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CLASSIC CONFEDERATE ENLISTED CAVALRY SABER AND WOOD SCABBARD BY HAMMOND MARSHALL OR KRAFT, GOLDSCHMIDT AND KRAFT

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This is a very good, complete, classically Confederate cavalry saber with wood scabbard. Other known examples include one in the Wray Collection at the Atlanta History Center. Some collectors still refer to it as a product of Hammond Marshall and Company of Atlanta, who had an 1862 CS contract for 3,000 cavalry sabers, but attribution has largely come full circle, back to Kraft, Goldschmidt and Kraft of Columbia, S.C., first put forward by Albaugh in 1963, on the basis of the long, nearly straight blade, the untwisted grip wire, and use of brass ferrule at the bottom of the grip.

The brass hilt is a simplified copy of the US light cavalry saber, with rudimentary Phrygian cap pommel and three branch guard that is flat and lacking contour by comparison. The grip contour is rather straight, however, leading some to call these Confederate versions of the US Model 1840. The iron wire and the leather grip wrap are in place and complete. The wire is tight. The leather shows some crazing and small nicks, but only one or two small spots showing any surface loss. The brass ferrule, guard and pommel have a matching mellow patina with some age spots, but only minor scratches and handling marks, four tiny dings on the reverse edge of the counter guard and no dents or bends.

A brown leather pad is in place on the underside of the guard, complete, though showing some cracking and finish loss. The blade is smooth metal with a muted steel gray color mixed with scattered darker gray spots. The point is good and we see only a few very tiny edge nicks near the end of the fuller.

The scabbard is the characteristic one for this saber. The same pattern shows up on sabers made by B. Douglas of Columbia, leading to the supposition that they were supplied to both Douglas and K. G. & K. by a local maker or that that one sword maker supplied the other. A strong candidate, however, is the firm of Lewis L. and T.R. Moore (possibly in Atlanta,) who supplied 556 wooden saber scabbards to the CS Arsenal at Charleston, S.C., in 1863, suggesting a broad cooperation and coordination among manufacturers. The scabbards have naturally loose tolerances for the blades, making them perfect for use on swords by different makers. The construction is a tribute to Confederate material shortages and ingenuity. Two wood slats were mortised to receive a blade, joined together by pins, painted with red varnish. They were bound with three tinned sheet iron mounts painted black and fitted with a brass throat, ring bands, and drag.

The scabbard is complete and in very good condition, matching the saber. The throat, ringbands, rings, and drag are all present. The black paint on the mounts is good, fully present and somewhat crusty on the tinned iron and worn somewhat from the brass elements, which are the high surfaces most subject to wear, but show a nice mellow patina. The wood scabbard body shows as a mix of thin orange-red with black stains here and there, and some lighter wear spots, but is pleasing. There are various dings and scratches, with some surface wear to the edges, but it is solid.

This is very good example of a scarce, classic Confederate enlisted man’s cavalry saber that would complement any collection of Civil War edge weapons, cavalry arms, or Confederate arms.  [sr] [ph:L]

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