Manufacturers of Regulation Model Enlisted Swords During the US Civil
War
by Mike McWatters
American Manufacturers
Ames Mfg. Co.
The Ames Company
started production of military contract swords in 1832 with the M1832 foot
artillery sword, and ended with the M1906 cavalry saber in 1906. Ames produced
more swords for the American military than any other company before or since,
totalling over 200,000 swords in service by the end of the Civil War. In that
time, at least ten different manufacturing marks were used on the swords. A
little knowledge of the company history helps place a date range for when each
stamp was used. When the company started producing swords it was led by Nathan
P. Ames, and most marks reflected that fact. In 1847, Nathan died and left the
company to his brother James. The markings on the blades were immediately
changed from N.P. Ames to Ames Mfg. Co. In 1848, the town of Cabotville was
incorporated into Chicopee, Massachusetts, and the marks were once again changed
to reflect this. I have, however, seen blades dated as late as 1850 that still
bear the Cabotville stamp, as the old dies were probably used until they were
worn out.
The M1832 foot artillery swords, being Ames's first swords,
were stamped with the eagle trademark already common on their other products.
The attached picture shows most of the important details of the sword, except
for the fact that the scabbard stud appears to have been removed and two
carrying rings were attached. I have also observed several examples dated 1835
that do not bear an inspector’s initials on the blade. In most cases the marks
will show some wear from being rubbed by the scabbard, and may be partially or
mostly obliterated. Dates found on this sword range from 1832 to 1862, and I
have included pictures of swords from every decade included in that span. The
early models of this sword were marked as having been made in Springfield
instead of Cabotville. The M1841 cutlass (dated 1842-1846) is the only other
military issue Ames sword marked this way. The cutlass has been seen to list
either the Springfield or Cabotville address, although these swords lack the
eagle mark.
Ames’ second contract was for the M1833 dragoon saber. A
rather clumsy weapon, it was quickly replaced. The marks on this saber appear to
have actually been engraved into the blades, rather than stamped. In cursive
script, they read N.P. Ames/Cutler/Springfield/year, and are dated from 1834 to
1839.
The 1840 models of cavalry, NCO, light artillery, and musician
swords tend to have identical styles of marks for corresponding years. This
trend continues when the 1860 models of cutlass and cavalry saber are
introduced. The 1840 models’ were originally marked with N.P.
Ames/Cabotville/date in the 1840s, followed by Ames Mfg. Co. /Cabotville/date
around 1847, then by Ames Mfg. Co/Chicoppee/Mass in the 1850s. The latter mark
was also used through the Civil war on some cavalry sabers. Sometime in the late
1850s (the earliest I have seen was 1859), Ames started using a new mark on all
enlisted models that was carried through the Civil War. The words Made by/Ames
Mfg. Co/Chicopee/Mass are enclosed within an unraveled scroll, and
initials/US/date is stamped on the opposite side of the blade. This scroll mark
is usually very weak, and often has been partially worn down by the
scabbard—this is a feature that helps in authenticating the sword. I have also
seen one other Ames mark, which I've seen repeatedly, but only on M1860 cavalry
sabers dated 1864. The mark is shaped like an arc with the words Ames Mfg.
Co/Chicopee,/Mass.
Finally, I am including pictures of the M1905
experimental saber and the M1906 Cavalry saber. I have twice seen the M1906 sold
as a Civil War piece after the date was removed, so let the buyer beware! The
M1905 and M1906 are the only models with a flaming bomb on the ricasso, and the
company mark abbreviated to A.S.Co./bomb/1906. The mark is deep, and shouldn’t
be worn off.
Pictures:
M1833 dragoon
saber mark, 1837
Heavy artillery
sword, with modified throat, dated 1838
Heavy artillery
sword, dated 1847
Heavy artillery
sword, dated 1850-something
Heavy artillery
sword, dated 1862
M1841 cutlass,
dated 1845
Heavy
cavalry saber, dated 1845
Heavy cavalry
saber, dated 1846
Heavy cavalry
saber, dated 1847
Heavy cavalry
saber, dated 1850
Heavy cavalry
saber, dated 1857
Light artillery
saber, dated 1849
Light artillery
saber, dated 1862
Light artillery
saber, dated 1865
NCO sword, dated
1848
Musician
sword, dated 1859
Light Cavalry
saber, dated 1864 with the arc-shaped mark.
M1870
bayonet, for reference
M1905 cavalry
saber, for reference
M1906 cavalry saber,
for comparison to the M1860
Possible State of
Virginia purchased M1860 cav saber
Christopher Roby, W. Chelmsford, Mass.
Christopher Roby ran a prolific, but short-lived
swordmaking business from 1861 until 1867. In this time, his company produced
32,200 M1860 cavalry sabers (dated 1861,63,64, and 65), 3500 M1840 musician
swords (dated 1863-65), 12,500 M1840 NCO swords (dated 1862-65), and an unknown
number of M1840 light artillery sabers. Except for the first sabers sold in
1861, Roby’s marks generally followed two forms. The NCO, musician, and rarely
cavalry swords had a circular mark made up of the words C. Roby W. Chelmsford
MS, while the cavalry and artillery sabers had a linear C. Roby over a
half-circular W. Chelmsford and a linear Mass. The assumed 1861 stamp is merely
a line saying C.Roby. Another identifying feature of Roby cavalry sabers is that
they have two extra turns of wire wrap on the grip, making it extend completely
through the pommel. This trait is otherwose only found on M1840 models, which
makes it possible to identify a Roby saber if the marks have been worn off. Roby
also made officer’s swords and fraternal swords, but that topic is another story
entirely. The 1865 dated swords were not delivered until after the cessation of
hostilities, and therefore never saw active duty during the war. The Roby
Company went bankrupt and sold its name and equipment shortly after the war.
Pictures:
Cavalry saber,
with the 1861 stamp
NCO sword, dated
1863
Cavalry
saber, dated 1864
Cavalry saber,
dated 1865
Cav.
saber hilt, showing the wire wrap
Cavalry
saber, dated 1863 with NCO style mark
Cavalry saber,
dated 1863 with rare 3-line mark
Mansfield and
Lamb, Forrestdale, RI
Mansfield and Lamb was little more than a textile
and tool company before the war, but rose up to become the second largest
domestic producer of cavalry sabers in the war. With seven contracts, totalling
37,458 M1860 sabers, the company made swords throughout the war. Their oval
shaped stamp is usually very clearly struck, as opposed to the war era Ames
stamps. Unlike Ames, this company only had one style of mark, as well as only
one style of sword.
Pictures:
M1860 cavalry
saber, dated 1862
Another M1860
cav
Emerson and Silver, Trenton, NJ
Emerson and Silver,
like C. Roby, was another prolific company that made a brief appearance for the
Civil War, then dried up. The company operated from 1860-1865, making 27,060
M1860 cavalry sabers, 3000 musician swords, 12,000 NCO swords, and an unknown
number of light artillery sabers. The artillery sabers are mounted with blades similar to the cavalry sabers. The company only used two stamp styles for
its swords federal government contracts. Cavalry sabers have an arc-shaped Emerson over a linear Silver/Trenton/NJ, as
pictured, and NCO swords have the Emerson in the usual arc,
with the Silver in a mirrored arc, creating an appearance like a convex lens. In 1863 and 1864, E&S also made M1840 cavalry sabers with '60 style grips for the state of New Jersey, with a distinct pattern of stamp that can be used to identify these swords.
Pictures:
M1840 NCO sword
M1860 cavalry saber
NJ Emerson & Silver
P.S. Justice, Philadelphia
Phillip Justice
held contracts for 13,685 cavalry sabers and 1050 light artillery sabers in
1861. Two marking styles are known—both say P.S. Justice/Philada, but one has
the lines both parallel, the other has the first line as an arc with the second
as a line. The picture shown is of the first marking, which was applied to the
M1840 (they still made the older model) cavalry saber blades imported from
Schnitzler and Kirshbaum. This mark is far more common than the second, which is
found on the blades made by the firm itself. I have only seen pictures of the
second mark, so I don’t know if the cavalry sabers with this mark are of the
1840 or 1860 pattern.
Pictures:
M1840 cavalry saber
with imported blade
M1840 cavalry saber
with domestic blade
Providence Tool Co.
Here we have
another tool company that started making weapons for the war effort. This was
one of the smaller sword contractors, totalling 11,434 M1860 cavalry sabers,
dated 1861-63. This company’s primary wartime effort seems to have been devoted
to making guns and bayonets, rather than swords, and only one style of mark was
used on swords.
Picture:
M1860 cavalry
saber
DJ Millard, Clayville, NY
DJ Millard held a single
contract for 10,000 M1860 cavalry sabers, dated 1861. His swords are fairly
rare, but Ames still holds a premium when it comes to price.
Picture:
M1860 cavalry
saber
Collins and Co., Hartford Conn.
Collins and Company
was one of the smaller producers of swords for the Civil War. The company had
contracts for 1000 musician swords and 648 NCO swords, in addition to its orders
for officer swords. I’ve also seen Marine NCO swords made by this company. There
only appears to have been one style of marking used during the war, but I’ve
seen the date placed on either side of the blade. Oddly enough, these swords were not inspected by the US government, and therefore are missing the US mark and the inspection mark. After the war, the company
continued to make swords that were used in later conflicts in South America, and
had US government contracts to make machetes up through WWII. A late version of
their mark includes the word ‘Legitimus.’
Pictures:
M1840 NCO sword
M1840 Marine
Corps NCO sword
Sheble and Fisher, Philadelphia
Sheble and
Fisher diversified from the pattern most companies followed of making only
cavalry sabers, and also made M1840 NCO swords, light artillery sabers, and
M1860 cutlasses. I have seen several of the M1840 pattern of saber, and own one
of the more rare M1860 patterns. This firm's sabers have a flatter pommel cap
than many others, I've seen some with copper wire wraps instead of brass, and
the '60s have narrow-grooved handles that look almost like the '40 model. Since
this firm only made swords during the Civil War, it is important to note that
although the heavy cavalry saber (old wristbreaker) was no longer the standard
issue at the beginning of the war, it was by no means totally superceded by the light cavalry saber.
Pictures:
M1840 Cavalry
saber
Closeup
of the mark from another M1840 cav
Tiffany & Co, NY
It
almost seems absurd to think that the current Tiffany’s store in New York once
dealt in weapons of war. When it comes to swords, the firm is primarily known
for presentation-grade officer’s swords, and their two unique styles of cavalry
sabers. The first saber is identical to the M1840 cavalry saber, but is mounted
with a 3-bar iron hilt. The second is identical to the English P1822 dragoon
saber, which is similar to the US M1833 dragoon saber, but has an ear attached
to the backstrap on the handle. The mark was identical on both, and is shown in
the picture. Tiffany dealt almost exclusively in imported blades, most being
from Peter D. Luneschloss (see PDL mark under foreign makers), or Schnitzler and
Kirschbaum (see S&K mark under foreign makers). There were also a small
number of NCO and foot artillery swords sold by Tiffany, but I cannot comment on
the marks on these.
Pictures:
English style Tiffany
saber
Iron
Hilted Cavalry saber
Mark from Iron Hilted
saber
W.H. Horstmann & Sons, NY and
Philadelphia
Although Horstmann was more of a resaler than a maker, I am
including one of this firm’s marks anyways. I’ve seen at least 5 versions of the
Horstmann mark, most on a variety of officer’s sabers. The carried a range of
sword varieties rivaled only by the Ames company. Most standard issue models
were sold, as well as a huge variety of related military equipment. Most, if not
all, blades were imported from Germany, and some still carry marks from their
German makers. Horstmann held government contracts for 1043 cavalry sabers, 1143
NCO swords, 270 musician swords, and 87 light artillery sabers, and is the only
known maker of the M1840 Marine sword.
Pictures:
Light artillery
saber
Heavy cavalry
saber
Light cavalry
saber
Foot
artillery sword
Another view of the
foot arty
Horstmann M1840
Marine sword
Horstmann Son & Drucker on a pre-CW saber.
State of Massachusetts
The state of
Massachusetts provided a small number of M1860 sabers during the Civil War.
There are also a lot of Ames foot artillery sabers marked MS on the guard and
scabbard drag that may or may not be related to the state of Massachusetts.
Beware, as many modern replicas of the artillery sword have these marks.
Picture:
Cavalry saber with a
possible Massachusetts mark
Charles Hammond
Hammond ran an
edged tool factory in Philadelphia with his son. He had government contracts for
5,000 axes and 5,000 hatchets, and also made tomahawks and a small number of
sabers. His swords are rather crude in appearance, with blades that appear
handmade and roughly cast guards, have no US stamp or inspection marks, and have
a grip that doesn't taper like other '40 models or swell like '60 models. With
such deviations from the norm, it is no surprise that William Albaugh included
them in Confederate Edged Weapons. However, being made in Philadelphia,
these are truly Union swords.
Picture:
Cavalry
saber
Henry Sauerbeier
New York City, and Newark, New
Jersey. Sauerbeir made a wide variety of presentation grade officer sabers,
regulation officer sabers, and a variation of 1840 cavalry saber that has an
unstopped fuller, a grip like an M1860, a screw in the tang, and a slightly
different pommel set at about a 45 degree angle to the handle. The cavalry
sabers are often unmarked, but can by identified by their unique construction.
Cav. officer
sword showing the bent pommel
Cavalry
saber
Cavalry saber
hilt, showing fuller and pommel
Lemuel Leland
Leland made a
small number of M1840 cavalry sabers for the war. I have encountered four, none in their original hilts. Unfortunately, I lost the picture in a computer crash, but
as I recall, the mark is simply the name ‘LELAND’ in block type.
Picture:
Lost in a crash
William Glaze
William Glaze was an agent
for the Ames company until 1851, when he started the Palmetto armory in state of
South Carolina. He produced 2000 M1840 cavalry sabers and 526 light artillery
sabers in 1852. Although these were all used by the Confederacy during the war,
it’s important to note that these were all regulation US models made nine years
before the war, and in no way should have the letters CSA on them. Most cavalry
sabers are marked “Columbia, S.C.” on one side, and some have Wm. Glaze & Co
on the other side of the ricasso. The marks on the artillery sabers are unknown.
These are often treated as Confederate weapons by collectors, and rightly so since they were made for the state of South Carolina, so they will
certainly be found at a much higher price than sabers by other manufacturers.
Picture:
Columbia, SC mark on a
Glaze M1840 saber
Smith, Crane, and Company
A rarer company
to find, I finally stumbled across this picture in Feb. '01. SC&C operated
out of New York City, and held contracts for 482 cavalry sabers of the '40 and
'60 patterns from 1861-2, all of which were imported from Germany (S&K is on
record). I've been told that two of the surviving sabers can be found in the
Milwaukee Public Museum.
Pictures:
Handle, showing
European style of construction.
S.C.&C. Mark on an
M1840 cav. saber.
J.B. Allere, Chicago
This ID is only one possiblity. These usually seem to have initials underneath the JBA, possibly those of inspectors. I've seen AGM inspection marks on these swords, making these the only swords other than Roby's that had that inspector. It is possible that the blades were surplus blades that Roby sold to another manufacturer.
Picture:
JBA mark with
inspector's initials underneath.
Tomes
& Melvain, held contracts for 3289 sabers and 814 sabers of English pattern (probably P1853). This mark, a single capital T, is believed to have been theirs but there is still some doubt.
Picture:
T
Samuel Bunting, Jr.
One of
many Philadelphia companies that sold a small number of cavalry sabers. Most of
these smaller companies probably kept a small number of imported cavalry sabers
on hand (with their own stamp of course) to sell on an as-needed basis. This
company also sold M1850 officer sabers, from which this photograph was
taken.
Picture:
S.J.Bunting Jr.,
Phila.
Henry Disston
Henry Disston was truly a model of the
self-made man that helped fuel the American dream. He arrived in Philadelphia
from England in 1833, started working in a saw shop, and by 1840 had set himself
up as a saw and tool maker. His factories grew, and their complex eventually
became its own town. He primarily dealt in steel products, including guns,
swords, and armor plate. The company continued well into the 20th century,
producing tools and carrying government contracts during both World Wars. The
company sold to a Swedish firm in 1984. I haven’t seen the sword mark, but a
quick search on the internet or eBay will result in many pictures of their
tools. Their sword mark is probably very similar to their tool mark.
William Clement
Owned a Northampton, Massachusetts toolmaking
factory that operated until 1970. His primary contributions to the war seem to
have been 3000 muskets for Massachusetts in 1863, and an unknown amount of
cavalry sabers.
Hamilton Ruddick
Ruddick was a machinist and
dealer in military goods in Boston. He produced officer sabers, as well as
cutlasses and cavalry sabers. I have never seen his swords.
Schuyler,
Hartley, and Graham, New York City
This was one of the largest suppliers
of military goods during the Civil War. They supplied weapons, uniforms, camp
supplies, uniform accessories, and a wide variety of other products. They had a
contract for 3424 cavalry swords, 567 artillery sabers, and 1620 NCO swords, as
well as having produced officer swords. I have only seen the officer models by
this firm, so I can’t yet comment upon the marks on the regulation enlisted
patterns. A reproduction of one of their catalogs is also available in many
bookstores.
Other Contractors
The following companies had
contracts, but I don’t know if they made their own swords, imported them, or
defaulted on their contracts. Realistically, most were probably imported and may
not have been marked by the importing company.
J. C. Grubb & Co.,
Philadelphia, contract for 248 sabers in 1861
Peter Hayden, New York City,
contract for 1500 cavalry and 491 artillery sabers in 1862
William Hahn, New
York City, contracts for 335 sabers
W.M.B. Hartley, New York City, contracts
for 752 sabers
John Hoey, New York City, contract for 1800 sabers in
1861
T. Kessman, New York City, contract for 1000 sabers in 1861
Benj.
Kitteridge & Co, Cincinatti, 200 sabers in 1861
Leisenring, Philadelphia,
contracts for 21,196 sabers through the Ames company.
Maas & Schoverling, contract for 1682 sabers
in 1861
J. Meyer, contracts for 12,260 cavalry sabers
Noell &
Albermann, New York City, contract for 357 NCO/musician swords in 1862
J.C.
Palmer, Hartford, Conn, contract for 150 artillery sabers in 1861
Palmer
& Bacheldor, contract for 370 cavalry sabers in 1861
John Pondir,
Philadelphia, 50 cavalry officers sabers in 1862
George Raphael,
Philadelphia, contract for 100 artillery sabers in 1861 And 1000 artillery short
swords in 1862
Read and Sons, Boston, contract for 328 sabers in
1861
Robinson, Adams, and Co, imported 975 swords in 1863
Charles W.
Ruprecht, New York City, contract for 483 sabers in 1861
Gustavus Sacchi, New
York City, contract for 2882 cavalry sabers in 1861
P.& L. Schifflin, New
York City, contracts for 1928 sabers, 509 musician swords, and 862 NCO swords in
1861
W.J. Syms, New York City, contract for 13 artillery sabers in
1861
Gilbert Tobey, New York City, contract for 2573 NCO swords
Phillip Tuska, New York City, contracts for 2877 sabers and 98 NCO
swords
William Wilstatch, Philadelphia, contract for 937 sabers and 1000 NCO
swords in 1861
Windmuller, New York City, contracts for 6685 sabers as well
as musician, NCO, and light artillery swords
Foreign Marks
Many of these names are listed primarily as a
reference, since I don’t have pictures from all of them or details about how
many and what variety of blades were made. A rule of thumb with imported cavalry
sabers is that most imports were of the M1840 model, and the handles of these
were made of smooth wood, wrapped in string, then leather, then covered with the
wire wrap. A few of these German manufacturers may not have made US regulation patterns, but were in business during the Civil War.
At the beginning of the war, several of the larger sword
making companies imported a great number of swords, stamped them as their own,
and then passed them on to the government to fulfill contracts. Ames imported
10,000 foreign made cavalry sabers in 1861, while Boker and Mansfield & Lamb
both imported 18,000 that year. These blades might possibly bear marks of the
original makers on the tangs, but it is impossible to tell without disassembling
the sword.
German makers (from Solingen)
J.E. Bleckmann
Mark: a
bow with BM inside it
Boker
Mark: Henry
Boker, Solingen
Herman Boker imported swords from his brother, Henry
(Heinrich), in Germany. He held contracts for over 45,000 cavalry sabers, 1646
artillery sabers, and 569 NCO swords.
William Clauberg
Mark: A standing
knight with the company name, picture includes non-reg officer saber
Mark: W.
Clauberg/Solingen
Clemen and Jung
Mark: C&J
Mark: Clemen and
Jung/Solingen
Alex Coppel
Mark: A set of
scales with Alex Coppel/Solingen around them
(this picture is of a WWII era
sword, and has letters instead of the name)
FH Otto Curdts
Mark:
Curdts on one side
Solingen on the other.
J.A. Henkels
Mark: Two
standing stick men
(This company is still in business and makes
cutlery)
Herder
Mark: Crossed keys (no pic yet)
F.
Holler
Mark:
A thermometer
(this is from a WWII era sword, the mark may have changed)
F. Horster
Mark: F.H. in a
circle of dots
Mark: F.Horster/Solingen
S. Hoppe
Mark: A beehive
CR Kirschbaum
Mark: A knight’s
head
Mark: C.K.
Peter D. Luneschloss
Mark: P.D.L. In a
circle of dots
Friedrick Poetter
Mark: A rabbit
head over F P
Another view,
showing the construction of imported saber grips
Rohrig und
Companie
Mark:
RC (possibly the mark of a different maker?)
Schnitzler and
Kirschbaum
It is important to note that the M1840 cavalry, NCO, musician,
and light artillery patterns were first commissioned from S&K, rather than a
domestic maker, and several subsequent orders were made. These swords all bear
German proof marks (crown/date and crown/G) as well as their maker’s mark.
Mark:
S&K
Wilhelm Walscheid
Mark: W.
Walscheid/Solingen
Wester & Co
Mark: Wester & Co/Solingen
Gebruder Weyersberg
Mark: Several,
most commonly a king’s head
(This company merged with WR Kirschbaum and is
still in business today. A link to their web page is under dealers on my main
page.)
English Manufacturers
Robert Mole &
Son
Note: Mole imported English models of swords to the Confederacy.
Mark: Mole on
the spine of the blade.
French Manufacturers
See articles
on Klingenthal and
Chatellerault,
by Jean Bink. Not many French swords were imported to the US or CS during the
Civil War without being marked by the importer, so beware French marked swords
advertised as ‘probably Confederate’ unless specific, airtight documentation is
attached.
Unknown
C. Morel
I saw a picture of this sword’s mark
and decided I had to include it. The sword is an M1860, and I gave it the
greatest scrutiny to make sure that it wasn’t a replica. The scabbard is right
on all points, the blade is correct (although the ricasso looks a little long)
the guard has no flaws, and the pommel hasn’t been messed with. Morel isn’t
listed in any of my books—is it European? Mexican? Is that the owner’s name?
Picture:
Morel
mark
Toledo, Spain
I have seen or heard of at least three
different swords that were identical to the US M1840 cavalry, but were stamped
Toledo, Spain. Were these made for Mexico? South America? Europe? Or did some
American importers buy their swords from Spain? Or were blades later reassembled with different hilts?
In Conclusion--Thanks
I started this project about a year ago
simply to satisfy my own thirst for knowledge in my hobby. I have lost a huge
amount of pictures in two computer crashes, but now I am satisfied enough to
post the article. This project may never be complete, but I hope that other
collectors benefit from the pictures and information as much as I have. If
anyone has more to contribute, please do so and I will post it. I would also
like to thank the hundred or so people who have graciously allowed me to use
their pictures for my own research and for this article, and eBay for providing
me a place to do my research from my computer.
Mike
McWatters
Bibliography
The American Sword, by Harold
L. Peterson, 1954
American Swords and Sword Makers, by Richard
Bezdek, 1994
American Swords in the Phllip Medicus Collection, by
Norm Flayderman, 1998
The Ames Sword Company 1829-1935, by John
Hamilton, 1983
Civil War Collector’s Encyclopedia, by Francis
Lord, 1963
Collectors’ Guide to Ames US Contract Military Edged
Weapons: 1834-1906, by Ron Hickox, 1984
Confederate Edged
Weapons, by William A. Albaugh III, 1960
Man at Arms Magazine,
vol.2, number 1, Jan/Feb 1980, “Christopher Roby and the Chelmsford Sword,” by
John Hamilton
Man at Arms Magazine, vol.15, number 2, March/April
1993, “Schnitzler and Kirschbaum US Contract Swords,” by Richard Johnson.
Civil War Cavalry and Artillery Sabers by John Thillman, 2001 (I can't recommend this book enough!)
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