Andrew Bierne's Confederate Naval Cutlass-- Part 1

From Cowan's Auctions "Confederate Naval Cutlass Attributed to Midshipman Andrew P. Bierne, CSN."

I've never heard of the man, which made the story all the more interesting. 

The auction house was expecting to get $2,350 for it.  Not sure if they did, though.

English-made 24" long.

Bierne was born in 1846 and was sixteen when he joined the Confederate Navy in June 1861 after a brief service with the U.S. Navy (perhaps at Annapolis?)

There is some confusion as to his service, but from 1861-1862, he was at the Richmond Station.  He may have also served briefly at the Savannah Station in early 1863 as one of fifty officers on the CSS Georgia cruiser.  (Probably the ironclad CSS Georgia that was essentially a floating armored battery tied up at Fort Jackson.  I do not believe the cruiser CSS Georgia ever went to Savannah which was securely blockaded by 1863.)

More to Come.  --Old B-Runner