This regulation US 1850 Ames Staff and Field sword was formerly in the collection of Civil War sculptor and collector Run Tunison. The brass hilt and mounts have a matching, mellow aged patina. The scabbard has lots of original blue, with just one slight ding on the lower obverse and scattered small dings and scratches to the drag, which is to be expected on sword with any service. The scabbard throat is missing, but the upper scabbard mount has the correct “Ames Mfr. Co./  Chicopee / Mass.” stamp. The grip is very good, with the wire place and full gray sharkskin wrap, though there is some wear to the surface nodes of the grip on the obverse, where one’s hand would grasp it, and a slight separation line along the seam of the grip wrap, which is pretty typical of Ames officer swords. Only faint traces of the blade etching can be made out. The surface is a mix of dull silver and light gray, with some scattered dark gray spots, with more toward the tip. The point and edge are good.

The upper mount is nicely engraved in narrow, period script on the lower edge, “T. Quinn.” This was identified in the Tunison collection as Thomas Quinn, Lieutenant and Captain of the 4^th U.S. Infantry. Rosters of the volunteer forces show only two officers named “T. Quinn:” one was a cavalry officer and the other a chaplain, neither of whom would be good candidates for this sword. The only other candidate fits well: Thomas Francis Quinn, of the 4^th US Infantry. An Irish immigrant, he had an active career in the U.S. Army, serving from 1854 to 1858 as a private in the 2^nd U.S. Artillery, during which he took part in the Seminole Indian War in Florida. He then reenlisted in the 4^th US Infantry in 1860, serving in Washington and Oregon, before returning east and serving as Principle Musician, while taking part in the siege of Yorktown, and battles of Gaines Mill, Malvern Hill, Second Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. He was promoted to Sergeant Major in July 1863 and commissioned 2^nd Lieutenant October 1863. He was on recruiting duty until January 1865. In February 1865 he was promoted to First Lieutenant and according to army records was, “At General Grant’s Head-Quarters during the pursuit and surrender of the Rebel army under General Lee,” which implies staff duty and would explain the use of an 1850 Staff and Field sword. He received a brevet to Captain for “gallant and meritorious service in front of Petersburg.” He later did provost duty in Richmond, was involved in dealing with Fenian troubles along the Canadian border and then went west, seeing duty at Fort Fetterman, Fort Laramie and elsewhere. He reached the regular rank of Captain in 1876 and is mentioned in John Bourke’s diaries during the White River Ute Uprising of 1879. He retired in 1894. (His brevet is occasionally listed as 1^st Lt, but he had already reached that regular rank and his brevet as Captain is confirmed by the 1902 register of brevet commissions. His presence at Grant’s headquarters is in, Military Record of Army and Civilian Appointments in the United States Army, Guy V. Henry, Vol. 2, Van Nostrand, 1873. P.174, which gives a capsule history of his career up to 1873.)

This is nice example of regulation sword belonging to a regular army officer who rose from the ranks and had an interesting record of wartime service, and service in both the prewar and postwar regular army.  [sr]

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