Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is a relic example of the scarce Model 1832 Artillery Short Sword with an old provenance tag attached to the blade, denoting that this was carried by “Doc” Forsyth through the Georgia Campaign of 1864, and kept by his grandson, Reverend Arthur Forsyth of Dallas, Georgia. From tracing back the family, we have identified “Doc” Forsyth as Sergeant Lafayette Lemarcus Forsyth, Company K, Floyd Legion, Georgia (State Guards.)

Lafayette Lemarcus “Doc” “Fate” Forsyth was born in December 1826 in Habersham County, Georgia. He married Caroline Dun in Mississippi in 1848. On July 22nd, 1863, Forsyth enlisted in Captain Dean’s Company (Paulding Infantry), Georgia, and eventually was promoted to Sergeant. This company became Company K of the Floyd Legion.
The Floyd Legion was one of the organizations of the Georgia State Guard, with surviving Confederate records listing James G. Yeiser as Colonel, John R. Freeman as Lieutenant Colonel, and Thomas W. Alexander as Major.
Forsyth’s Find-a-grave shows a photograph of him later in life sporting a long beard.

This example of the U.S. Model 1832 Foot Artillery short sword is missing the crossguard and shows heavy denting to the scalloped eagle feather grip. The blade retains its length but shows very heavy oxidation, staining, and edge-nicking. The tag attached to the blade reads:

“Doc” Forsyth’s old sword - - - kept by his
grandson, Reverend Arthur Forsyth of Dallas,
Georgia. This sword was used throughout the
Georgia campaign of 1864. 

Please note that the paper is curling on all edges and is therefore fragile. Thankfully the full name of his grandson allowed us to fully identify “Doc” Forsyth, and his genealogy page indeed notes his two nicknames, “Doc” and “Fate”. Forsyth passed away in Alabama on August 1st, 1910 at the age of 83.

The blade’s ricasso is far too pitted to discern any markings, but this example was very likely made by N.P. Ames of Springfield, Massachusetts. As shown, the crossguard is entirely torn away from the hilt, showing the blade tang underneath. The blade is still tight to the grip, which shows very heavy denting and scuffing. The overall length is 23 ⅞”.

The combination of the original “Doc” Forsyth provenance tag, identification of Reverend Arthur Forsyth of Dallas, Georgia, genealogical association with Lafayette Lemarcus Forsyth, reported service as a Sergeant in Company K of the Floyd Legion, surviving Model 1832 form, and pronounced relic condition gives this sword considerable historical and research interest. The missing crossguard, deeply corroded blade, heavily battered grip, and fragile paper tag are substantial condition considerations, while the discrepancy between the family tag’s 1864 Georgia Campaign statement and the documented February 1864 muster-out of the Floyd Legion remains an important avenue for further archival research. 

Specifications:
Blade Length: 18"
Blade Style: Double Edged "Gladius" style
Overall length: 23 ⅞”