Making Friends and Connections

This remarkable sword was the property of Capt. John Holman of the 28th Tennessee Infantry. Carried by him throughout the war, this sword was on his person when he was shot down near the Carter House during the Battle of Franklin. His friend and fellow soldier Spencer Talley recalled his death over 50 years later saying, “Captain Holman was killed in the midst of the charge, leaving the company in my command.” Talley returned to the field the following day to “see that Captain Holman’s grave was plainly marked and easily located.” The remains of Capt. Holman, along with his sword, were exhumed nearly a year after the battle by his mother. When Holman was reinterred on his family property in Lebanon, Tennessee, his mother did not rebury his sword. This treasured artifact remained with the Holman family since that time. It was with great joy that the descendants of the Holman family brought the sword to Franklin and donated it to The Battle of Franklin Trust in 2015. 

Amazingly, shortly before the Holman family donated this sword, descendants of Spencer Talley donated his handwritten reminiscences which include his description of the Battle of Franklin. It was a true honor to have these two pieces reunited under the care of The Battle of Franklin Trust.

Photograph of Spencer Talley taken after the Civil War. He is wearing his army jacket.

Photograph of Spencer Talley taken after the Civil War. He is wearing his army jacket.

Photograph of Spencer Talley (left) and John Holman (right) at the time of their enlistment in the army. They are shown in their uniforms.

Photograph of Spencer Talley (left) and John Holman (right) at the time of their enlistment in the army. They are shown in their uniforms.

The hilt of John Holman’s sword placed atop the journal of Spenser Talley’s memories of the Civil War.

The hilt of John Holman’s sword placed atop the journal of Spenser Talley’s memories of the Civil War.

Questions:

  1. Why do you think that John Holman’s family wanted him buried on their property?

  2. John Holman’s sword was not reburied with him when he was moved by his family. Why do you think that they kept his sword?

  3. Look closely at the hilt of John Holman’s sword. What do you notice?

  4. Spencer Talley’s journal is open to the page where he wrote about the Battle of Franklin. Can you pick out any phrases?

Answers:

  1. They most likely wanted him buried on their property to be close to them and other loved ones who had died.

  2. They may have kept his sword for several reasons. The family might have wanted the sword to remember their loved one. Also, John Holman may have been buried with his sword initially because no one could carry it when the army moved on. Now there was no need to rebury it. 

  3. Because his sword spent close to a year in the ground, there is some noticeable damage. Some of the leather on the grip is missing and some of the metal is discolored.

  4. One phrase at the bottom reads, “. . .the ground and everything I could see was right up in front of me. . .”

Vocabulary Words:

Exhumed – Dig up something buried in the ground.

Reinterred – To bury a body again, often in a different place than that of the first burial.

Reminiscences – A story told about a past event remembered by the person telling the story.

Hilt – Handle of the sword.