BOOK REVIEW
Reviewed by Knife World Staff

This may seem like a bold statement, but here goes: this is the best researched book ever done on any aspect of Confederate bowie knives. Admittedly, it only covers a small portion of the bowie world, but it does this so well that it could scarcely be improved upon.

Confederate Bowie Knives of the Georgia State Arsenal addresses those knives made by the mechanics of Georgia in the summer of 1862, in response to Georgia governor Joseph E. Brown’s plea for their help with the Confederacy’s impending arms crisis:

“I have already a considerable number of these... knives, but I desire, within the next month, ten thousand more... I must have them; and I appeal to you, as one of the most patriotic class of our fellow citizens, to make them for me immediately...”

Sixteen craftsmen responded to this plea, delivering to the state arsenal at Milledgeville from 1 to 1,469 D-guard bowie knives apiece (totaling 4,909 knives). Georgia’s distribution of some of these knives makes them the closest the Confederacy ever came to officially “issued” bowies. Yet, for many years, collectors didn’t even know what one looked like.

When you see the amount of wonderful material that author Josh Phillips has assembled, you may wonder like I did why no one had done this before. Between state records, arsenal records, recoveries from the nearby Oconee River, and the knife and diary entry of Capt. I.C. Nelson of the 89th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (who arrived at Milledgeville Arsenal on November 26, 1864, accompanied by a certain General Sherman), Phillips has painted a remarkably clear picture of the Milledgeville arsenal knives from conception, through the war, even to the present.

In addition to the historical material, which is well presented, the author identifies and illustrates six types of Georgia Arsenal knives, presumably representing six of the sixteen different makers. Multiple views of each are shown, some in color, with closeups of important features like pommels and sheath mounts.

Confederate Bowie Knives of the Georgia State Arsenal may be narrow in scope, but the research is impeccable, and the entire package is very well done. Bowie knife and Civil War collectors can only hope that this is not the last we’ll hear from Mr. Phillips.

From the book's back cover:

"...When the retreat commences... keep close at their heels with the knife, till each man has hewed down, at least, one of his adversaries."

Thus encouraged the Civil War governor of Georgia, Joe Brown, the patriotic young men in the defense of the state. He further pleaded with the regions mechanics to aid in the impending arms crisis:

"I have already a considerable number of these... knives, but I desire, within the next month, ten thousand more... I must have them; and I appeal to you, as one of the most patriotic class of our fellow citizens, to make them for me immediately..."

In this comprehensive study of the Confederacy's only regulation-issue side-knife, the author identifies the craftsman that answered the governor's call and the huge Bowie knives that they turned in to the state arsenal at Milledgeville, Georgia in the summer of 1862.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1
--The Nelson Knife; Governor Brown's Call to Arms; The Mechanics Contract.
Chapter 2
--Answering the Call; Mechanics and Production; Arsenal Inventories
Chapter 3
--Enter the Yankees
Chapter 4
--Time for a Change; The Type 1 and Type 2
Chapter 5
--The Type 3, Type 4, Type 5, and Type 6; Group photos.
Chapter 6
--The Milledgeville Knives Head North
Chapter Last
--Conclusions and Speculations

Softcover, 118 pp.

Availability: Usually ships the next business day.

$24.95