General Robert E. Lee’s Pocketknife

[Culprit99]

I saw this at the Texas Civil War Museum outside Fort Worth some years back. I just ran across this picture while looking for something else and thought you all might appreciate it.

 

[Culprit99]

From the same museum…

 

[CVamberbonehead]

Wow that is really cool. That guy must have spent the war whittling down oak trees to break all 4 blades!

 

[Will Power]

Always interesting to see historical artefacts

A Congress knife with ALL four blades broken though? Maybe there was some strange symbolism here, in wars high ranking officers would attempt to break their dress-sword rather than hand them over to the enemy on capitulation . Sometimes it worked as dress swords were often decorative and brittle. Maybe Lee decided his pocket-knife needed some of the same?

 

[PointyThings]

Looks like the timber scribe was misidentified as a hoof pick.

 

[btb01]

Everybody has one of those friends you wouldn’t lend a pocket knife to…

 

[Culprit99]

Looks like the timber scribe was misidentified as a hoof pick.

That could be. I can't tell from the picture though.

 

[Hatchet_Jack]

Always interesting to see historical artefacts

A Congress knife with ALL four blades broken though? Maybe there was some strange symbolism here, in wars high ranking officers would attempt to break their dress-sword rather than hand them over to the enemy on capitulation . Sometimes it worked as dress swords were often decorative and brittle. Maybe Lee decided his pocket-knife needed some of the same?

I think Lee was too honourable for that.

 

[birdsbeaks]

Very cool, but if I could have my pick to carry, I'd take Lincoln's. It's in much better shape!

 

[Johnnythefox]

From the same museum…

View attachment 2514921

A lot of those cavalryman type knives have appeared recently in English in FB groups and Etsy..

 

[r8shell]

Always interesting to see historical artefacts

A Congress knife with ALL four blades broken though? Maybe there was some strange symbolism here, in wars high ranking officers would attempt to break their dress-sword rather than hand them over to the enemy on capitulation . Sometimes it worked as dress swords were often decorative and brittle. Maybe Lee decided his pocket-knife needed some of the same?

I wondered that as well, but maybe he just didn't learn from his mistakes.

Everybody has one of those friends you wouldn’t lend a pocket knife to…

Exactly!

 

[Will Power]

Lincoln's knife might be in better shape but the General outlived the President....On second glance Lee's busted knife doesn't look like a Congress but Swell-Centre

"To lose one blade General Lee might be regarded as a misfortune but to lose all four looks like carelessness......"

 

[abcdef]

Perhaps he gave away the blades to friends as souvenirs.

 

[Angry Waiter]

Everybody has one of those friends you wouldn’t lend a pocket knife to…

That would be all of my savage friends.

Very cool OP. The hanks for sharing. Culprit99

 

[waynorth]

Wow that is really cool. That guy must have spent the war whittling down oak trees to break all 4 blades!

It was a tough war for him!! I might break a blade also, in his boots!!!!

 

[.577NE]

FWIW, General Lee never offered his sword to General Grant, while Gen Grant never asked for it, when Gen Lee surrendered his Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Courthouse in 1865. It is intact, and can be seen at the Appomattox museum.

A somber place worth visiting.

 

[waynorth]

Looks like the timber scribe was misidentified as a hoof pick.

Even museums get it wrong sometimes!! They should have asked us!!!

 

[Oldy]

A four bladed pocket knife with all the blades broke,now there's a story.

 

[5K Qs]

I saw this at the Texas Civil War Museum outside Fort Worth some years back. I just ran across this picture while looking for something else and thought you all might appreciate it.

View attachment 2514904

This is VERY cool!
Any idea what types of blades were included in the original knife?

- GT

 

[CVamberbonehead]

This is VERY cool!
Any idea what types of blades were included in the original knife?

- GT

Whole ones.