The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1914-06-23
ANCIENT HONOR SYMBOL
THE SWORD AND ITS DEVELOP
MENT THROUGH HISTORY.
The Collection in the National Muse
um at Washington Covers Long
Period of History.

Period of History.
The sword collection in the United
States National museum at Washing
ton, comprising some $50 pieces, is
proving of greater general interest
than any other of the many extensive
exhibits, says a correspondent of the
New York Evening Post. 1t not only
covers a long period Of history, but
shows the development Of the sword
as weapon and as a symbol of rank
and office.
All the specimens are not as yet
grouped in one series, but form parts
of specific and personal exhibits,
some being preserved as mementos
Of gallant officers, while others are
relics from various battlefields, or
represent various sword types and
the progress made in their design and
manufacture. One good sized collec-
ton, turned over to the museum by
the war department some years ago,
is representative of all branches of
the war service for the different pc
RODS in United States history, and
includes also several foreign naval
and military types. By comparison
it is seen that the types changed all
over the world every ten or twenty
years, feature no doubt resulting
from the contact brought about by
the succeeding wars and the countries
implicated, as well as the following
peace regulations and the new stan
dards advocated.
In the chronological division in the
new building there is an instructive
exhibit of swords and cutlery which
forms part of the George KEENAN,
collection, and includes Turkish and
Arabian yataghans, two Russian
swords, a Scotch dirk, Crusader s
sword, and a sample Of two-handed
weapon, dated 1910. In the Mason
by Mrs. Julian James, there are sew
eral American swords, bayonets and
cutlasses, besides many implements
from Japan, China, Turkey and North
Africa. Two other notable collections
are the deposits of the late DR.. Chas.
w. Hickman of Augusta, Ga, and
Captain J. r. Hannay, U. S. A, which
include some 20 weapons and imple-
ments of exceptional rarity. Other
collections pertain to the native
weapons of the Philippines, Cuba and
Porto Rico.
Among the individual exhibits are
numerous swords connected with I'M
portant epochs in American history.
The earliest types are those of the
Revolutionary war, particularly those
which were presented by the CONT
mental congress to John Hancock and
Colonel Return Jonathan Meigs;
service sword of General Peter Gam
sevoort, Jr., and another engraved,
THE Sword of Rochanbeau"; cut
lass from the Bonhomme Richard,
presented to Lieut.. James B. Stafford
in 1884; and several swords OF the
period, the ownership of which is not
established .
In connection with the later wars
there are specimens pertaining to the
following American officers: Decatur,
Shulbrick, Ripley, Gansevoort, Nor
gan, Brown, McGruder, Shields. Paul
de Peyster, Vincent, Howard, Han
cock, Custer, Grant, Sherman, Kill
patrick. Trenchard, Mason, Wilkes,
Schley, Phillips Capron, Ord and 9TH
ers. Nearly all of these swords re-
call t. les OF honor and glory which
reflect on the gallant men of the sarv-
Ice and preserve for the present and
future generations vivid recollections
Of the national heroes who have car
ried the flag far afeld or defended 1t
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