Evening star., 1914-04-11
COLLECTION Of SWORDS
: COMPRISES 18O PIECES
That at National Museum Here
Covers Long Period
of History.
All Branches of U. S. Service, Be-
side Military Types, Are
Represented.

The sword collection in the United
States National Museum here comprises
some 1>o pieces 1t not only covers a
long period of history. but shows the
DEVELOPMENT OF the sword as weapon
and as a bads. of rank and office. MI
the specimens are not as Yet grouped in
ono series but form parts of specific and
personal exhibits: some being preserved
As rrcmcutocs Of gallant officers. while
otHc"S are relics from various battle
Hcids. or represent various sword types
and progress made in their design and
manufacture
ON" good sized collection. turned over
To the museum by the War Department
some wears aso. is representative of all
bfaaches of tic war service for the diff
fcrcut periods in United States history.
and includes also several foreisn naval
and military types. BY comparison it IS
seen that the types changed all over the
world every ten or twenty years. fea-
ture. no doubt. resulting from the con-
f.irt brought about by the succeeding
wars and the countries Implicated. as
welt as the following peace regulations
and the new standards advocated
Foreign Swords in Collection.
In the ethnological division of the new
OF swords and cutlery which forms part
Of the George Kennan collection and in
,ludcs Turkish and Arabian yatashans,
two Russian swords. Scotch dirk. q
crusaders sword and a sample OF
two-handed weapon dated 111o In the
Mason family collection, lent to the
museum by Mrs. Julian James, there are
several American swords. bayonets ana
cutlasses besides many implements from
Two other notable collections are those
of the late Charles w Hickman OF
Augusta. Ga. and Capt. j. X. X Han
nav L. S. A.. which include some sew
enty weapons and implements OF eXcep-
tional rarity. Other collections pertain
10 the native weapons of the Philippines.
tuba and Porto Rico.
Among the individual eXhlb!ts are
numerous swords connected with I'M
portant epochs in American history Inc
: earliest types are those of the revolu-
tionary war. particularly those which
were presented by the Continental Con-
sress to John Hancock and Col. Return
Jonathan Meigs: a service sword of Gen.
Peter Gansevoort, jr.. and another en-
graved "The Sword Of Rochambeau
c-lt.ass from the Bonnehomne Richard
presented 70 Lieut. James B. Stafford in
1881. and several swords of the period,
the ownership of which is not estab-
Eshed.
Swords of American Officers.
In connection with the later wars there
are specimens pertaining to the follow
ing American officers: Decatur. Shul-
brick. Ripley. Gansevoort. Brown Nc
Gruder Morgan. Shields. Paul. de Pey-
ster. Vincent. Howard, Hancock. Custer.
Grant Sherman. Fitzpatrick. Trenchard.
Mason. Wilkes. Schley, Phillips. Grant,
Caprou. Ord and others.
Nearly all of these swords recall tales
of honor and glory which reflect on the
gallant men of the service and stand as
testimonials to them. but more than this.
by representing to the present and
future generations vivid recollections of
the national heroes who have carried the
nag far afIeld or defended it at home.
they tend TO make better citizens of US
all