AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN SWORDS 97 



United States Navy. It is of the regulation design already de- 

 scribed, and the blade bears 33 stars, indicating that it was made 

 in 1859. The owner of this sword served on the U. S. S. Monitor 

 during the engagement in 1862 between that vessel and the Con- 

 federate ironclad Virginia^ better known as the Merriiiiac. His 

 sword was presented to the National Museum in 1906 by Miss Mary 

 H. Corbett, 



SWORD OWNED BY ENGINEER THOMAS CHASE 



A naval sword of nuieh interest in the INIuseum collection is one ^® 

 that was owned during the Civil War by Engineer Thomas Chase, 

 United States Navy. The general form of the blade and the hilt 

 is in accordance with the regulation type described above. The 

 decorations on the blade, however, are entirely different in character 

 from those of the regular type. The obverse bears an oval of 13 

 stars, a globe on a stand between two anchors, a sword between two 

 pistols, and floral designs. The reverse is decorated with the letters 

 " U. S. N.," an anchor with chain attached, a naval glass, and floral 

 and scroll designs. This sword was lent to the National Museum 

 in 1909 by Thomas Chase. 



SWORD OWNED BY LIEUT. COMMANDER T. B. M. MASON 



The National Museum collection contains a naval sword '^ owned 

 by Lieut. Commander Theodorus Baily Myers Mason, United 

 States Navy, whose time of service rej^resented the period of peace 

 that elapsed between the Civil War and the Spanish-American war. 

 This sword has a very slender blade, the obverse of which bears 

 a large scroll inscribed " U. S, N.," a foul anchor bearing the United 

 States shield, and a floral and scroll design. The reverse bears a 

 sunburst and a foul anchor between two floral and scroll designs. 



The owner of this sword was born in New York City in 1849 and 

 entered the Naval Academy in 186-1. After his graduation in 1868, 

 he was assigned to duty on the South Atlantic Station. He was pro- 

 moted to the rank of ensign in 1869 and to that of master in 1870. 

 He was retired from the naval service with the rank of lieutenant 

 commander in 1894. He died in 1899, and his sword was bequeathed 

 to the National Museum in 1923 by Mrs. Julian James. 



SWORD OWNED BY REAR ADMIRAL WINFIELD SCOTT SCHLEY 



The National Museum collection contains a number of naval 

 swords of the regular type, which were owned at various periods by 

 officers who achieved special distinction during the Spanish-Ainer- 



"" Length, 88 cm. Blade, 73.5 cm. long, 2.8 cm. wide. Inscribed " W. G. Mintzer, 

 Pliiladelphia." PI. 30, fig. 2. 



''■^ Length, 88.5 cm. Blade, 75.7 cm. long, 2 cm. wide. PL 30, fig. 1. 



