AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN SWORDS 17 



early period of the Revolution by Maj. Gen. Richard Montgomery, 

 of the Continental Army. The blade of this hanger ^ is curved and 

 bears on each side a narrow deep groove near the back. The grip, 

 which is made of ivory, is decorated with 12 parallel spiral grooves, 

 and the pommel is made of silver plate in the shape of a lion's head 

 with open mouth and deep grooves in the neck. The silver-mounted 

 quillons form an elongated S decorated with laurel leaves and bear- 

 ing on each side in the center a medallion containing a waterfowl. 

 The lower quillon is united with the pommel by a slender double 

 steel chain with circular links. The scabbard is made of russet 

 leather with two plain silver mounts, which are united by a large 

 openwork silver holder decorated with two hearts intertwined, flanked 

 by crossed swords. This sword was presented to Congress by Miss 

 Julia Barton Hunt in 1923 and deposited in the United States Na- 

 tional Museum. The joint resolution accepting this sword reads 

 as follows : 



Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States 

 of America in Congress assembled. That the sword of General Richard Mont- 

 gomery which he wore when he fell at the siege of Quebec on December 31, 

 1775, be accepted in the name of the Nation from the donor, Miss Julia Barton 

 Hunt, whose generosity is deeply appreciated, and that the sword be deposited 

 in the National Museum. 



The owner of this sword was born near Feltrim, Ireland, in 1736, 

 and was educated at Trinity College, Dublin. At the age of 18 he 

 entered the English Army as an ensign in the Seventeenth Infantry 

 and served with distinction during the French and Indian War. 

 In 1Y57 he was sent to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and shortly afterwards 

 participated in the siege of Louisburg under Gen. James Wolfe. In 

 1759 he accompanied Sir Jeffrey Amherst in the campaign against 

 the French forts on Lake Champlain. In 1760 he was made adjutant 

 of his regiment and served with the expedition against Montreal 

 under Col. William Haviland. After the close of the war he spent 

 some time in Great Britain and became intimate with many of the 

 Liberal members of Parliament. In 1772 he sold his connnission in 

 the British Army and in the following year purchased a farm at 

 Kings Bridge, now a part of New York City. 



In May, 1775, Montgomery became a member of the first provincial 

 Congress in New York City. In June of the same year he was made 

 a brigadier general in the Continental Army and designated to serve 

 as second in command under Gen. Philip Schuyler on the expedition 

 to Canada. Owing to the illness of his superior officer, the entire 

 command of the expedition devolved upon Montgomery, and the 

 initial success of this bold enterprise was entirely due to his 

 courageous ability. Proceeding by way of the Sorel River, he over- 



' Length, 71.5 cm. Blade, 56 cm. long, 3 cm. wide. PL 1, fig. 1. 



