This Bowie knife connects with General Nelson A. Miles's command of the U.S. Army forces in the West in the late 19th century Indian Wars in the 1870s-1890s. His command battled Sitting Bull and the Sioux and then chased Sitting Bull and his followers out of the country following the Battle of Little Big Horn in the Great Sioux War of 1876. He also captured Nez Perce leader Chief Joseph twice (once in violation of a truce after which he was exchanged for one of Miles's officers and again a few days later) the following year. In 1886, after General George Crook failed to capture Geronimo and asked to be relieved of command, Miles was called in to take over the campaign and capture or kill the feared Apache leader. Miles delegated the task to Captain Henry Lawton and First Lieutenant Charles B. Gatewood. The two men pursued the Apaches and compelled Geronimo to surrender. He initially surrendered to Lawton who brought Geronimo back to Arizona where he officially surrendered to General Miles on September 4, 1886. The carving appears to be meant to represent Geronimo and certainly bears a resemblance to the photographs of the famed Apache leader. In addition to these notable victories, Miles was called upon again to head to the Northern Plains in response to the Ghost Dance movement in 1890, and the 7th Cavalry under his orders stopped a band of the Lakota under Chief Spotted Elk (aka Big Foot) as the fled towards the Pine Ridge Agency following the killing of Sitting Bull by the Indian Police in 1890. When a rifle went off while the Lakota were being disarmed, one of the most infamous atrocities in the history of the American West was committed: the Wounded Knee Massacre. While some praised the 7th Cavalry, Miles condemned the action as “the most abominable military blunder and a horrible massacre of women and children.” He relieved Colonel James W. Forsyth of command and launched an investigation despite pressure from the War Department. Ultimately, Forsyth was exonerated and placed back in command, but not without Miles working hard to see Forsyth blamed for the massacre and the government blamed for creating the dire situation for the Lakota and other Plains Indians that led to the tensions in the first place. He continued to seek compensation for the surviving Lakota into the 20th century. The knife has a 7 1/8 inch clip point blade with "NON-XLL" and "JOSEPH/ALLEN SONS/SHEFFIELD" on the left, a nickel silver guard, a sterling silver marked band inscribed "N.A.M.," and a bone grip carved with a pair of crossed rifles with bayonets on the left, a pair of crossed sabers on the right, and a detailed Native American bust with center parted shoulder length hair on the pommel. The knife is in a brown leather sheath with a belt loop and light tooled border design. The knife was manufactured after Joseph Allen & Sons acquired the Non-XLL trademark from Unwin & Rogers in 1883. Provenance: The Lieutenant General Nelson A. Miles Collection; The Charles Schreiner III Collection; Property of a Gentleman

Fine. The blade is mostly bright and has patches of dark oxidation and pitting. The silver had dark aged patina. The grip has an age crack along the right and distinct carving. The sheath is very good and has some flaking, completely detached stitching on the belt loop, and some age related staining.