Original Item: Only One Available. This is a gorgeous service-worn example of “America’s Gladius”, an Ames type Model 1832 Artillery Short sword. This design of foot artillery sword has a straight, heavy double-edged steel blade. There are two side-by-side fullers, starting just below the hilt. Then, after a space of 11/16", there is a single center fuller that extends toward the blade's spear shaped point. The overall blade length is approximately 19 1/4''.

This example has a heavily service-worn blade which is still extremely tight to the hilt of the sword. Both the ricasso & crossguard bear the marking W.S. for William Smith, an inspector at Ames from 1828-1841. This confirms manufacture at Ames, even though the logo for Ames is no longer visible. The crossguard also bears an MPL cartouche on the crossguard for the accepting ordnance officer Mann Page Lomax. Considering Lomax passed away in 1842, and William Smith appears to have been an inspector from 1828-1841, it is safe to assume this example is dated somewhere between 1839-1841, with it being most likely an 1839 example. This puts it in the correct timeslot for issue during both the Seminole Wars in Florida and the Mexican-American War, then likely reused during the Civil War. The wear on the blade indicates arsenal resharpening, which supports the theory of this sword having been used in multiple wars. This sword absolutely saw a phenomenal amount of combat, and the heavy patina the sword carries supports this. 

The grips have been molded in a scalloped eagle feather design. Three transverse iron rivets secure it to the tang of the blade. The pommel is decorated on each side with a heavily incised American eagle, with shield, holding arrows in his left talon and an olive branch in his right talon. The eagle's head faces towards its right. The straight cross quillons terminate in disk shaped finials. The hilt of this example is in great condition without dents or other damage.

This is a fine service-worn example of one of the most famous & unique models of sword in American history, the model famously used by John Brown & his party during the Pottawatomie massacre, part of the larger Bleeding Kansas conflict. Comes ready for further research and display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 19"
Blade Style: Double Edged "Gladius" style
Overall length: 25 1/4“
Crossguard: 4 1/4”

Model 1832 Foot Artillery Sword
The U.S. Model 1832 foot artillery short-sword has a 6-inch (15 cm) solid brass hilt, a 4-inch (10 cm) crossguard, and a blade usually 19 inches (48 cm) in length. This model was the first sword contracted by the U.S. with the Ames Manufacturing Company of Springfield (later Chicopee), Massachusetts, with production starting in 1832. In later years, it was also imported and supplied by W.H. Horstmann & Sons of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As a personal side arm, it was intended for use by the regular or foot artillery regiments of the United States Army and remained in service until 1872 for use by foot artillerymen. It was the issued sword for sergeants and musicians of infantry regiments from 1832 until 1840. As most artillery regiments were trained and equipped as infantry prior to 1861 a single weapon for both types of troops made sense. It replaced the earlier Starr pattern sword used throughout the 1820s. While the design was impractical for actual combat, it is believed that artillerymen put this weapon to other uses, such as clearing brush or creating trails. It was an effective tool for cutting paths through the Florida swamps during the Second Seminole War, which occurred during the time it was issued to infantry sergeants, drummers and fifers. This is somewhat corroborated by the French nickname for their version of the sword, coupe choux (cabbage cutter). The last Ames contract for this sword was completed in 1862, although as a stock item it continued to be listed in company catalogs for decades afterwards.

The design was based on the French foot artillery short sword of 1816, which with minor changes was basically repeated in 1831. The French model was based on the Roman gladius, the standard sword of the Roman legionaries.

French versions can be distinguished from American versions by the hilt design, manufacturers' marks (French manufacturers include Châtellerault, St. Etienne, Talabot, and Thiebaut), and the lack of U.S. markings. Swords supplied by Ames typically bore an eagle on the blade until the Mexican–American War, whereas those made during the civil war by Confederate arsenals were typically unmarked. The Ames Model 1832 has a hilt with an eagle cast into the pommel and a scaled grip surface. French versions have either textured grips (model 1816) or ringed grips (model 1831), and like later English models a plain or smooth pommel on the hilt.