Can anyone I'D this pre-civil War Militia Navy Sword

[Austin_Militaria]

Picked this up in a collection of swords. I have had several militia swords in the past but never a Navy themed one. No maker mark. Motif is floral blue on the blade, nothing significant. Can anyone I'D it?

[zzyzzogeton]

With respect to IDing the Militia Organization it was used in, what I would do is make a list of known Naval Militias and then contact those state historical societies/agencies.

 

The Naval Militias were first proposed in the 1880s. Most were in the eastern states and around the Great Lakes. The first Naval Militia to stand up was the Massachusetts Naval Militia in 1890. Others soon followed - New York (1891) followed by (not necessarily in this order)

Connecticut,

New Jersey,

South Carolina, 1890s to 1917, 2003 to present

Rhode Island, 1895 - 1917

Florida, 1897 - 1903 and 1911 - 1917

Georgia 1894-1911

 

The Naval Militias were reorganized as a component of the US Armed Forces reserves in 1914. During WW2 the state Naval Militias were federalized for active service. Most Naval Militias were either not rebuilt or inactivated after WW1. Some did continue, the most notable being the NY Naval Militia, in constant service from 1891 to the present.

 

There are 6 currently active Naval Militias - NYNM (1891), Alaska NM (1984) Ohio NM (1977) South Carolina NM(2003) and Texas Maritime Regiment (2006). Note that's only 5. The California State Military Reserve Maritime Support Command is just a bunch of military lawyers and strategists who give advice to the California state defense force, which means they don't do much.

[aznation]

Found this.

 

Source: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Fine-Ornate-U-S-C1835-Naval-Off-Sword-Eagle-Anchor-Brass-Scabbard-Nautical-Navy-/261859385625?hash=item3cf8092119&nma=true&si=n%252Fz1vkF8NCCsTPFkrahG7FNQ0Ys%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

 

[sundance]

Beautiful sword. I'd love to see the blade. Aznation's post certainly shows a very similar sword.

[Horseclover]

From the 1820s to the 1840s, one will find Centurion, Athena and Indian princess and eaglehead pommel swords with the shell counterguard as more or less official US naval swords. In 1841, an official pattern with a large eaglehead with a backstrap and folding guards with a feathered grip was drawn up by the Ames Sword Co. At that time, there were also gothic hilt (British rifle regiment type) non-regulation swords coming from England. In 1852, we see the beginning of what we still see today.

 

See Peterson, Gilkerson, Rankin and Tuite titles for US naval pattern swords and timelines.

 

The sword as pictured in the first post and linked auction are likely 1830s swords. I base that on the grip ferrules and the advent of the US 1841 regulation sword type.

 

To me, it is entirely unlikely the type would be found in militia use after the ACW period.

 

Cheers

GC

[reschenk]

I have long wondered who used these naval-themed militia-style swords. There were no Navy militia units during the period of these swords use (c. 1820s – 1850s). Although many of the States had navies during the Revolutionary War, these were not continued into the 19th century, as they were too expensive. In the early 1800s Thomas Jefferson proposed establishing state naval militias consisting of able-bodied men whose normal occupations involved primarily maritime-related work, but the proposal was never adopted — again, too expensive. As noted in post #2, State naval militias were not established until the 1890s a good 40+ years after most of these swords were made. So who used them? Some may have been used by regular Navy officers prior to the adoption of regulation models. However even if their use continued after the adoption of regulation patterns, there are just still too many of these for them all to have been used by regular Navy officers. The Navy was very small in the pre-CW years with far too few officers to explain the large number of naval-themed swords. I believe at least part of the explanation might be non-military merchant marine officers might have worn swords as part of their uniforms. Anyone have any other theories?