Mr. & Mrs. Clifford Duvall, from Lewis County, Kentucky, arrived at our camp at the 140th anniversary of the Battle of Shiloh. They brought with them the saber of Mr. Duvall's great grand uncle, Peter Bertram, the commander of Company F, 54th OVI. Captain Bertram was only 28 years old when he died on April 7, 1862 during the Battle of Shiloh. His name is inscribed on the 54th monument on the battlefield.

We most sincerely thank the Duvall's for sharing this piece of history with us. It was one of the highlights of the weekend, partly because of the anniversary of the battle, but also because they planned a trip to the event based on the knowledge that we would be there. Below are the images of this wonderful artifact. Thanks to Jim Oiler for the images.

Captain Jim Ruley poses with the saber.

Members of the 54th gather round the saber with Mr. Duvall.

Image showing the detail of the engraving.