Cane

Object/Artifact

-

Batavia Depot Museum

wood gentleman's cane with a decorative gold head

wood gentleman's cane with a decorative gold head

Name/Title

Cane

Entry/Object ID

1979.211.001

Description

Wood gentleman's walking cane with an elaborate gold top. The gold top is engraved, "The cane presented by John A. Logan, Oct. 20th. The head by my wife, Dec. 25th 1886." Cane was a gift to Col. Edgar Swain of Batavia, IL, who was a close Civil War friend of Major Henry Kirk Wolcott of Batavia. Cane was a gift from Major Wolcott to his great-grandson Rodney Buchanan, donor.

Context

This cane was originally presented to Col. Edgar Swain by General John A. Logan in 1886. Both Logan and Swain were involved in organization of the Grand Army of the Republic, the Civil War veteran's group that advocated for veterans' issues. Edgar Denman Swain (1836-1904) had a dental practice in Aurora and Batavia prior to enlisting with the Union Army. After Fort Sumter, he raised a company of Batavians in July, 1861 and became Capt of Co I, 42nd Illinois. He rose through the ranks, eventually becoming Lt. Colonel. He served until the close of the war and mustered out in 1866. He continued to serve with the First Regiment of the Illinois National Guard and was promoted to the rank of Major in 1877. During the railroad strikes of 1877, he was deployed to suppress riots, and was afterwards awarded the rank of Colonel. Swain was very involved with the Grand Army of the Republic in Batavia. John A. “Black Jack” Logan was a Civil War General and war hero, 3rd Commander-in-Chief of the GAR, the leading voice to establish Memorial Day as a national holiday, State Representative, Congressional Representative, and Illinois Senator from 1879 to 1886, when he gifted a handsome walking cane to Edgar Swain.

Made/Created

Date made

1886

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Secondary Object Term

Cane

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Stick, Walking

Nomenclature Sub-Class

Personal Assistive Objects

Nomenclature Class

Personal Gear

Nomenclature Category

Category 03: Personal Objects

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Edgar Swain

Exhibitions

Exhibition

To Secure These Rights

Notes

Exhibit Start: 2026-03-01

Updated By

Jessica Meis

Update Date

October 5, 2026