Rare Civil War Thomas, Griswold & Company Confederate Light Artillery Saber with Original Scabbard

SOLD

Rare Civil War Thomas, Griswold & Company Confederate Light Artillery Saber with Original Scabbard – When the New Orleans firm of Hyde & Goodrich was reorganized in the summer of 1861, it was re-established with Henry Thomas, Jr. and A.B. Griswold, as senior partners; the business set up shop at the corner of Canal and Royal Streets, in New Orleans. Until April of 1862, when the Union Army officially occupied New Orleans, Thomas, Griswold & Company produced and imported military materiel for the Confederacy. Comparable to many southern arms and materiel manufacturers, Thomas, Griswold & Co. utilized, as prototypes, Federal arms, to provide models for their products. This saber was “modeled” after the U.S. Model 1840 Light Artillery saber. Unlike the U.S. saber, Thomas, Griswold & Company’s artillery saber, like this example, had a brass scabbard, sword mounts and drag. The hilt is comparable to the U.S. artillery saber – there is a ribbed, wooden grip, covered with black, thin leather, with twisted, brass wire within the grooves of the grip. A brass pommel cap and single branched knucklebow, also comparable to the U.S. M1840, are present. Clearly stamped on the sword’s ricasso is the following:

“THOMAS, GRISWOLD & CO.

NEW ORLEANS”

The saber is in overall excellent condition; the blade has no nicks, although it appears to have been sharpened, at some point in its history. The surface of the blade exhibits a smooth, gray appearance; all of the brass elements have a pleasing, dark “mustard” patina. The grip retains its complete leather wrap, although only a short strand of the original, brass, twisted wire remains. Finally, the original leather washer, around the ricasso is fully intact. This is truly a fine example of a well-made, rare saber, from one of the Confederacy’s premier arms manufacturers.

Measurements: Overall length (including scabbard) – 37”

Blade length – 31.75”

Scabbard length – 33.5”