Sword Voted to Winfield S. Hancock
date: label: date made
content: ca 1864
label: date given
content: 1864-06-04
name: label: recipient
content: Hancock, Winfield Scott
label: maker
content: Tiffany & Co.
label: maker of blade
content: Collins & Co.
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: Voted to Major General Winfield S. Hancock at the Mississippi Valley Sanitary Fair in St. Louis, Missouri on June 4th, 1864.
label: Description
content: This sword was voted to Major General Winfield Scott Hancock at the Mississippi Valley Sanitary Fair in St. Louis, Missouri on June 4th, 1864. The fair was one of many fundraisers for the United States Sanitary Commission, a private relief organization that supported army hospitals and sick and wounded soldiers during the Civil War. Visitors to the fair gave donations to “vote” for their favorite general.
label: Description
content: The blade of this sword is long, straight, and singled-edged. The fuller is broad and flat, and extends almost to the tip of the blade. Both sides are decorated in gold and silver chasing in floral and scroll designs. On the obverse are a "US" monogram and a Union soldier. On the reverse is a cluster of military trophies and a soldier. The grip is four sided. On the side faces there is a single line of beadwork. On the front and back faces are figures of a woman holding a sword in her right hand and a standard in her left. The pommel bears a cast eagle. The knuckle guard consists of two sprays of laurel leaves arranged in the form of a bow. In the center of the knuckle guard is the goddess Nike holding a laurel wreath. The quillon terminates above the blade in the shape of a lion's head. The counterguard features a laurel wreath on the front, and is inscribed “VOTED TO / MAJ. GEN. W.S. HANCOCK / AT THE / MISSISSIPPI / VALLEY / SANITARY / FAIR / ST. LOUIS June 4 1864.”
label: Description
content: The scabbard has three gold mounts. The first mount bears an eagle surrounded in gold stars encrusted in diamonds (36 diamonds total), all set on a blue enamel background flanked by two standards and surmounted by two palm sprays. The reverse of this mount bears a sword wrapped in a laurel wreath. The middle mount features an oval shield with a "US" monogram cast in the center, and a Greek helmet, sword, and laurel spray. The drag features a laurel wreath, a battle axe, and a lion's head. There are three carrying rings on this scabbard, one on each side of the top mount and one on the right side of the middle mount.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, New York
label: place made
content: United States: Connecticut, Hartford
label: presented by/in
content: United States: Missouri, St. 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: Hancock Dorr
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: AF.37219
label: catalog number
content: 37219
label: accession number
content: 115588
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: brass (hilt material)
label: Measurements
content: blade: 30 7/8 in x 1 in; 78.4225 cm x 2.54 cm
label: Measurements
content: scabbard: 32 1/4 in x 3 1/2 in; 81.915 cm x 8.89 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 39 1/4 in x 6 3/4 in; 99.695 cm x 17.145 cm