Sword Voted to Ulysses S. Grant at the Metropolitan Fair
date: label: date made
content: ca 1864
label: associated date
content: 1864-04-24
name: label: recipient
content: President Ulysses S. Grant
label: presenter
content: United States Sanitary Commission
label: maker
content: Tiffany & Co.
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: Presented to Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant by the United States Sanitary Commission Metropolitan Fair in New York, New York on April 23, 1864.
label: Description
content: This sword was voted to Ulysses S. Grant at the Metropolitan Fair in aid of the United States Sanitary Commission in New York, New York on April 23, 1864. The United States Sanitary Commission was a private relief organization that supported army hospitals and sick and wounded soldiers during the Civil War. The voting at the Metropolitan Fair became a real contest between Grant and George B. McClellan who was politically connected and very popular in New York. The newspapers covered it as extensively as any election or military battle.
label: Description
content: This design of this sword is similar to presentation swords of the War of 1812 era. The blade is wide, heavy, and straight with beveled edges. The obverse of the blade features a knight, a trophy, and a floral scroll design in silver chasing on a gold background. The reverse is similarly decorated with the figure of a youthful United States Infantry officer, supporting floral and scroll designs. The silver mounted grip is decorated on the obverse with the head a classical Greek soldier surrounded by military trophies; the reverse is decorated with a figure of Nike. The pommel is a bust of Athena. The lower portion of it is set with rubies and diamonds and a sapphire in the center. The knuckle guard consists of a heavy gilt strip, decorated with a medallion bearing the head of Medusa and terminating above the blade in a quillon in the shape of a ram's head. The counterguard is formed of a large oval shield bearing the figure of Hercules slaying the Nemean lion.
label: Description
content: The scabbard is decorated with three mounts, two of which bear oak-leaf designs and a laurel spray on the drag. It bears two inscriptions, “PRESENTED TO / Lient. Gen! U.S. Grant. / by his friends through the / METROPOLITAN FAIR, in aid of the / UNITED STATES SANITARY COMMISSION. / New York. April 23.d 1864.” Also, “"UPON YOUR SWORD SITS LAUREL'D VICTORY". The scabbard has three carrying rings; two positioned on either side at the top, and one at the middle
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made for blade
content: United States: Connecticut, Hartford
label: place made
content: United States: New York, New York
label: presented
content: United States: New York, New York City
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: Julia Dent Grant and William H. Vanderbilt
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: AF.2991A
label: catalog number
content: 2991A
label: accession number
content: 18528
objectType: label: Object Name
content: sword
label: Other Terms
content: Edged Weapons; Presentation
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal, gilt (scabbard material)
label: Physical Description
content: steel (blade material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (hilt material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 38 1/2 in x 5 in; 97.79 cm x 12.7 cm
label: Measurements
content: scabbard: 32 in x 2 1/2 in; 81.28 cm x 6.35 cm
label: Measurements
content: blade: 30 3/4 in x 1 in; 78.105 cm x 2.54 cm