Excellent U.S. Civil War Model 1832 Artillery Short Sword

Description

3/19/25 - Presenting an original U.S. Model 1832 Artillery Short Sword manufactured by Ames Manufacturing Company in 1844. The sword is maker stamped "N.P. Ames" on one side, and is dated 1844 on the other. The hand guard is marked with "W.A.T." on one side and "JH" on the other. Featuring a heavy, straight double-edged 19" long steel blade 19, with two side-by-side fullers beginning just below the hilt, and a center fuller after a small gap extending toward a spear-shaped point. The unmarked hilt and crossguard are made from cast and partly machined brass, with a scalloped eagle feather grip secured by three transverse iron rivets, while the pommel is ornately engraved with a U.S eagle marking on both sides. The sword is in astonishingly good condition given the age of the weapon, with a remarkable amount of the original factory cross-graining intact and visible, even at a distance. The edge, which is still quite sharp, appears to never have been honed, maintaining a perfectly uniform and symmetrical profile. There is some mild surface patina and scuffing throughout the blade. The handle has mild patina, mainly concentrated in the grooves, but no excessive wear or damage. Original scabbard is in great condition, with some mild cracking on the leather portion. The U.S. Model 1832 was the first foot artillery sword contracted with Ames Manufacturing in 1832, later supplied by W.H. Horstmann & Sons, and served as a sidearm for foot artillerymen, infantry sergeants, drummers, and fifers until 1872; its design based on the French 1816 foot artillery sword and ultimately inspired by the Roman gladius, was valued more as a multi-purpose tool for tasks like clearing brush (notably during the Second Seminole War) than for combat, and while typical Ames examples originally featured an eagle on the blade (as seen in this listed example), later and Confederate-made versions were unmarked.