Louis Froelich: Immigrant, Sword Maker . John T. Frawner, Jr. If you drive through Kenansville, North Carolina, today you might notice a lone highway marker located at the western edge of town on the road leading "from the Court House to Magnolia." The marker reads "Confederate Arms Factory stood here. Made bowie knives, saber-bayo- nets, and other small arms. Destroyed by Federal cavalry, July 4, 1863" (next page). No mention is made of Louis Froelich, a German immigrant, who used his expertise and resourcefulness to produce for the State of North Carolina and the Confederate States of America more than 26,000 edged weapons. Froelich's valuable contribution to the Confederacy was recorded in The Wilmington Journal on April 28, 1864: HOME INDUSTRY - We learn from the Confederate that at the manufactory of Messrs. L. Froelich & Co., enabled to turn out at the quickest notice, all sizes of uni- Kenansville, N. C., from April 1, 1861, to March lst, 1864, form buttons."' Very little is known of the success or failure this establishment has f~~rnished18 sets of surgical instru- of the button operation. ments, 800 gross military buttons, 3,700 lance spears, 6,500 sabre bayonets, 11,700 cavalry sabres, 2,700 officer's In the fall of 1861, Froelich met B. Estvan, a man who sabres, 600 navy cutlasses, 800 artillery cutlasses, 1,700 sets would prove to be of questionable background and char- of infantry accoutrements, 300 sabre belts, and 300 knap- acter. Estvan, situated in Wilmington in early 1861, contact- sacks. ed Governor Clark and offered his services to instruct a company of cavalry in the use of the lance. Estvan was in In the early months of the Civil War, the State of North Carolina traveling under the guise of a "Colonel" of North Carolina successfully placed contracts for rifles with Confederate Cavalry. Apparently the North Carolina offi- firms in the Jamestown and Greensboro areas. However, cials, anxious to arm their cavalry, were somewhat taken- they were concerned with the need for sabre bayonets for in by the "Colonel." This situation probably led to the first these rifles and sabres to arm the large number of cavalry North Carolina sword contract and Estvan sought Froelich regiments being raised. This concern was indicated in a letter Governor Henry T. Clark wrote on March 11, 1862, to to produce the swords. Collectors have been unable to positively identik any of the swords from this contract. Confederate Secretary of War, Judah P. Benjamin, about his difficulty in obtaining carbines and swords for Colonel By November of 1861, Froelich and Estvan were well established in arms manufacturing with contracts from Spruill's 19th N. C. Reg't. Clark stated "We searched from both the State of North Carolina Ordnance Office in New Orleans to Richmond. We did engage from the Estvan Raleigh and the Confederate States of America in & Froelich sword factory at Wilmington, and paid high Richmond, Virginia. In January, 1862, they advertised in prices, but three-fourths of the swords proved worthless."' Froelich left his home in Bavaria in the late 1850s and The Daily Journal for "mechanics who can execute round wood work," probably referring to the making of sword by way of London and New York ultimately arrived in Wilmington in the spring of 1861. He spent several years in handles. London building steam engines for ships. In Wilmington, They also were paying highest cash prices for old iron, copper, brass, and pewter.' In the same paper in Froelich almost immediately became associated with the February, 1862, they were paying one cent per pound for firm of Loeb & Swartzman, dealers in groceries, coal and anthracite coal for their forge and steam engine use. wood. This firm advertised in The Daily Journal during The firm used various names in Wilmington: "Estvan June and July of 1861 as the Wilmington, N. C. Button and Froelich Sword Factory," "Confederate Arms Factory," Manufactory. One ad stated that "under the direction of Mr. "Confederate States Sword Factory," etc. Research has not L. Froelich, a thoroughly educated mechanic, we are revealed the location of the Wilmington manufactory. Reprinted from the American Society of Arms Collectors Bulletin 66:11-17 Additional articles available at http://americansocietyofarmscollectors.org/resources/articles/ 226 Sword bayonets $ 10.50 each 102 Cavalry sabres and belts % 24.00 each 151 Artillery swords (probably cutlasses) $ 12.00 each 4 Art~lleryswords $ 35.00 each 300 Sabre bayonets $ 10.50 each 50 Attachments (rings) .90 each 192 Lances $ 5.00 each 1 Artillery Cutlass $ 12.00 each 232 Sabre bayonets including $ 10.50 each sheaths and rings' It appears that most of the edged weapons left the fac- tory with the accoutrements necessary for field use attached. Initially the State of North Carolina may have sup- plied the leather goods to the armory, but later Froelich established his own leather working operation at Kenansville. These two groups of vouchers, though by no means a complete record, indicate the production at Wilmington from the Froelich and Estvan partnership. The Confederate States of America deliveries were received at Richmond, Virginia or at Wilmington, and the State of North Carolina deliveries were consistently made to Raleigh. By a deed dated September 30, 1862, Froelich pur- chased a 2.5 acre lot in Kenansville, N. C., from Alsa Southerland for the sum of $900.00. The lot was located at Highway marker at Kenansville, N. C., armory site. the western edge of town on the south side of the road On March 12, 1862, Froelich posted a notice in The leading "from the Court House to Magnolia."Magnolia Daily Journal that the partnership between him and was the closest station on the Wilmington and Weldon Estvan as "Confederate States Arms Factory" was dissolved Railroad. Kenansville is approximately sixty miles north of and that he would continue the business alone.' Estvan's Wilmington, which was and still is the county seat of true identity surfaced in an editorial that appeared in the Duplin County. The town was named for an early patriot, Daily Richmond Examiner on August 10, 1863, under the General James Kenan, whose family established a planta- heading "Southern In~postersNorth." The editor stated that tion there in the middle 1700s. The price Froelich paid for Estvan was Hungarian, served with distinction in several the armory site would indicate that there were probably European wars and came to Richmond to establish a mili- considerable buildings existing there. One interesting tary school. He was described in the most uncomplimenta- point of reference in the deed is "beginning at the Kenan ry terms possible and was hated by Richmonders for leav- line." I believe the site was once part of the Kenan planta- ing his wife and family there at the "mercy of its welfare." tion and probably contained storage sheds, barns, and Estvan went North and published a book in which he possibly even a blacksmith shop or forge. We know that made himself a hero. He even fooled the Yankees, as the Froelich used a steam engine for power. book got into .'The (New Yorkl Herald" and Estvan became Just prior to purchasing the Kenansville property an instant celebrity in New York." Froelich continued to operate at Wilmington, making Listed in the National Archives is a group of approxi- deliveries to both the Confederacy and the State of North mately fifty pay vouchers to Froelich and Estvan. These Carolina. Some work may have continued at Wilmington vouchers are from the Confederate States of America and even after the Kenansville armory was in operation. the State of North Carolina Ordnance Office. The two earli- During the next several months, Froelich established est vouchers, both from the Confederate States of America a major arms manufacturing operation in Kenansville using and dated November 16, 1861, include payments for 128 the business name "Confederate States Armory, L. Froelich, lances at $7.00 each and 220 lance "boots" at 72 cents Prop." If Froelich brought any supplies or equipment from each. Lance "boots" were leather scabbards to cover the Wilmington, they would have gone on the Wilmington and blades. Another group of vouchers from the State of North Weldon Railroad to Magnolia Station and by wagon over to Carolina Ordnance Office, dated between December 18, Kenansville. This same railroad would have been used for 1861, and March 26, 1862, include payments for: arms deliveries as well as incoming raw materials. Another group of vouchers lists six deliveries to the track for three or four miles in both directions. At about Confederacy and one final delivery to the State of North 1:00 p.m., the column headed back towards Kenansville, Carolina between September 30, 1862, and July 1, 1863. where they were fired upon by Confederate troops from Included in these vouchers were: Magnolia. Lewis then pushed his troops rapidly towards Hallsville and Comfort to be under the protection of his 2 Brass kettles $ 70.00 each own troops coming out from New Bern. Additional corre- 153 Sabre bayonets (Last N.C. delivery) $ 13.00 each 99 Sabre belts $ 3.00 each spondence in the official records was critical of Colonel 34 Sabre belts $ 4.00 each Lewis for not destroying more railroad track and for not 200 sets infantry accoutrements, consisting having his "cavalry work gangs" more organized. of cartridge box, cap pouch, cartridge box Colonel Lewis' column contained one unusual group belt, waist belt & bayonet scabbard $ 13.00 each 102 Sabre bayonets and scabbardsg $ 10.50 each of men on this expedition: Company L, North Carolina Union Volunteers.'' These deliveries, some of the first from the Kenansville Existing vouchers indicate only two deliveries to the Armory, indicate Froelich's increased production of accou- Confederacy for the remainder of 1863 after the raid on the trements.