Artifact Corner: Episode 13

Hi everyone and welcome back to Artifact Corner. Today we will be looking at a sword belonging to Frank Hall. Frank Hall was married to Fannie Delord Webb and they were the last family members to live in our home. Frank served as a chaplain in the 16th New York State Infantry Regiment in the American Civil War. See the unit roster here, at the New York State Military Museum. Even though Frank was not a combatant in the conflict, he still had the accouterments of all of the officers. This sword is a beautiful piece. The grip of the sword is wire wrapped, and the hilt and guard of the sword are brass and have some lovely pierced filigree. The pierce work has oak leaf scrolls and acanthus leaves. The blade is made from high carbon steel and has an acid etched detail of an eagle on one side, and the letters US on the other side. This sword was made by the Ames Manufacturing Company based out of Chicopee Massachusetts. In the beginning of the Civil War, Ames was granted a contract with the US government for officers swords. This sword is one of only 575 that Ames made for them. Ames was one of the biggest manufactures for the Union. They made side arms, swords, light artillery and heavy ordinance. The Ames Manufacturing Company was founded in 1832 and continued making metal works until 1898. Ames is the most highly prized sword company amongst collectors today. Some of Ames’ swords are now in major museums. Their work was and is highly regarded, and you can see the quality of this piece 150 plus years later. We are so fortunate to have this sword in our collections. It’s beautiful and rare. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Music: Acoustic Breeze by Benjamin Tissot
www.bensound.com