausen was also wounded, leaving Captain Jacob Lasalle temporarily in command of the regiment. In October 1863, the regiment was transferred to the Army of the Cumberland in northern Alabama, from which it participated in operations in eastern Tennessee and the Atlanta campaign, Sherman's March to the Sea, and the campaign of the Carolinas, leading to the Confederate surrender at Bennett Place in North Carolina. The regiment participated in the Grand Review in Washington, D.C., in May 1865 before returning to Chicago and being mustered out in June 1865.

Between 10,000 and 18,000 American Jews served in both the Union and Confederate armies, or approximately 4 to 5 percent of the Jewish population. In addition to the company raised by Lasalle in Chicago, the Society of Concord Congregation in Syracuse, New York, held a war meeting on August 24, 1862, that continued for a week and had a recruiting office. The rabbi "appealed to his congregation to demonstrate their love for the Union by meeting the goal." By the end of the week, the congregation had raised $3,000 and enough men volunteered to form the first company in the 149th New York Volunteer Infantry. Jewish communities in the South formed two Jewish companies, one in West Point, Georgia, in 1861, and another in Macon, Georgia, in 1862. When, late in the nineteenth century, anti-Semitic critics argued that Jews had not served in the Civil War, veterans organize the Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A. in 1896.

Jacob L. Lasalle (1833-1921) was born in Hesse, Germany, and immigrated to the United States in 1856. In August 1862, he became the captain of Company C of the 82nd Illinois Volunteer Infantry regiment. After serving through the Battle of Chancellorsville, Lasalle resigned on May 27, 1863, and returned to Chicago. In January 1864, he married Sybilla Stern (1839-1926) in Chicago, and they had at least four children. Immediately after the war, they moved to Toledo, Ohio, where Lasalle entered a partnership with Joseph E. Epstein in a dry goods business. Lasalle was later president of Lasalle & Koch Co. and continued as a dry goods merchant in Toledo until his death in September 1921.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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