Lot 139

D-Guard Short Sword of Confederate General James Kemper

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D-Guard Short Sword of Confederate General James Kemper

Estimate: $3,500 - $5,500

Starting Bid: $2,500

(0 Bids)

by Rock Island Auction Company
August 21, 2026 9:00 AM CDT
Live Auction
3600 Harwood Road
Bedford, TX, US 76021

Historic Civil War Era "J.L.K" Inscribed D-Guard Short Sword Identified to Confederate General James Lawson Kemper with Sheath and Family Provenance This impressive Civil War era Confederate D-Guard short sword has a sturdy curved blade terminating in a point, a walnut grip, and a rugged metal handguard which lends the D-Guard its name. The initials "J.L.K" are deeply period inscribed on the D-guard, identified as the initials of Confederate General James Lawson Kemper. A few typewritten letters of provenance from 2000 are included, addressed from Howard Reed, a direct descendant of Private James Martin who served in General James L. Kemper’s Brigade of Pickett’s Division. One of the letters states, "This sword has been passed down in my family since the Civil War. My grandfather's daddy died when my grandfather was only 12 years old in 1926. His daddy's parents were still living and as they later went through his belongings they came upon this sword in his trunk, about which he inquired. They said we had an ancestor that was fighting along side of General Kemper at the Battle of Gettysburg, when Kemper was shot down off his horse. Our ancestor actually assisted in bearing General Kemper off the battlefield. General Kemper believing he was going to die, gave our relative his sword. Our relative carried the sword to the end of the war and it was handed down in our family." An account told by a soldier of General James L. Kemper related to what may have been this very D-Guard knife is on page 159 of the included book "The Confederacy's Forgotten Son" in which it states, "One such story told of the battle of the Seven Pines, where in his shirt sleeves, covered with mud, with his crescent shaped sword in hand, Kemper called out to his men, 'Come on, my bloody heroes! Charge! Send these Devils to Hell!'" The knife measures approximately 22 inches in overall length with a 16 inch heavy curved blade measuring just over 1/4 inch thick towards the bottom. Includes a leather wrapped metal sheath.

Manufacturer: None

Model: None

Class: Other

  • Provenance: Confederate General James Lawson Kemper; Descendant of Private James Martin; A Private Collection
  • Condition: Very good overall with a proper battle used appearance, with some bright areas on the blade and characteristic brown patina on the balance, pitting, some small chips and cracks in the walnut grip, and crisp inscribed initials. The scabbard is also very good, with a few absent small leather sections and general age related cracking. A desirable D-Guard short sword identified to Confederate General James Lawson Kemper.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $199 $10
$200 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000