Confederate raiders learned it was unwise
to steal memorabilia from an old soldier

William Orlando Butler, soldier and statesman from Jessamine County, was in his seventies when the Civil War occurred.

Although too old to serve as an officer in the War Between the States, Butler had served with distinction as a major in the War of 1812 and as a major general in the Mexican War.

In 1852, he was a strong contender for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination and was a delegate to the Washington Peace Conference in 1861. Politically, he was a moderate and, although a slaveholder, was opposed to the extension of slavery and favored gradual emancipation. He stood firmly for preservation of the Union and was a Union Democrat during the Civil War.

And, at that point, he was satisfied to sit out the North-South conflict and hope for the best. But, some Confederates invaded Butler’s home and so infuriated him that he was ready to start a war of his own.

A Kentucky custom during the 1800s called for ceremonial swords to be fashioned for generals who served during the Mexican War. Butler was presented one made of gold with a 3.2-carat ruby in the guard and a topaz in the hilt. Its value was incalculable. At the time he received the sword, it cost about as much as a 300-acre farm – $1,800.

Legend has it that Butler’s sword – and an elaborately patterned silver piece – were stolen from his home by Confederates during the early part of the Civil War. Taking matters into his own hands, Butler allegedly rode to the nearest Confederate camp, demanded the swords’ return, then hid them until the end of the conflict.

The gold sword was made at the Kentucky Military Museum, which began as the Kentucky Arsenal, the storage location for all military equipment and uniforms for Kentuckians. It continues to be prominently featured.

Built in 1850, the arsenal/museum building in Frankfort initially did not even have a set of stairs leading to the second floor, but rather an ammunition hoist for moving goods around. During the Civil War, the arsenal, set on a bluff above downtown Frankfort, was a cartridge factory staffed with teenage girls.

In July 2012, the facility was closed and underwent a multi-phase renovation. It was reopened the following March.

Located on the corner of Main Street and Capitol Avenue, the museum displays uniforms, medals, flags and weapons, including a collection of automatic arms and Kentucky rifles. Exhibits trace the state’s involvement in military conflicts through two centuries.