American foot artillery sword?

Jim McDougall · 27th May 2013, 06:26 PM

I am not sure what the '3' refers to, but this seems very much a M1832 Ames type foot artillery sword. The eagle is the same and the shield of course aligns with the federal period motifs in the U.S.
The French 1816 and 1831 'cabbage choppers' as far as Ive known had smooth pommels and the 1831 had ringed grips rather than 'feathered'.

These swords were of course pretty ineffective as weapons but served well in utility for clearing brush etc in artllery emplacements. As always, these would have served in degree as required if overrun, but there were honestly relatively few sword injuries recorded in the Civil War, and the likelihood of use of these improbable as far as combat use.

27th May 2013, 06:26 PM	#4
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,295	I am not sure what the '3' refers to, but this seems very much a M1832 Ames type foot artillery sword. The eagle is the same and the shield of course aligns with the federal period motifs in the U.S. The French 1816 and 1831 'cabbage choppers' as far as Ive known had smooth pommels and the 1831 had ringed grips rather than 'feathered'. These swords were of course pretty ineffective as weapons but served well in utility for clearing brush etc in artllery emplacements. As always, these would have served in degree as required if overrun, but there were honestly relatively few sword injuries recorded in the Civil War, and the likelihood of use of these improbable as far as combat use.