Lot 162
Sword Carried By Capt. Michael Whitley. Sword that belonged to Captain Michael Whitley, company commander in the Fourth Battalion of Lancaster County militia. An American hunting sword or cuttoe, 34½ in. in length, with a blade of 29 in., c. 1770-80. The hilt and silver work were crafted by Charles Hall of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, according to the so-called "Philadelphia pattern," wherein the eagle has a long head with full beak and a rear tuft of feathers. American folk art is etched into the silver. The handle is of bone (with a hairline crack); the blade is probably of European manufacture. The scabbard boasts silver mounts and ring. Mounted in a custom-made display case, 9½ x 42¼ x 3 inches, with a plaque that says, "This sword was carried by Captain Michael Whitley, great great grandfather of William Fahnestock. Captain Michael Whitley, Seventh Company, Col Robert Elders' Fourth Battalion, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Militia, was wounded and taken prisoner by the British at Chestnut Hill, Battle of Germantown, December 6th, 1777. Died several days later in Philadelphia, aged 47 years. His daughter Martha married Isaac McKinley; his son, Isaac C. McKinley, was father of Margaret A. McKinley, who was mother of William Fahnestock." A book titled The Fahnestock Genealogy, published in 1945, also belonged to the part of the family that inherited the sword.
In early December 1777, General Washington's army was preparing to leave its camp at Whitemarsh in order to take up a new position farther from Philadelphia and the British army. In an effort to attack the Americans while they were on the march, Howe moved forward, his advance guard reaching Chestnut Hill four miles southeast of Whitemarsh on the 5th. There the British came into contact with an American militia force under Brigadier General James Irvine. After desultory fighting, Irvine and sixteen other Americans were captured, among them, Captain Michael Whitley, 47 years old, company commander in the 4th Battalion. Wounded in the action, Whitley was moved to Philadelphia by his captors, where he died shortly thereafter, as evidenced by a strength report of the Fourth Battalion and a petition by Whitley's widow for a pension (located in the Pennsylvania Archives). For an account of the action, see Boatner's Encyclopedia of the American Revolution under Whitemarsh, Pa. Whitley's family recovered the sword, which they preserved in the family for two hundred years.
Estimated Value $10,000 - 20,000.
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| Realized $7,475 |
