134 BULLETIN 16 3, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



1858. O'Superievr Mle. 1855." The grip and pommel are of the 

 same type as those of the sword of 1860 just described. The lower 

 part of the guard is also much the same, but the front consists of an 

 oval plate decorated with openwork floral designs and terminating 

 above the blade in a palm-leaf spray. 



The owner of this sword was born in Missouri in 1833. He spent 

 his boyhood in Kentucky, but in 1854 he settled in Kansas. He op- 

 posed slavery and was prominent in the political life of the State 

 prior to the Civil War. During that conflict he served as major of 

 the First Kansas Infantry. In 1880 he was appointed to the post 

 of United States consul at Bangkok, Siam. He was subsequently 

 promoted to the grade of consul general, and in 1882 he was made 

 minister resident. He resigned this position in 1885 and returned to 

 the United States after a highly successful diplomatic career. He 

 J) resented his sword to the National Museum in 1891. 



SABER OWNED BY MAJ. GEN. FREDERICK D. GRANT 



The Museum collection includes a light and graceful French 

 saber ^^ of the early part of the twentieth century, which was owned 

 by Maj. Gen. Frederick D. Grant, United States Army. The blade 

 bears a wide shallow central groove between two narrow, deep 

 grooves on each side. The obverse is stamped near the grip " Mer- 

 cer & Carpet Fabr. Paris " within an oval. This point is diamond- 

 shaped. The grip, which is made of hardwood painted black and 

 wound with 13 turns of gilt wire, is surmounted by a plain metal 

 strip, which terminates in a button-shaped pommel. The guard 

 consists of a plain nickel-plated strip with three circular branches. 

 This saber was presented to the National Museum in 1912 by Mrs. 

 Frederick D. Grant. 



CAVALRY OFFICER'S SABER, PERIOD OF WORLD WAR 



The most recent French sword in the National ISIuseum collection 

 is a cavalry officer's saber of the period of the World War.^^ It has 

 a narrow straight blade with a rectangular groove on each side. 

 The back of the blade is engraved " Sabre d'OfScier Cavalerie Mle. 

 1896. Manufacture Nationale d'Armes de Chatellerault Juin 1915." 

 The grip, which is made of hardwood painted black, is wound with 

 12 turns of fine copper wire. The pommel is covered with a helmet- 

 shaped piece of brass, the lower part of which is decorated with 

 sprays of laurel and oak leaves. The guard is made of a brass plate 

 of full basket shape with the blade passing through the upper cen- 

 ter, and the lower portion is formed with four large openings. The 



6" Length, 95.5 cm. Blade, 81.5 cm. long, 2 cm. wide. PI. 39, fig. 7. 

 El Length, 98 cm. Blade, 81.8 cm. long, 2.3 cm. wide. PI. 39, fig. 8. 



