AMERICAiSr AND EUROPEAN SWORDS 129 



The grip is unusually large, 4-sided, and made of boxwood; it is 

 decorated with 12 parallel vertical grooves, each of which is wound 

 with two threads of gilt wire. The whole is surmounted by a brass 

 strip, continued to form the pommel, which is decorated in relief 

 with laurel wreaths and sprays caught by ribbon. The guard con- 

 sists of a single heavy brass rectangular strip, which is continued to 

 form a narrow counterguard of the same type and which terminates 

 above the blade in a seashell design. An elongated oval shield 

 decorated with thunderbolts in relief is installed on each side the 

 blade. The scabbard is made of brass with two leather pannels on 

 each side, and the whole is decorated with a medieval trophy and 

 various floral and scroll designs. 



The owner of this sword was born in Morlaix, France, in 1763 

 and in 1T87 because provost of the law school at Rennes. In 1792 he 

 joined the Army of the North at the head of a battalion of volun- 

 teers and distinguished himself by his courage and military skill. 

 He was soon promoted, first to the rank of brigadier general in 1793 

 and to that of general of a division in 1794. In 1796 he conducted a 

 campaign in Germany in which he exhibited military ability of a 

 very high order. After a period of inaction, owing to a suspicion on 

 the part of the government that he had been implicated in the trea- 

 son of Pichegru, he was sent to the north of Italy in 1799. Here he 

 was for the time being superseded by Joubert under whom he con- 

 sented to serve. In 1800 he was associated with Napoleon in the 

 campaign of that year and achieved a remarkable series of victories. 

 After returning to Paris he became concerned in the conspiracy of 

 Cadoudal in 1804, and for this was sentenced to two years' imprison- 

 ment, a punishment that was commuted by Napoleon to exile. He 

 then visited the United States and engaged in agricultural pursuits. 

 In 1813 he was invited to Russia by the emperor, Alexander I, who, 

 on his arrival, gave him a very flattering welcome and induced him 

 to devise a plan for the invasion of France. He soon became a close 

 friend of Emperor Alexander, and during the Battle of Dresden in 

 August, 1813, he was mortally wounded by a cannon ball from one 

 of the guns belonging to Napoleon's guard. He died a few days 

 later, and his remains were interred in St. Petersburg. His sword 

 was transferred to the National Museum in 1923 from the Military 

 Service Institution. 



SABER OWNED BY PRESIDENT ANDREW JACKSON 



The most important French sword of personal historical interest 

 in the National Museum collection is a saber ^^ once owned by Presi- 

 dent Andrew Jackson. The blade is of the long, heavy type with a 



=« Length, 94 cm. Blade, 79 cm. long, 3 cm. wide. PI. 37, fig. 2. 



