This Krag bayonet came out of the Mowers family of Fayetteville, PA, just west of here and is identified as belonging to Russell Mowers, son of George W. Mowers, a Civil War veteran whose Gettysburg artifacts and other material we were recently able to purchase directly from the family. This is the regulation bayonet for the .30-40 Krag rifle, adopted by the US army in 1892. With this rifle the U.S. Army began to catch up with foreign powers in the use of small caliber magazine-fed arms using smokeless powder.

The blade shows bright, with smooth metal, good edge and point. It bears the correct stamped US on the obverse of the ricasso and is dated 1899 reverse. The wood grips are very good, with no chips or cracks and fit tightly to the pommel and guard. The pommel, grip rivets and guard show a mix of thin blue and dark gray from oxidation. The guard has a dusting of brown. The scabbard has good coverage of original blue and just one ding near the throat. The swivel and belt hook are there and functional. This is a good example of the Krag bayonet. Krag rifles were used widely by the army in last years of the 19^th century and the early years of the 20^th in America’s conflicts as it became a world power, from fighting the Spanish in Cuba to battles with the Moros in the Philippines, Boxers in China, and in a number of small conflicts elsewhere.

Russell Mowers (1888-1922) was too young for the Spanish-American War, but his WW1 draft card indicates he had six years of service with the Pennsylvania National Guard and had risen to the rank of Sergeant. The bayonet likely dates to that service. The Krag was used by National Guard units and remained in their hands even after the regular army had begun to use the 1903 Springfield. This is a good example from a local family.  [SR]

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