AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN SWORDS 67 



in number, are described first, followed by the others of the series, 

 in alphabetical order of the names of their original owners. 



SWORDS OWNED BY GEN. ULYSSES S. GRANT 



The first of these swords was presented to General Grant in 1861 by 

 friends in the town of Galena, 111., where he resided at the outbreak 

 of the Civil War. This sword,'*' which is of the staff-officer type, has 

 a long slender, straight, diamond-shaped blade, the obverse of which 

 is decorated in silver chasing with the figure of a United States 

 infantryman advancing with fixed bayonet, a sailor seated, a bugler 

 sounding a signal, and with floral and scroll designs. The reverse 

 is similarly decorated with an infantryman, a Zouave, a naval officer, 

 a trophy and floral designs. The grip is ivory, and the obverse side 

 is decorated with carved designs representing a Roman helmet and 

 the United States shield flanked with flags and crossed cannon. The 

 reverse is carved in a similar manner to represent an eagle's plumage, 

 and the pommel, which is of brass, is vase-shaped with an eagle on 

 the obverse side and a plain shield on the reverse. The end of the 

 pommel is silvered and is decorated with four medallions each 

 containing a classical head. The knuckle guard, which is a 4-sided 

 bronze strip, the obverse and reverse of which are decorated with 

 thunderbolts, terminates above the blade in a plain circular quillon. 

 The bronze counterguard is double-heart-shaped with the American 

 eagle flanked by three standards on the obverse side and a plain 

 reverse side, which is hinged to the quillon. The scabbard is finished 

 in gilt and bears three mounts, two of which are decorated with floral 

 and scroll designs. The third bears an oak spray. Between the 

 first two is a tablet engraved : " Gen'l. U. S. Grant, Galena, Ill's." 

 The reverse of the scabbard is engraved : " Presented by G. W. Gra- 

 ham, C. B. Taylor, C. C. Marsh and John Cook, 1861."' This sword 

 and the two others described below were presented to the United 

 States Government in 1886 by Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant and William H. 

 Vanderbilt, together with a very large and valuable collection of 

 various souvenirs of the career of General Grant. These objects 

 were accepted by a joint resolution of Congress approved August 5, 

 1886, and in accordance with that resolution deposited in the United 

 States National Museum. 



The second of the General Grant swords was presented to him in 

 1863 by citizens of Jo Daviess County, 111.'^ The general design of 

 this sword resembles that of the one just described, but it is far more 

 ornate and costly than the first one. The blade is also diamond- 



" Length, 95 cm. Blade, 79 cm. long, 2 cm. wide. Inscribed " Schuyler, Hartley & 

 Graham, N. Y." PI. 24, fig. 1. 



"Length, 98 cm. Blade, 82 cm. long, 1.8 cm. wide. PI. 24, fig. 3. 



