Fort Dobbs State Historic Site
Fort Dobbs Gazette
Volume X Issue 2
June 2013
A Gentleman’s Small Sword
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE:
p. l
-Small Sword
-Dispatch
P-2
-Summer Events
-Living Histoiy Update
-When it Was News
p. 3
-Photos from the Frontier
p. 4-5
■ NC and the NY Campaign of
1756
P-6
-New DCR Secretary
-Raffle Winners
-New Acquisitions
p. 7
-Friends of Fort Dobbs
Roll Call
Department of
Cultural Resources
Susan W. KJuttz, Secretary
Office of Archives and History
Dr. Kevin Cherry, Deputy Secretary
Division of State Historic Sites
Keith Hardison, Director
Western Region Supervisor
Bob Rcmsburg
Fort Dobbs Historic Site
Gennifer Reiter, Site Manager
Scott Douglas, Historic Interpreter
Wayne Steelman, Maintenance Mceh.
Krystal Arrington, Site Assistant
Fort Dobbs’ own “history hero”
Tom Nicastro has struck again! Tom has
made it his mission to ensure that original
examples of all the weapons used by the
provincial soldiers at Fort Dobbs are
displayed in our exhibits. Having already
acquired a Dutch musket and bayonet, a
cutlass, and a sergeant’s halberd, Tom had
set his sights on an officer’s sword. After
years of research, an acceptable example
has been found!
The sword in question, which will
go on display this summer, was made in
London in 1748. The silver hilt of this
weapon is very similar to that owned by
General Braddock, who was mortally
wounded in the disastrous Battle of the
Monongahela in 1755. The sword used by
George Washington was likewise
decoratively gadrooned and had a wire-
wrapped handle.
The exact type (or types) of swords
carried by the officers at Fort Dobbs is, and
will likely remain, unknown. However, this
beautiful period piece will serve to illustrate
one possible option to our visitors for many
years to come.
Dispatch from the Fort by Gennifer Reiter, Site Manager
41
i
Spring is the most
beautiful time of year at
Fort Dobbs. Our little
hilltop has become an
oasis of natural beauty,
and I am reminded of how
blessed I am to be here every time I step
foot on site. I am also reminded of how
lucky I am every time I work with my
staff, visitors, and volunteers. Fort Dobbs
has a wonderful support base, and I want to
thank those who give the site so much of
themselves. To my staff — thank you for
your hard work and ideas. I am proud to
work along side of you. To the members of
the garrison, thank you for your love and
talents. Your passion is humbling and a great
source of motivation. To our visitors, thank
you for your time. We do what we do for
you, and your investment in us is a source of
strength. Finally, thank you to the Friends of
Fort Dobbs. You are our biggest
cheerleaders. You provide us with hope,
resources and confidence, and 1 cannot begin
to describe what that means to me. I am the
luckiest director in the world!
