74 BULLETIN 16 3, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



cation of the South, he served on the western frontier and in 1881 

 was made colonel of the Second United States Cavalry. His sword 

 was presented to the National Museum in 1916 by Mark B. Hatch. 



SABER OWNED BY BRIG. GEN. MARCUS LA RUE HARRISON 



A presentation saber of special note in the Museum collection is 

 one^* presented to Brig. Gen. Marcus La Rue Harrison, United 

 States Volunteers, in 1864, when colonel, by the officers and men of his 

 command, the First Arkansas Cavalry. The blade is of the regular 

 Cavalry saber type, with a pronounced curve and a medium groove, 

 and bears near the hilt on the obverse in silver chasing on a gold 

 ground, the figure of a Cavalry officer standing, his left hand rest- 

 ing on his sword ; the rest of this side of the blade is occupied with 

 floral and scroll designs. The reverse is similarly decorated with 

 an infantryman standing, his rifle at parade rest, and with the 

 letters " U. S." and floral and scroll designs. The grip is silver 

 plated, wound with 13 turns of copper wire, and surmounted by a gilt 

 strip decorated with the United States shield, a revolver, and crossed 

 sAvords. The pommel is circular with a large ruby set in the end. 

 The guard is of the regulation Cavalry saber type but with the addi- 

 tion of ornate oak scrolls connecting the branches. The scabbard, 

 which is of steel, bears three mounts, the two upper ones decorated 

 wdth oak scrolls and flanked by a silver tablet inscribed " M. La Rue 

 Harrison, Col. 1st Ark. Cav. Vols." This saber was presented to 

 the National Museum in 1920 by Mrs. Marcus La Rue Harrison. 



SWORD OWNED BY BRIG. GEN. RUFUS KING 



A presentation sword -^ of unusual size and beauty in the collec- 

 tion was presented by the Nineteenth Regiment, Indiana Volunteers, 

 to Brig. Gen. Rufus King, United States Volunteers. The blade is 

 long and straight, with a medium groove extending its entire length. 

 The obverse is decorated in gold chasing with the letters " U. S.," 

 with seven stars on the one side and six on the other; the whole is 

 within a circle of laurel wreath and flame, and is flanked by oak 

 and laurel gprays. The reverse is similarly decorated with the 

 United States coat of arms flanked by floral and scroll designs. The 

 grip, which is unusually large and long, is encircled spirally by strips 

 of gold plate alternately plain and decorated with laurel sprays, and 

 the obverse side is set with three large oval sapphires. The pommel, 

 which is cone-shaped, is surmounted by a sphere encircled with bead- 



^ Length, 104.3 cm. Blade, 88.9 cm. long, 2.7 cm. wide. Inscribed " Collins & Com- 

 pany, Hartford," and " H. Folsom, St. Louis, Miss." PL 24, flg. 8. 



'^ Length, 101 cm. Blade, 83.2 cm. long, 2.6 cm. -wide. Inscribed " Bailey & Co., 

 Phila." PI. 25, flg. 3. 



