Region invited to help bring Civil War sword home
Creeping up on nearly two centuries later, the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Association of Scranton and Civil War Museum are vying to bring Lt. Ezra S. Griffin's sword home.
They're asking the community to help recover the lost sword by donating funds.
The story goes, the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Association of Scranton is the legal successor to the Grand Army of the Republic Post 139 named after Griffin, who served in Company 'E' of the 143rd Pennsylvania and was present in battles at Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, Cold Harbor and Petersburg.
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The GAR Memorial Association and the Civil War museum in the Marketplace at Steamtown are raising funds to purchase a Civil War era sword that once belonged to Lt. Ezra Griffin. (Lt. Ezra S. Griffin Camp #8 SUVCW / Submitted)
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Lt. Ezra S. Griffin served in Company 'E' of the famed 143rd Pennsylvania and was present in Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, The Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, Cold Harbor and Petersburg. Lt. Griffin was wounded at the siege of Petersburg, Virginia on June 18, 1864, and he died at the age of 29 on July 11, 1864, in Annapolis, Maryland due to complications from his injury. (Lt. Ezra S. Griffin Camp #8 SUVCW / Submitted)
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The GAR Memorial Association and the Civil War museum in the Marketplace at Steamtown are raising funds to purchase a Civil War era sword that once belonged to Lt. Ezra Griffin. (Lt. Ezra S. Griffin Camp #8 SUVCW / Submitted)
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At one time, the sword was in the association's possession, but following several moves, the sword was misplaced, explained Charlie Spano, a volunteer with the Civil War Museum, who added he's not sure how it landed in its current home with an auctioneer in Arizona.
'It's one of those unsung mysteries of the Civil War,' Spano said. 'We're not sure how it separated from all the other Civil War memorabilia and wound up in this guy's hands, but there it is. We're just glad we found it.'
Spano added that the auctioneer has promised to keep the sword, scabbard, belt and sash until June 12, but if it is not purchased for the $6,000 asking price by that time, it will be sold at auction to the highest bidder.
Griffin was born in Scranton in 1835 in a frame house between Court Street and Providence Road. Tax records showed he worked in farming, said Nicholas E. Petula, a retired history teacher with the Scranton School District, and author of 'Forgotten Hero, The Life, Letters and Diaries of Lt. Ezra S. Griffin.' Petula wrote the book after 'serendipitously' coming into possession of Griffin's letters and journals written during the Civil War, including among them nearly 50 family letters and at least one letter from his former regiment captain.
Petula explained that Griffin's letters and diaries were meticulously written, sharing much information about his experience while at war.
On June 18, 1864, the group was charging across an open field when Griffin was injured by bullet, said Petula. Griffin entered into his journal that he had been wounded in charge that day, and 'kind of poo pooed it,' Petula said. It was Griffin's final entry.
'Probably infection set in pretty quickly,' Petula said, adding that Griffin was moved to a hospital in Maryland for treatment where he died about a month later on July 11.
In his book, Petula outlined the short but extraordinary life of the local Civil War soldier.
'His whole life was a real mystery, that's why I called the book 'Forgotten Hero,'' Petula said. 'The letters that he wrote and his diary entries, he was so well-written, he was very articulate, he was at every major battle. … He was at some kind of affair in Washington and shook hands with Lincoln. … The guy really was quite the guy, and his letters extremely patriotic.'
Petula said 'a lot of people' would be interested in seeing the sword recovered.
'If they knew the background story and got to really know what this guy stood for as far as patriotism at the time, and the way he died, and the story behind the sword, if it's truly the sword, it's certainly an interesting story of how it was taken, how it went, how it got into the hands of this guy, how people found out about it and how people raised the money to get it back,' Petula said. 'It's really a testament to the guys who are raising the money.'
Spano said fundraising efforts are, so far, going well.
'We have about 50% of the $6,000 we need to purchase the sword from the auctioneer in Arizona,' he said, adding that two museum fundraisers, in-person donations and an online fundraising initiative will hopefully help them bring in the rest of the money needed to return the sword to its rightful place in history.
On April 15, Scranton Art Haus at 301 Lackawanna Ave. will present a screening of the Academy Award winning feature film, 'Lincoln,' at 6 p.m. While the screening is free to the public, the museum hopes it will bring in donations toward the sword's purchase.
On May 3, a pasta dinner fundraiser will take place at the Northeast Detachment Marine Corps League, at 1340 Alder St. from noon to 3 p.m. Tickets are $20 per person and can be picked up at the GAR Museum, or by calling 570-604-1812.
In-person donations for the sword will be accepted at the museum during business hours, and online donations are being accepted via Zeffy.com.
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