Noticed a man in White Rock Valley showing off an antique sword in his Union Blues recently? That’s neighbor Todd Williams.
Williams recently set up a stand outside his White Rock Valley home complete with links to historical records, books, a musket and an authentic Civil War-era sword used during the Siege of Mobile. Neighbors were able to stop by, ask questions, and even grasp the sword, which is permanently housed at Williams’ cousin’s home in Kansas City.
He found out about the sword while researching his maternal family’s genealogy. It belonged to his great-great-grandfather, Captain John Lewis Kinney, who served in the 10th Iowa Infantry. Kinney participated in several battles in the war’s Western Theater, mostly in Mississippi. After the Siege of Vicksburg, he was commissioned as a lieutenant in a USCT (United States Colored Troops) regiment, the Fiftieth United States Regulars.
“It’s just absolutely thrilling,” Williams said. “Parts of my family, they kind of make fun of me because I’m so into it. But in today’s climate, we don’t have many stories that talk about how there were allies for this problem of slavery in our nation. it’s our original sin. And it’s just thrilling to me that not only was he a Civil War veteran and I have his sword, but he was a veteran leading Black troops.”
Kinney led his troops with the sword at the Battle of Fort Blakely in 1865. It recently made a return when Williams and his cousin returned for an annual reenactment.
The sword, still in its original scabbard, has a shagreen (shark or rayskin) handle.
“They would use shark skin as opposed to leather, and that was common in Civil War swords. They called it shagreen,” Williams said. “I don’t know why, but I think it had to do with the fact that shark skin is used to being wet, but it’s also very tough, and so you can grip it. “
His goal in showing off the sword is to educate neighbors and provide a space for reflection on the nation’s “original sin”. He says that he would especially like to bring the sword to Lake Highlands High School for a presentation during lunchtime.
“I’m grateful to all the historians in my life that took the time to look me in the eye and say, ‘Hey, this is important. You should remember this. This is cool,’ that kind of thing. People kind of mind their own business these days. They don’t want to put themselves out there. But through my dad and others I guess I’m a frustrated historian myself.”
