After an appearance on the PBS program “Antiques Roadshow”, a Civil War sword purchased by Bond County residents has become very famous in our area.
WGEL spoke with the owner of that sword, Victoria Betz, from Utah, who said she was thrilled to hear about the response. “I’m really, really pleased to hear that,” Betz said. “I’ve had the sword for several years and I had no idea there were so many relatives of mine, and descendents of Col. John B. Reid still around, so I was just tickled to death to find out about all that.”
Betz is a great-great-granddaughter of Col. John B. Reid. She was given the sword by her father, Ward Reid Betz, who was born in Greenville.
We asked Betz if she has plans for what happens next with the sword. “I sure do,” she said. “The sword is just sitting in a vault right now, because I’m so nervous about owning something that is that precious to me and that is now becoming quite well known here in Utah, also. I decided some time ago that I would be letting the [Bond County Historical Society’s Hoiles Davis] museum in Bond County have it on loan. I’d like to keep it in the family, but I also want to share it with people. I think, especially now with all of the Reid cousins back there, it really should be in the museum. So I’m planning on bringing it out sometime this year and presenting it to the museum there.”
When the sword makes its way back to Greenville, we’ll be sure to let you know.
Special thanks go out to local historians Bill Davidson, Kevin Kaegy, John Coleman, and John Goldsmith and to Robert Wilson – a local descendant of Col. John B. Reid – for their help in researching this story and making the necessary connections.
To read more about the history of Col. John B. Reid and his sword, click here to read Thursday’s WGEL Daily e-newspaper: https://wgel.com/daily/2014/01-16-14.htm.
