Well, while looking at the bat in question, I have had an epithany
Years ago I donated a self-propelled turning lathe to a local museum that was used here on the farm in the 1850's. Where the wood attaches to the blank to be turned, it leaves it's finger print, unique to each turning lathe. while checking turned table legs here at the farm that were turned on the same lathe to the bat in question, they match!! There for I am 99% sure that the bat originated in East Tennessee and was turned from a tree that was growing while Daniel Boone was exploring this area and shot a bear in 1775, possibly from cover of the tree the bat was turned from.. There is more, family lore says that Cpl. W.C. Droke took said bat from East Tennessee to Vicksburg Mississippi via horseback to fight the yankee invaders. Running short on powder at Champions Hill, he yielded the bat to repel the yankees, until it splintered. Then in the ways of Andrew Jackson at the battle of New Orleans, (Jackson grabbed an aligator and we pulled another round) Cpl. Droke wrapped the bat with baling wire and continued the fight until outnumbered 15 to one. The bat was taken as a war trophy by the Blue Bellies and has now finally resurfaced.
Seriously, I have no Idea on the bat, definitely an oldie, but dang that is a great tale, bet believable by some
take care, Drokester