Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is one of the most historically-significant blades we have ever offered, with a tremendous connection to the Battle of Little Bighorn, the most significant action of the Great Sioux War of 1876 and one of the most studied & legendary conflicts in U.S. military history. This M-1840 “Wristbreaker” Cavalry Saber was presented to First Sergeant John Ryan of Company M, 7th Cavalry Regiment by the men of Company M. Along with the saber are three books compiling Ryan’s military history from the Civil War to Little Bighorn and a professional research portfolio containing all of his records from the National Archives.

Ryan was first promoted to 1st Sergeant in 1874. In April of 1876, he was court-martialed for mistreatment of a private. Ryan hung the soldier by his wrists as punishment for wrong doing; the private had cut a harness from a horse rather than remove it. Ryan's sentence was a reduction in rank to private. In May of 1876, just one week later, Lt. Col. George A. Custer reappointed him to First Sergeant. This sword, although undated, was likely presented to Ryan following the Battle of Little Bighorn, possibly in appreciation for the help he provided with his 15-pound Sharp's telescope rifle during the fighting. The painting shown in this listing painted by Ralph Heinz depicts Ryan on the second day of the battle, bringing his Sharps to bear against the accurate fire of their opponents in the field. Ryan writes in his memoirs:

Captain French of my company asked me if I could do anything with those Indians, as they were out of range of the carbines. I told the captain that I would try, and as I was the owner of a 15-pound Sharp's telescope rifle, caliber .45, which I had had made in Bismarck before the expedition started out, and which cost me $100. I fired a couple of shots until I got range of that group of Indians. Then I put in half a dozen shots in rapid succession, and those Indians scampered away from that point of the bluff, and that ended the firing on the part of the Indians in that memorable engagement, and the boys set up quite a cheer … When they moved, the captain of my company, Thomas H. French, and I fired into them while they remained in range of our two guns, and those were the last shots fired in the battle of the Little Big Horn. That was well known by every man in Reno's battalion.

The M-1840 Cavalry Saber is engraved on the scabbard between the two suspension ring bands:

presented to
First Sergt. John Ryan
Co. M 7 Cavalry
by the men of Company M

This storied example was nickeled on the hilt & scabbard for presentation. It’s stamped on the ricasso and partially under the crossguard:

HORSTMANN
PHILA.

For the firm of W.H. Horstmann & Sons of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, one of the most well-known makers of U.S. swords of the 19th century. The original leather blade buffer is present, and does obfuscate some of the maker stamp. The 35⅝” blade has some runner wear and light staining, and the plating does have some areas of loss near the false edge.

The wire-wrapped leather grip is in good order without much looseness to the wire, and the leather has darkened over time. There is some loss of plating under the guard with a small bit on the pommel. The sword measures 41¼” overall. 

The 37¾” nickel-plated steel scabbard is in great condition overall with some minor loss of plating at the drag, and some oxidation spotting throughout. There is a thin fracture in the front spine roughly 24” from the throat. Both suspension rings are intact, with some rusting where the bands meet the scabbard body. The bottom of the throat of the scabbard is stamped repeatedly with words that we can’t really make out, maybe a small mark left by one of the men of the company.

John Ryan was born in West Newton, Massachusetts on August 25th, 1845. Young Ryan trained as a carpenter, but at the outbreak of the Civil War, he enlisted on December 13th, 1862 in Company C, 28th Massachusetts Infantry. Ryan saw heavy fighting during the Civil War, having been wounded three times rather severely. On August 25th, 1864, Ryan was shot in the left thigh and the left side of his neck, the wound of the thigh being the great disability, rendering his entire leg weak. He spent the remainder of the war in a field hospital. He enlisted in Company M, 7th US Cavalry on November 23th, 1866, and was promoted to the rank of Corporal. Ryan was promoted to Sergeant November 27th, 1868, during the Battle of the Washita, to replace Sergeant Erwin Vanousky. Sgt. Vanousky was killed along with Major Joel H. Elliott and fifteen other soldiers near Sergeant Major Creek.

Ryan participated with the 7th US Cavalry in the 1873 Yellowstone Expedition and the 1874 Black Hills Expedition. Ryan was appointed First Sergeant in 1874. In April 1876 he was court-martialed for mistreatment of a private (hung him by his wrists as punishment for wrong doing; the private had cut a harness from a horse rather than remove it). Ryan's sentence was a reduction in rank to private. In May of 1876, just one week later, Lt. Col. George A. Custer reappointed him to First Sergeant. During the Battle of the Little Bighorn he fought as part of Reno's Battalion, surviving the battle.

John Ryan was discharged from the US Army in January of 1877. He married Mary Jane O' Donnell on October 13th, 1881, and they had four children. After his service in the Army, he returned to West Newton, Massachusetts and became a police officer. Ryan was promoted up the police ranks to Captain in 1903. On January 21st, 1913, Ryan retired from the West Newton Police Department. He died quietly at home on October 14th, 1926.

This sword will become the centerpiece of any U.S. Militaria collection, especially those with focus in the Civil War & Indian Wars. A once-in-a-lifetime presentation sword, ready for further research and display.

Approximate Dimensions:
Blade Length: 35⅝”
Blade Style: Single Edged Curved Saber with Wide Fuller
Overall length: 41¼“
Basket dimensions: 5" width x 5” length
Scabbard length: 37¾”