Sword Presented to George Batcheller
date: label: date made
content: ca 1866
label: associated date
content: 1866
name: label: recipient
content: Batcheller, George Sherman
label: maker
content: W. Clauberg
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: Presented to George Batcheller by the 1st Brigade of Cavalry, New York on April 9th, 1866.
label: Description
content: George Sherman Batcheller raised a company of New York volunteers at the beginning of the Civil War. By the war’s end he was appointed Inspector General of the Volunteers and National Guard of New York.
label: Description
content: The blade of this sword is slightly curved and single edged. It has a shallow, wide fuller that runs along its length. There are silver decorations on a gold backdrop on both sides of the blade. On the obverse, there are floral sprays and scroll designs. There is an engraving that reads, "One and Inseparable" and on the base of the blade there is an engraving of a canon and three flags. The reverse also has a canon and flag design on the base, and floral sprays. The monogram "US" is engraved in the middle of the decorations, and there is an eagle perched on the top of it. The eagle holds a scroll in its beak reading, "E PLURIBUS / UNUM". The grip of the sword is a figure of Athena slaying a dragon with her sword. The knuckle guard consists of a gold chain and a bust of a cherub, and it terminates in a small quillon in a scroll design. The gold chain attaches at the top of the grip near the goddess’ shoulder and at the bottom on the neck of the cherub. The counterguard is a gold plated ovular shape. The obverse has the initials "GB" cast in the center. The monogram is covered with approximately 24 small diamonds. Scroll designs surround the cast. The reverse of the counterguard is a simple scroll design.
label: Description
content: The scabbard is gold plated and has three gold mounts. The first mount features a medallion with a diamond encrusted star. Under the medallion is an eagle with its wings spread perched atop a shield with a stars and stripes theme. To either side of the medallion are laurel sprays, and on top there are two flags and an axe. Between the mount is the inscription “1st Brigade of Cavalry / to / Genl. G.S. Batcheller / April 9th 1866.” The middle mount features two gold laurel wreaths with a small gold rope tying them together. The drag has a very simple laurel spray design. There are two carrying rings on the mount, one on the right side of the top mount, and the other on the right side of the middle mount.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: Germany: North Rhine-Westphalia, Solingen
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: Katherine Batcheller
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: AF.36873
label: catalog number
content: 36873
label: accession number
content: 112477
objectType: 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: metal, gilt (hilt material)
label: Measurements
content: scabbard: 32 3/4 in x 2 1/4 in; 83.185 cm x 5.715 cm
label: Measurements
content: blade: 31 7/8 in x 1 1/8 in; 80.9625 cm x 2.8575 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 39 in x 6 in; 99.06 cm x 15.24 cm