Remains of a Civil War saber bayonet recovered from Tuscaloosa, Alabama

This is a great piece being offered; it is an excavated Civil War saber bayonet. It is the full heavy brass handle and 2 ½” of the blade remaining. The overall measurement is 7” x 3 ¼” and it weighs 1-pound, 2-ounces. This relic was recovered at Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Because of its location, Tuscaloosa was spared from conflict and destruction for most of the war. Many served in the Confederate military, while on the home front local industry produced clothing, munitions, and other war material. The city also served as a site for medical treatment, military prisons, and refuge for civilians fleeing other areas.

In April 1865,only days before the end of the war, Union cavalry swept into Tuscaloosa. After a brief resistance by Home Guards and University cadets, the city surrendered. In spite of the approaching end of the war. The cadets at the University were only fifteen and sixteen year olds – the older students were already gone and serving with the Confederacy.

Federal troops burned much of The University of Alabama and local industries. Shops, stores, and some residences were looted. In later years, the federal government paid reparations for the destruction of the UA campus.

During the Civil War, most soldiers on both sides used socket bayonets, saber bayonets were considered somewhat rare (see pictures of complete bayonet). This is part of what makes this a unique relic and coming from a site where dug artifacts are scarce.