120 BULLETIN 16 3, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



broad shallow central groove. The blade is without decorations, 

 and the grip is made of wood. The pommel is a brass lion's head, 

 and the knuckle guard is a plain brass strip terminating above the 

 blade in a circular quillon. This saber was presented to the Na- 

 tional Museum in 1926 by Dr. George I. McKelway. 



SWORD OWNED BY BRIG. GEN. PETER GANSEVOORT, JR. 



The museum collection contains a British military officer's sword 

 that was owned during the early part of the nineteenth century by 

 Brig. Gen. Peter Gansevoort, jr., United States Army. The blade 

 of this sword " is diamond-shaped and tapers gradually from hilt to 

 point. Each side bears the British royal arms. The grip is wound 

 solidly with steel wire. The brass pommel is vase-shaped. The 

 guard is a plain brass strip terminating above the blade in a quillon, 

 the end of which is decorated with onk leaves. The counterguard is 

 a solid double-heart-shaped brass plate, and the scabbard is made of 

 black leather with two brass mounts. 



The owner of this sword was born in Albany, N. Y., in 1749. He 

 was appointed major of the Second New York Kegiment in July, 

 1775, and participated in the expedition against Canada. In Novem- 

 ber, 1776, he was made colonel of the Third Kegiment, and in April, 

 1777, he commanded Fort Schuyler and successfully defended this 

 fortress against the attack of the British and Indian forces under 

 St. Leger, thereby preventing the latter from cooperating with Bur- 

 goyne. For this service he received a vote of thanks from Congress. 

 In 1781 he was appointed brigadier general by the New York Leg- 

 islature and in 1809 was made brigadier general in the United States 

 Army. He died in Albany in 1812. His sword was presented to the 

 National Museum in 1912 by INIrs. Catherine Gansevoort Lansing. 



MILITARY OFFICER'S SWORD OF ABOUT 1830 



A British officer's sword ^^ of the early part of the nineteenth cen- 

 tury is included in the Alfred F. Hopkins collection. It has a 

 straight blade with a broad shallow groove extending its entire 

 length. The sides are decorated with scroll, trophy, and floral de- 

 signs in gold on a dark-blue background. The grip is steel deco- 

 rated with fine vertical grooves. The pommel is an 8-sided bronze 

 vase, the top of which is decorated with oak leaves. The guard is 

 a slender brass strip, and the counterguard a brass plate of double- 

 heart shape with the reverse side on a hinge, and a line of floral 

 sprays on each side of the blade. The scabbard is made of black 

 leather with a brass mount at each end. 



" Length, 79.7 cm. Blade, 68.5 cm. long, 2.2 cm. wide. A part of the blade is laclcing. 

 PI. 34, flg. 7. 



" Length, 86 cm. Blade, 69.2 cm. long, 2.3 cm. wide. Tl. 34, flg. 9. 



