The sword is a high grade Staff and Field Officers’ Sword, circa 1850. It features a brass hilt, silver grip, engraved steel blade, and metal scabbard with brass embellished fittings and brass throat. The engraved inscription on the scabbard reads:

Recently rediscovered by Civil War collector Thomas L. Jones, who purchased the sword for his collection having no idea that it once belonged to the father of Douglas Fairbanks, the man the world would always remember as the silver screen’s original “Zorro.”

To learn more about the sword itself, H. Charles Ulman, and the fascinating childhood of Douglas Fairbanks, you can read the complete article, The Sword of Zorro's Father, below. (From the Douglas Fairbanks Museum Archives)

Mr. Jones graciously consented to allow this historic sword to be exhibited before the public for the first time at the Douglas Fairbanks Museum during the summer of 2005.

The exhibit opened on Douglas Fairbanks' birthday, May 23, and closes on September 15, on what would have been H. Charles Ulman's 172nd birthday.

If you missed the opportunity to view this exhibit in person, here are some photographs and highlights from the program:

Born September 15, 1833 in Berrysburg, Pennsylvania. He studied law in Philadelphia, and was admitted to the State Bar in 1856. Three years later, Ulman married Lizzie May Keen, who gave him two daughters: Katharine (b.1860) and Alice (b. 1861).

Upon President Lincoln’s call for volunteers, Ulman and his four brothers – Joseph, Edwin, Leon and Nathan – all enlisted to fight immediately. H. Charles continued to serve as a Union Army Captain until his discharge in 1864.

Nearly 20 years after the Civil War had ended, Ulman moved from New York City to Denver, giving up law for silver mining in the Rockies. Here he married Ella Fairbanks in 1881, a seven-year union that produced two sons – Robert and Douglas.

As all of Ulman’s mining ventures failed, he turned to alcohol, eventually abandoning Ella and the boys in Denver. Ulman went back to his law practice in New York, where he died on February 23, 1915.

Born in Danville, Virginia, 1847, the second of five daughters, she would marry wealthy New Orleans plantation owner John Fairbanks at age 21. This marriage produced only one son, John Jr., before her first husband died of tuberculosis in 1873.

Ella then moved to Atlanta and eventually married again; a Judge Edward Wilcox, with whom she had a baby boy named Norris in 1876. She divorced Judge Wilcox on charges of cruelty in 1880.

Her attorney in the case was H. Charles Ulman, a rather unlikely romantic candidate as Ella considered herself a Southern Belle and Ulman was a former  “Yankee” soldier.

When their marriage later failed, Ella won a divorce on charges of abandonment in 1889. She remained furious at H. Charles for the rest of her life, resumed her former wedded name, and had their sons’ names legally changed to Robert and Douglas Fairbanks. Never again would they be known by the name of Ulman.

She died December 23, 1916 in New York, NY.

Douglas Fairbanks Museum Curator Keri Leigh says "It has been such a pleasure to work with Tom Jones on researching the history of this rare Civil War artifact, and to share with him our collected wealth of information on Doug's father. By comparing notes and sharing our knowledge, we were able to come to a much greater understanding of H. Charles Ulman. He was a fascinating man, truly.  I'm so very proud of the article we wrote for North South Civil War Magazine about H. Charles and the rediscovery of this sword after so many years. Even greater is having the honor of placing it before the public for the first time here at the museum. This exhibit has been very special to us."
 

All text and images copyright 2005, The Douglas Fairbanks Museum and respective photographers listed above.