AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN SWORDS 19 



eighteenth century. Its adoption marked the disappearance of the 

 flat and diamond-shaped blades, which had formerly been so popular. 

 The blade of the colichemarde was triangular in form, a shape that 

 increased at once both its rigidity and lightness. Its length varied 

 little from that of the swords formerly used, but it possessed a very 

 broad section near the hilt intended to augment its facility in de- 

 fense. A short distance from the hilt this width rapidly diminished, 

 and for the remainder of its length the blade was very light and 

 narrow. This type of sword was much in vogue during the first half 

 of the eighteenth century. The colichemarde was superseded about 

 1760 by a slender featherweight arm generally known as the small 

 sword. 



SWORD OWNED BY BRIG. GEN. DANIEL ROBERDEAU 



The National Museum collection includes a very interesting series 

 of colichemardes. One of these was owned during the War of the 

 Revolution by Brig. Gen. Daniel Roberdeau, of the Pennsylvania 

 Militia. The blade of this sword *' is of the regular colichemarde 

 type as described above. The grip is covered with silver gilt and 

 decorated with floral and scroll designs in high relief and antique 

 style. The ball-shaped pommel is also covered with silver gilt and 

 bears similar decorations in relief. The knuckle guard consists of 

 a slender circular brass strip, and the counterguard is of a double- 

 heart shape. 



The owner of this sword was born on the island of St. Christo- 

 pher, West Indies, in 1727, and came to Philadelphia with his moth- 

 er's family when a youth. In 1756 he was elected to the Pennsyl- 

 vania Assembly, where he served for four years. At the outbreak 

 of the Revolution he joined the Pennsylvania Association and in 

 1775 was elected colonel of the second battalion. Later he was made 

 president of the board of officers that governed the associators. In 

 the following year he was elected first brigadier general of the 

 Pennsylvania troops. In February, 1777, he was elected a member 

 of the Continental Congress. In 1778 he rendered a special service 

 by superintending the work of a lead mine in Bedford County, which 

 was protected by a stockade known as Fort Roberdeau. After the 

 close of the Revolution he resided in Alexandria, Va., where he often 

 entertained General Washington. He died in Winchester, Va., in 

 1795. His sword was presented to the National Museum in 1927 by 

 the estate of Roberdeau Buchanan. 



SWORD OWNED BY COL. ROBERT DODGE 



A second sword " of this type in the National Museum collection 

 was owned by Col. Robert Dodge, of the Massachusetts Militia. The 



» Length, 80 cm. Blade, 62.5 cm. long ; 3.3 cm. wide. PI. 2, fig. 1. 

 ■'Length, 89 cm. Blade, 73.8 cm. long, 3.5 cm. wide. PI. 2, fig. 3. 



