Item Description
Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is the tremendously-engraved M1902 Officer’s saber of 1st Lieutenant Edward Hitzeroth, 109th Infantry Regiment, 28th Division. The sword was presented to Hitzeroth by members of the 2nd Troop, Philadelphia City Cavalry on July 11th, 1914. Hitzeroth had served in this troop from June 4th, 1898 until August 5th, 1917, when he was transferred to the 109th Infantry Regiment, 28th Division. In the Battle of Chateau Thierry on July 18th, 1918, Hitzeroth had manned a machine gun in the face of withering German fire to allow for the safe return of his soldiers to their lines, but in doing so, he was captured. This is made far more impressive by the fact that at the time, Hitzeroth was 48 years old! We have printed and provided an article that goes into much more detail about his capture.
The Model 1902 Army Officers' Saber is the current sword used by officers of the United States Army. The official nomenclature for the current U.S. Army saber is “saber for all officers, Model 1902”. It was adopted on July 17, 1902 by authority of General Order No. 81. The M1902 saber was authorized for all officers, both infantry and cavalry, with the exception of Chaplains. The lightly curved blade measures between 30-34 inches long with weights initially specified by the U.S. Army to be between 20.2 and 22.8 ounces (573 to 647 grams) and a point of balance of 3.25 inches from the hilt as specified for infantry sabers.
This fine example dates to 1914 and is in very nice condition. As with most, it is fully nickel plated, with a triple-etched slightly curved blade, and a nickel plated steel scabbard. The etching on the blade shows the standard heraldry of the U.S. Army with a cannon and various stands of arms, and is engraved to Edward Hitzeroth on the blade.
The side of the scabbard is engraved:
Presented to
Edward Hitzeroth
By members of
Second Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry
July 11th, 1914
Condition is very good, though there is some oxidation and wear to the nickel plate, which has started to bubble up and flake in spots on the scabbard. There is also some wear through on the hilt, which has minor movement. The leather blade buffer is still present as well.
A very nice example, ready to add to your collection!
Approximate Dimensions:
Blade Length: 31 3/4"
Blade Style: Curved Single Edge w/ Fuller
Overall length: 37 3/4“
Guard dimensions: 5" width x 5” length
Scabbard length: 32 ⅞
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