American foot artillery sword?

Battara · 27th May 2013, 06:06 AM

The eagle on the pommel looks French to me. The American (both north and south) version of this piece as you know was based on the French model.

Hotspur · 27th May 2013, 02:28 PM

Wouldn't a French 1816 sword have a rooster and not eagle and those 1816s with none have had their fluer de lis rubbed off?

Add that this has a shield on its breast?

Cheers

GC

Jim McDougall · 27th May 2013, 06:26 PM

I am not sure what the '3' refers to, but this seems very much a M1832 Ames type foot artillery sword. The eagle is the same and the shield of course aligns with the federal period motifs in the U.S.
The French 1816 and 1831 'cabbage choppers' as far as Ive known had smooth pommels and the 1831 had ringed grips rather than 'feathered'.

These swords were of course pretty ineffective as weapons but served well in utility for clearing brush etc in artllery emplacements. As always, these would have served in degree as required if overrun, but there were honestly relatively few sword injuries recorded in the Civil War, and the likelihood of use of these improbable as far as combat use.

David · 4th June 2013, 11:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hotspur

Wouldn't a French 1816 sword have a rooster and not eagle and those 1816s with none have had their fluer de lis rubbed off?

Add that this has a shield on its breast?

Cheers

GC

I agree. Eagles with the shield on the breast are a very common American symbol of the day see the coins below.

Hotspur · 5th June 2013, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

I agree. Eagles with the shield on the breast are a very common American symbol of the day see the coins below.

Yes. particularly from 1783 to date

27th May 2013, 06:06 AM	#1
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,308	The eagle on the pommel looks French to me. The American (both north and south) version of this piece as you know was based on the French model.

27th May 2013, 02:28 PM	#2
Hotspur Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Nipmuc USA Posts: 523	Wouldn't a French 1816 sword have a rooster and not eagle and those 1816s with none have had their fluer de lis rubbed off? Add that this has a shield on its breast? Cheers GC

27th May 2013, 06:26 PM	#3
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,459	I am not sure what the '3' refers to, but this seems very much a M1832 Ames type foot artillery sword. The eagle is the same and the shield of course aligns with the federal period motifs in the U.S. The French 1816 and 1831 'cabbage choppers' as far as Ive known had smooth pommels and the 1831 had ringed grips rather than 'feathered'. These swords were of course pretty ineffective as weapons but served well in utility for clearing brush etc in artllery emplacements. As always, these would have served in degree as required if overrun, but there were honestly relatively few sword injuries recorded in the Civil War, and the likelihood of use of these improbable as far as combat use.