A Civil War sword owned by one of Bond County’s legendary war heroes is coming back to Greenville. Col. John B. Reid was captured by Confederate forces in April 1864. His original battle sword was taken from him, but upon his return home to Greenville after eight months of captivity, the citizens of Bond County collected money to purchase him a new one.
This sword was eventually passed down to his great-granddaughter, Victoria Betz from Utah. In June 2013, Betz brought the sword to a taping of “Antiques Roadshow” in Boise, ID. The segment aired locally on January 13 of this year, creating quite a buzz among local historians and area residents.
After the show aired, Betz offered to put the sword on display in the Bond County Historical Society’s Hoiles-Davis Museum’s Civil War room. The treasured sword will come home to Greenville on Memorial Day, Monday, May 26.
Victoria Betz and several descendants of Col. John B. Reid will attend Greenville’s Memorial Day service at Montrose Cemetery. Following the service, a brief program will be held at 11:30 a.m. Monday at the Hoiles-Davis Museum to unveil the sword. Local historian Kevin Kaegy will talk about Col. Reid’s Civil War service and the importance of the sword in Bond County’s history. The public is welcome to attend. The Hoiles-Davis Museum is located at 318 W. Winter Street.
