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George S. Patton, Jr. Excessively rare hand-carved wooden sword, hand-carved walking stick, and typed letter signed ("Ge... (Total: 3 Items)
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Sold on May 7, 2022 for:
$40,000.00
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Description
George S. Patton, Jr. Excessively rare hand-carved wooden sword, hand-carved walking stick, and typed letter signed ("Georgie"). Typed letter signed (8 x 10.5 inches), Washington, D.C., October 20, 1942, on "War Department, Washington" stationery to Patton's childhood governess and nurse, "Mary Scally c/o Miss Anne W. Patton."Fantastic mementos: a wooden saber and walking stick hand-carved by a young George S. Patton Jr. together with a poignant 1942 letter from the General to his childhood nurse and governess, Mary Scally, written immediately before he departed for North Africa, advising her that by the time the letter arrived: "I will either be dead or not ... "
Includes:
1 - George S. Patton, Jr. hand-carved wooden saber. Consisting of a 3'5" long piece of white oak, hand-carved into the shape of a sword replete with leather knuckle guard affixed with a nail and wire at the pommel. Affixed to the blade is a legend on paper, typed by Patton identifying it as: "First saber made by me in 1905 from a white oak tree growing at Lake Vineyard. The guard is from a beef killed on the place. Mary Scally made me a ticking scabbard for it." Acquired from Patton's grandson, Robert H. Patton, who stated the future general fashioned the sword at the family's California estate, "Lake Vineyard," during his first summer home from West Point in 1905. The saber hung on the wall of his South Hamilton, Massachusetts home for years.
2 - George S. Patton, Jr. hand-carved wooden cane. A woodworker and builder of ship models, Patton carved this 38-inch long cane from a fallen tree branch and carried it into his first battle of WWI at Saint-Mihiel in September 1918. Patton cleverly repurposed a spent shell casing from a high-caliber bullet cartridge to attach as the cane's metal tip. Acquired from Patton's grandson, Robert H. Patton, who stated the future general fashioned the cane while serving as a young tank officer in France in 1918 and it was an important personal memento of his experiences with American Expeditionary Force during WWI. The cane hung in his South Hamilton, Massachusetts home for years.
3 - George S. Patton, Jr. amazingly personal typed letter signed. When Ruth Wilson Patton gave birth to George S. Patton, Jr. in November 1885, the newborn was so sickly, it was an open question whether he would survive infancy. His nurse and governess, Mary Scally nursed him back to health within a few months. A devout Irish-Catholic, Scally was initially so worried the young George Jr. would not survive, she had him secretly baptized lest his immortal soul should enter heaven un-christened (Carlo d'Este, Patton: A Genius for War, 1996, page 33). Patton grew very attached to Mary Scally over the years, long after he left home for boarding school at age 11. In late October 1942, as he prepared to depart for North Africa where he would lead allied forces, he writes a poignant, yet humorous farewell to his longtime governess, in full:
"When Nita gives you this letter I will either be dead or not. If I am, please put on a good Irish wake; if I am not, get busy with the Pope. In any case, please accept my sincere love and appreciation for all you have done for Nita and myself. Affectionately, Georgie"
Within days, Patton departed the United States for North Africa. On November 8, 1942 he led Operation Torch: the American landings around Casablanca, Morocco, which spelled the beginning of the end of Axis control of North Africa. Within six months, Patton's forces, together with the British army under Montgomery had pushed the Germans and Italians out of North Africa, setting the stage for the invasion of Sicily in July 1943.
A truly remarkable trio of items associated with Patton's formative years.
All three items were acquired directly from George S. Patton, Jr.'s grandson, Robert H. Patton. A COA from Heritage Auctions attesting to this provenance accompanies this lot.
Auction Info
2022 May 7 Treasures from the Melvin "Pete" Mark, Jr. Collection Signature® Auction #6256 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
May, 2022
7th
Saturday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 7
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 909
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
25% on the first $300,000 (minimum $49), plus 20% of any amount between $300,000 and $3,000,000, plus 15% of any amount over $3,000,000 per lot.
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