Sword Presented to Marcus LaRue Harrison
date: label: date made
content: 1862
label: date presented
content: 1864
name: label: recipient
content: Harrison, Marcus LaRue
label: maker
content: Collins & Co.
label: maker
content: Folson, Henry
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: Presented to Colonel Marcus L. Harrison by the officers and men of the 1st Arkansas Cavalry Volunteers in 1864
label: Description
content: Enlisted as a private, Marcus Larue Harrison’s railroad background made him an acting lieutenant of engineers by the fall of 1861. In 1862 Harrison was given permission to organize Arkansas Unionists into the 1st Arkansas Cavalry Regiment. The regiment served in battles in northwest Arkansas. This sword was presented to him by the officers and men of the regiment in 1864.
label: Description
content: The blade of this sword is long, curved, and single edged. The fuller is broad and shallow and it extends about three quarters of the way to the tip of the blade. Both sides are decorated in floral and scroll designs in gold and silver chasing. The obverse bears an American soldier holding a sword and a cluster of military trophies bearing the monogram "US". The reverse bears a soldier holding a gun, and a larger "U.S." monogram. The grip of the sword is a plain textured metal that has been wrapped with gilt wire approximately 18 times around in a spiral. The backstrap is a gold metal with scroll designs and military trophies, including a US shield, cast upon it. The pommel is a continuation of the backstrap, and is covered in scroll designs. There is a large dark red jewel in the place of a capstan rivet. The knuckle guard and counterguard are decorated with palm leaves and scroll patterns.
label: Description
content: The scabbard bears three gold mounts. The top two mounts bear an ornate laurel spray design. The drag features a scroll design and a handful of flags at the base. The space between the two top mounts bears a silver metal plate with the inscription “M. La Rue Harrison / Col. 1st Ark. Cav. Vols. / from the / Officers and Men of his Command / 1864”. There are two carrying rings on the scabbard, one on the right side of the top two mounts.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Connecticut, Hartford
label: place made
content: United States: Missouri, Saint Louis
topic: label: Subject
content: Edged Weapons
label: web subject
content: Civil War
label: related event
content: Civil War
setName: label: See more items in
content: Military and Society: Armed Forces History, Military
label: See more items in
content: Military
label: See more items in
content: Civil War Presentation Swords
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Mrs. M. La Rue Harrison
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: AF.30419
label: catalog number
content: 30419
label: accession number
content: 65314
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Sword
label: Object Name
content: sword
label: Other Terms
content: Sword; Edged Weapons; Presentation
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal, gilt (scabbard material)
label: Physical Description
content: steel (blade material)
label: Physical Description
content: brass (hilt material)
label: Measurements
content: blade: 35 in x 1 in; 88.9 cm x 2.54 cm
label: Measurements
content: scabbard: 36 in x 3 1/4 in; 91.44 cm x 8.255 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 41 in x 5 1/4 in; 104.14 cm x 13.335 cm