Original Item: Only One Available. This is a wonderful service-used example of an Ames Model 1832 Artillery Short sword, made during the 2nd year of production, 1834, for use in the Seminole Wars & the Mexican–American War of 1846-1848, as well as the Civil War. These early examples saw repeated use in different units over a very long period. What’s better is that the sword comes complete with its original White Buff Model 1832 Heavy Artillery Sword Belt with its original plate, only the second we’ve ever offered. This is an incredibly scarce set to find together like this. A great sword with some great history!

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''.

The blade is stamped on the reverse, near the hilt:

UNITED
STATES
1834

On the obverse, near the hilt stamped is:

(Eagle Logo)
N.P. AMES
SPRINGFIELD

The top of the crossguard is marked with S. HUSE / NEWBURYPORT. The 1834 date would place the sword in the third and last delivery under Ames’s second contract with the army. This was signed February 1833 and was for 2,000 swords, like the first. 1,100 were delivered by July 1833 and the remaining 900 seem to have been delivered by March 1834. Ames received another contract in November 1834 for more swords of the pattern, but the hilts made by Huse had received complaints for loosening up and those furnished after completion of the second contract in March 1834 seem to have been produced in-house by Ames, using an improved mold. The crossguard is also marked with J.M. and J.A.J.B. in an oval.

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, which are in great shape. Overall the grip has a lovely aged patina, with no signs of aggressive cleaning, and heavy service wear. The crossguard is scratched on the side with the letter M.

The blade on this example looks to have seen extremely long service and some heavy past oxidation, which was cleaned at one point. There is heavy material loss and nicks in the edges of the blade. The blade is still very tight to the hilt.

The black leather scabbard is in good condition and rather solid, but there are some cracking in the leather, and the stitching is heavily missing. The brass fittings do show wear and some denting, but no major damage out of line with standard use in service. The leather is also in relatively good condition, still retaining the heavy black finish well.

The original White Buff Model 1832 heavy artillery sword belt is in very rough and stiff condition for its age with a large break in one of the two pieces that hold the sword and scabbard, so this should absolutely not be displayed on a mannequin. The buckle is very worn but still intact and closes well, but always be mindful about the fragility of the material. The frog button hole is still intact, as the majority of these have the hole ripped open at the end. This is a great been-there example, perfect for any Mexican-American War display.

A great Mexican-American war era Artillery Short Sword, ready to research and display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 19 1/4"
Blade Style: Double Edged "Gladius" style
Overall length: 25 1/4“
Crossguard: 4 1/4”
Scabbard Length: 14"

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.