AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN SWORDS 65 



Volunteers, who was killed at the Battle of Port Hudson, La,, on 

 May 27, 1863. This sword was presented to the National Museum 

 in 1906 by Mrs. E. C. Fiedler. 



CONFEDERATE STATES SWORDS 



A special degree of historical interest attaches to the Confederate 

 States swords " in the National Museum collection. In common with 

 many other weapons used by the Confederates, these swords illus- 

 trate the lack of military material in the South during the Civil 

 War. The}^ are for the most part inferior weapons of clumsy design 

 and poor workmanship. Many of them are imitations of the United 

 States swords of the same period. In addition to the swords of Con- 

 federate design described below, this unit of the collection includes 

 also several militia officers' sabers, which were made during the 

 early part of the nineteenth century. In this group are also a few 

 swords of English and French make, which must have been im- 

 ported through the blockade. 



FOOT OFFICERS' SWORDS 



The collection of Confederate swords includes four that were all 

 clearly modeled after the United States foot officer's sword previ- 

 ously described. One of these ^ has a heavy blade with a slight curve 

 and a wide shallow groove on each side. The grip, pommel, and 

 guard are all of the regulation type but crudely made. The reverse 

 side of the counterguard bears the letters " C. S." in large capitals. 

 This sword belongs to the Alfred F. Hopkins collection. A second 

 sword ^ of the same type has a more ornate blade, one side of which 

 is inscribed " C. S." in large capitals and the other " E. J. Johnston 

 & Co., Macon, Ga." This was presented to the National Museum in 

 1918 by Mrs. E. M. Chapman. A third gword ^'^ of the foot officer's 

 type has an unusually large guard, the front of which bears a pelican 

 on her nest between the letters " C. S." in large capitals. A fourth ^^ 

 of this type has a plain guard inscribed on the front in large capitals 

 " Boyle Gamble & McFee, Kichmond." 



ARTILLERY OFFICER'S SABER 



There is one Confederate Artillery officer's saber in the Museum 

 collection of great beauty of design and finish.^- It is of the same 



T An interesting account of Confederate swords?, by Ricliard D. Steuart, of Baltimote, 

 Md., appeared in the Confederate Veteran for January, 1926. 



8 Length, 96 em. Blade, 81.5 cm. long, 3 cm. wide. VI. 23, fig. 2. 



» Length, 90 cm. Blade, 75.8 cm. long, 2.8 cm. wide. PL 23, flg. 1. 



" Length, 91 cm. Blade, 77.5 cm. long, 2.9 cm. wide. Marked " Dufllno, N. Orleans." 

 PI. 23, fig. 3. 



11 Length, 95.7 cm. Blade, 82 cm. long, 2.6 cm. wide. 



^ Length, 90.2 cm. Blade, 76.4 cm. long, 3 cm. wide. PI. 22, fig. 3. 



