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MODEL 1840 HEAVY CAVALRY SABER w/ SCABBARD – 1847
dated AMES –VERY NICE BLADE AND SCABBARD – STRONG
INDICATIONS OF USE BY A CONFEDERATE SOLDIER FROM TEXAS:
Just recently purchased
from a family collection in East Texas, this very
attractive Model 1840 Heavy Cavalry Enlisted Man’s
Saber, manufactured by the Ames Sword Company in 1847,
offers strong indications that it was once carried by a
soldier of the Confederacy.
This sabre was purchased in the community of La Grange,
the seat of Fayette County and
one of the oldest communities in the state, initially
settled in 1819 and central to the history of the “Old
South” region of Texas. Built along the banks of the
Colorado River, La Grange was one of the earliest inland
trade centers that served the area's plantation based
economy. In view of the community’s well established
support of the antebellum political positions of the
Southern states, it is no surprise that with the
outbreak of war in 1861 several company sized units were
raised in La Grange to join the Confederate Army.
Unfortunately when the
sword was purchased the identity of the owner of the
family estate and the previous occupants was not
obtained.
Given the date of manufacture, it is highly likely that
this sabre was carried during the Mexican War, and quite
possibly returned to Texas with a soldier who settled in
the La Grange area at the end of the hostilities. If
not already in the possession of a Mexican War veteran
answering the call of the Confederacy in 1861, it
certainly could have been issued to a newly enlisted
Confederate soldier from the vast stocks of Federal
equipment surrendered by General Twiggs in San Antonio
or from any one of the many forts and depots across the
state surrendered intact by the Federal troops at the
start of the war.
While the details will forever remain a mystery of how
this sabre came to reside quietly forgotten in a little
town in southeast Texas, this sabre’s blade offers the
most compelling and enduring evidence of its use by a
Confederate soldier. While all of the other standard
maker’s marks and inspector’s stamps remain clear and
legible on the blade and guard (as detailed below),
the “US” which was deeply stamped on the obverse ricasso
has been deliberately removed leaving the type of marks
a file or hand turned grind stone would make. Under
heavy magnification, the faint outline of the “U” can be
seen, but for all intent and purposes the “US” property
mark was removed in total and is not visible to the
naked eye. The application of a little historical
common sense leaves you with little to support any other
reason why a person would go to the effort necessary to
remove the “US”, but that a Confederate soldier or the
depot that issued the sabre intentionally removed the
Federal property mark. No other person or persons would
have a reason, or the inclination to remove the “US”,
and so despite the absence of an absolute identification
of the soldier who carried this sabre, I am quite
convinced it is indeed a Confederate used sabre.
This sabre was manufactured by the Ames Sword Company
and is so marked on the riccasso of the blade with a
legible stamping as clear as the day it was struck,
“N.P. Ames, Cabotville, 1847”.
The pommel cap is legibly
inspected, “WAT” for Capt. William Anderson Thornton and
“NWP” for Nahum Patch.
The outer branch of the
guard is stamped “425”, likely a unit inventory number.
The blade’s surface is remarkably smooth and overall
bright and clean, belying its long service, and is free
of any nicks, with a clear, smooth edge.
The edge does show evidence
of having been sharpened, more evidence that this
particular sabre was indeed used in combat. There is a
known reference to early dragoons, in anticipation of
closing with the enemy, gathering around their
artificer’s grinding wheel in order to hone the edges of
their sabres. Further historical evidence of sharpened
blades can be found in the accounts of General Nathan
Bedford Forrest, who not only preferred the Model 1840
Heavy Cavalry sabre, but insisted on sharpening not only
the edge, but the top of the blade as well. There is
minor, light, scattered discoloration concentrated
towards the tip of the blade commensurate with the age
and long service life of this sabre, and not the result
of abuse or mishandling, nor does it detract from the
overall appearance of the blade. The leather covering
on the grip is tight, and while showing some age on the
high points of the grip ridges, is very presentable with
no loss of integrity, crazing or flaking, and the
wire wrap is present and
tight.
The leather washer is absent and
there is the slightest bit of play to the guard if an
effort is made to move it due to the gap left by the
washer, however the movement is very minor and is only
mentioned in the interest of a full description. I
would not recommend any attempt to replace the washer,
rather feeling it best to leave this sabre as is. The
scabbard is full form, with a complete throat, both
carrying rings, a solid seam with no splits, a drag in
the original shape with no excessive wear, and has a
wonderful, naturally aged overall soft brown color. The
surface of the scabbard has no major faults or deep
incursions into the metal, being generally smooth and
very attractive. There is a faint trace of the
inspector’s stamp in the top ring.
Manufactured during the year immediately after the onset
of the Mexican War, and with compelling evidence of
continued use by a Confederate cavalryman, this Model
1840 Heavy Cavalry Sabre was certainly present at the
moments that our Nation’s history was being written.
Whether invoking images of a Dragoon on the Southwest
frontier or a Southern Cavalier on an eastern
battlefield, this saber is a very historic and desirable
acquisition. (C86) $1475
HYSTERICAL TRIVIA:
The town of La Grange might sound familiar to some of
you in a different context. This pastoral town was the
location of the infamous “Chicken Ranch”, a well
established and somewhat historic brothel dating back to
the mid 19th century, which was eventually
shut down in 1973 amid a storm of classic Texas
politics. The closing of the brothel and the ensuing
political storm received national attention during the
late 1970s and early 1980s through the Broadway
production of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
and by a Hollywood film of the same name.
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