Gen. J.H. Savage returned from Jasper this morning.  While at the home of 
an old comrade in Walker county, he was returned a clasp for an old sword 
belt, which was shot from his body at the battle of Shiloh, April 6th, 1862,
which possesses a very interesting history.
This clasp was originally the property of his great grandfather, who was a 
colonel in the Revolutionary Army, and was a part of a sword and belt worn 
by that officer, Col. W.C. Culberson, in the battles at Green Pond, 
ninetysix[sic], Fairfield,Newburg, Cowpens, Kings Mountain and Guilford 
Courthouse, all in North Carolina. After the death of this Revolutionary
patriot, the sword descended to his daughter Jane, wife of Major James T. 
Savage, who was a Major in the war of 1812, and wore them at the two 
battles of Port Royal and at Charleston. His son, James P. Savage, inherited
the sword, belt and clasp, and presented them to his son, James H. Savage, 
Captain of Company I, Nineteenth Alabama Regiment.

Torn from belt.

Captain Savage was wearing these accoutrements at the first battle of Shiloh.
About two or three o'clock of the first day of that battle a minnie bell or 
piece of shell struck the clasp, tore it loose from the belt, the sword and 
clasp falling to the ground, and Captain Savage was knocked down by a ball 
or piece of shell.  He was carried to a tree nearby, to be cared for by the 
ambulance corpse[sic], but recovered sufficiently from the shock in a few 
minutes to rejoin his company.  The soldiers will remember the time when 
the horse of General Wheeler was shot under him and killed, only a few 
minutes before the incident above narrated occured.

Notches filed in it.

The clasp has notches filed in it by the wearers who carried it through the 
different battles, except that no notch is made by General Savage for the 
one battle in which he wore it.  As the General only wore it through a part 
of a battle, he has not yet decided how he can exactly note a part of a 
notch on it, to represent his part of its history, and probably history will
have to be told and not notched for that feature.
An old comrade of General Savage, Mr. W.L. KINGBURY, of Walker County, a 
member of the Nineteenth Alabama Regiment, visited the battlefield when 
Shiloh park Commision was locating, about ten years ago.  He decided to go 
over the battle around, note the different positions of this regiment in 
that battle. As he passed the point about where General Savage was wounded
he found this clasp and brought it home with him.  On a visit to Walker 
County a few days since, General Savage was a guest of his old comrade and 
friend.  They recounted their experiences in the Lost Cause and enjoyed 
recounting the hardships they shared.  The incident of picking up the clasp 
was noted and the lost heirloom was presented to Gen. Savage by his old 
friend.  General Savage advertised extensively in Northern papers about 
twenty years ago seeking to recover the lost sword, but was unsuccessful.  
This clasp is all that remains of the accoutrements of his forefathers, 
and he prizes it very highly.

Copy from clipping of Birmingham Paper.