1833 U.S. Dragoons Cavalry Saber

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Important Fine Art & Chinese Sale

By Sarasota Estate Auction

May 26, 2019

Set Reminder 2019-05-26 11:00:00 2019-05-26 11:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Important Fine Art & Chinese Sale https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/sarasota-estate/important-fine-art-chinese-sale-4133
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• Lot Description
  This is an 1833 U.S. Dragoons Cavalry saber used by the 1st and 2nd U.S. Dragoon Regiments of the U.S. Military. The saber was used during military operations in the Second Seminole War, the South-West Indian Wars, and the Mexican War. Because the cavalr unit was formed in 1833, the saber is also called a type M1833. In 1833, the U.S. Army formed its first official mounted regiments, the First and Second Dragoons. These soldiers rode into battle, then dismounted to fight, and their units were the beginning of the United States Cavalry. Until then, the only mounted units available to the country were state and local mounted militias, often equipped with surplus, older-model sabers. From 1834 through 1839, the government contracted with the N.P. Ames Company of Springfield, Mass. for 6,100 model 1833 Dragoon sabers, which were based on an 1822 British Officer’s Light Cavalry Saber. The handles on sabers for enlisted soldiers were wrapped in black leather with seven rows of distinctive brass-wire wrapping, while officers’ blades featured shark-skin wrapping. Ames also manufactured dragoon sabers for a number of states that requisitioned them or purchased them from the Ordnance Department. These states included Massachusetts, North Carolina and South Carolina, and it’s believed the M1833 sabers were also produced for Georgia and Pennsylvania. Another 280 sabers for enlisted men and 18 officers’ sabers were contracted for the Republic of Texas. Eventually, however, the 1833 saber was phased out in favor of a newer, heavier, French-inspired blade known as the Model 1840 Cavalry Saber. Still, the 1833 Dragoon saber ranks as the first true U.S. Cavalry saber and maintains a place of honor among American cavalry arms. But troopers who used the 1833 saber complained that it was too light and not suitable for a good thrust. Furthermore, the scabbard was prone to being dented or bent, which could have caused problems for a trooper trying to draw the saber from its scabbard - a legitimate grievance for men whose lives depended on the weapon. While not as durable as desired, the 1833 Dragoon saber was finished with a gleaming brass hilt with a knuckle bow and a two-branch guard, and the layered pommel was mounted over a slotted nut that facilitated replacement of broken blades in the field. (On U.S. sabers from the American Civil War, the pommel cap was domed, instead of layered.) Blades were etched “N.P. AMES, CUTLER, SPRINGFIELD,” along with the date of manufacture, ranging from 1834 to 1840. The U.S. sub-inspector’s initials were stamped on the quillon (the rounded or disc style end that turns toward the blade), and “ORD” was frequently stamped on the hilt of the saber. (“ORD” stood for Ordnance Department.) This saber weighs 2.40 pounds, the blade is 34 inches long and the overall length is 39 1/4 inches long (from the pommel to the tip of the blade). The saber has a two-branch brass guard, a dark brown leather grip and a stepped or layered pommel cap. The grip has the required seven rows of twisted brass-wire wrapping, which means the saber was designed for an enlisted soldier, and the wrap is tightly wound. The initials “ORD” and "HKC" are also stamped on the guard near the hilt, and the hilt retains its original leather washer. "HKC" stands for Major Henry Knox Craig, the final Ordnance Department inspector who accepted the finished saber. There is no date or maker’s mark near the ricasso (the metal at the top of the blade) because Ames used a dry needle process to etch his maker’s mark on the blade, and the etching sat so shallowly on the blade that it was prone to fade very quickly, which made the maker’s mark unreadable at times. So this saber is a rare historical item from the early days of the nation, when the country maintained a very small mounted force. Due to limited production and a low survival rate, good examples of this saber are hard to find. A nearly identical saber is on display at the Alamo in San Antonio, and there's evidence that the saber saw action during the Texas War for Independence and were even carried by some Confederate cavalry during the American Civil War. The saber shows normal age discoloration, the leather has light rubbing and a small crack near the pommel, and the saber has no scabbard.
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