After finding and being sent a few pictures of men in the 16th Texas Cavalry with the famed Bowie knives which so many Texas Confederates took to war, one particular image made me wonder exactly who the blacksmith or blacksmiths may have been who made the blades. There were six known blacksmiths who served in the 16th, but without exception, the three men who had their pictures taken with such weapons enlisted in Grayson County, Texas. More specifically, there were two from Company G, which was
![Deaver, John Arthur edited](https://fitzhughsregiment.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Deaver-John-Arthur-edited.jpg?w=326&h=421)
Private John A. Deaver, Company G.
raised in Sherman on March 1, 1862, and one from Company D, which was raised near Mantua on February 20th of the same year. Private John A. Deaver was one of these. His photograph, shown at left, depicts him holding the blade up for the camera. Its rough but distinctive D-guard is plainly visible, clasped firmly in his hand. While there were likely many blacksmiths available, if the blade Deaver is holding was made by a fellow enlistee in Fitzhugh’s Regiment, the most likely candidate is David L. Lewis, a fellow Private in Company G. Not only was Lewis listed as a blacksmith in Grayson County in 1860 and in 1870, but his service record indicates that the Confederate army made use of his skills as a smith. In the summer of 1862, Trans-Mississippi Commander Thomas Hindman had ordered a small detachment of men from the 16th Texas Cavalry, as well as detachments from other regiments, to work as sappers and miners to build an earthwork fort at Arkansas Post. Lewis’ service record indicates that in August of that year he was part of that detachment. By November, he was detailed as one of their blacksmiths. By 1880, he was still a blacksmith, living in Van Alstyne in Grayson County.
![Welch, Zachariah 1 edited](https://fitzhughsregiment.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Welch-Zachariah-1-edited.jpg?w=273&h=392)
Pvt. Zachariah Welch, Company G.
It was only as the 20th century dawned that he was found in a different profession. He made his living as a landlord from at least 1900 onward. His first wife, Vicey, died in 1888, and David remarried in 1894. He lived until 1918, and was buried in the city cemetery in Van Alstyne. Among the other blades that he may have made prior to entering the war is the blade at right, held by Private Zachariah Welch of the same company. The two blades bear a strong resemblance, including the small forward flourish on the front of the guard. The guard is also a very thin bar on both blades. There is little chance that an actual comparison could be made, as most such blades were discarded early on, as soldiers realized the impracticality of carrying such large, heavy weapons. John Deaver had likely discarded his by the time he was wounded at Milliken’s Bend in 1863. He survived the war by a mere four years, dying most likely of the effects of his wounds in 1869. Zachariah Welch, on the other hand, lived until 1895, and was buried in a family cemetery near Collinsville. If David Lewis was the bladesmith that crafted weapons for Welch and Deaver, he outlived his clients by a considerable span.
The third man pictured with such a blade is an unusual one. Sergeant Josiah Collins of Company D bears a blade that is not only much larger than those borne by Welch and
![Collins, Josiah](https://fitzhughsregiment.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Collins-Josiah.jpg?w=302&h=403)
Sgt. Josiah Collins, Company D
Deaver, but one that features a distinctive, thick double D-guard. In all, it resembles a short sword more than it does a Bowie knife. As with Deaver and Welch, Sergeant Collins could have gone to any local blacksmith to have his weapon made. However, if he had it made by a man in his company, the only known blacksmith was Private John A. Bailey. Bailey was originally from Kentucky, and served in Company D with his younger brother, Robert. Their father, Tarleton Bailey, was himself a blacksmith, and had seemingly taught his craft to his eldest son. If it was indeed the younger blacksmith that made the Bowie knife for Collins, the beauty of his craftsmanship would not be seen for long. John A. Bailey was killed in action at the battle of Pleasant Hill, Louisiana on April 9, 1864. Josiah Collins lived far longer. Though he does not appear to have kept or passed down his beautiful Bowie, his portrait is still in the hands of his descendants. Collins himself remained in Texas, and died in Howe, Texas, on November 10, 1920. There is little doubt that many of them 16th took such blades to war. One veteran of the regiment remembered that they were armed with “hack knives made from buggy springs,” among their other implements of war. Exactly who the blacksmiths were who made them is unclear. Captain John Runnels Briscoe, a Baptist preacher and blacksmith, lived and pastored Churches all over the area where the ten companies of the 16th were raised. Other blacksmiths in the 16th included James Bray of Company A, Pinkston Pierson of Company B, and Finly Vanhuss of Company E. Bray died of pneumonia in 1870, and Vanhuss died in February, 1865. Pierson Pinkston appears to have returned to his native Missouri, where he disappeared from history. Whoever the men were who crafted such fierce weaponry, there is little doubt that they would be pleased that there are still men and women admiring the beauty of their craftsmanship over a century and a half later.