D J Millard Model 1860 Cavalry Cutlass

[UCVRelics]

Ive always loved collecting the obscure and rare items and here is another piece from my CW Retirement Plan. The sword started life a a model 1860 D J Millard cavalry sword. It has all the hallmarks, inspectors marks 1862 date etc. Millard is a rare Union Cav sword in its own right as he only had a contract for 10000 swords. This one has been converted to a cutlass. This period conversion appears to be have been done at the factory as its not a sloppy conversion. All the patina's of the cutlass guard match's as do the brass rivets. If you look where the cavalry hand guard should be at the guard it doesn't appear to have been cast and only part of the guard at the top appears to have been cast but is very well done. It even has a notch cut out of the knuckle bow where the scabbard would fit. I have often wondered if this was some type of prototype etc. What do y'all think?

 

[originalrebelyell]

Very nice sword , very interesting.

 

[mofederal]

That's a very interesting sword. I have never seen anything quite like that. Unique, and it is a little bizarre. Not like any cutlass I have ever seen. I have seen some. I have a training cutlass right now in my living room.

 

[kevikens]

Circa 1862 there would seem to have more of a need for cavalry sabers than cutlasses, I think. Maybe not, though. I have never seen anything quite like it and whoever did the conversion, factory or armory, seemed to know what they were doing and it does look like it was done at one and the same time. Did this firm have any contracts for cutlasses with the Navy or perhaps the Revenue Service?

 

[UCVRelics]

Did this firm have any contracts for cutlasses with the Navy or perhaps the Revenue Service?

From all the records I have been able to find Millard only had 1 contract for 10000 model 1860's. He produced 10033 and all were made in 1862 and all I have seen or owned were marked 1862. here is a side by side of the 2. The workmanship is top notch which leads to me to believe that it was done at the factory.

 

[Jobe Holiday]

If nothing else, this "Saber/Cutlass" has been put together. Look at the pommel, it is flat and shows file marks where the previous blade tang had been filed down to disassemble the sword. Upon reassembly the pommel was left flat (short, or low) to enable the new blade to be inserted and have the tang peened over to secure the blade in the grip. The resulting peening has left the resulting tang with a high, crude, dome-like appearance. This is one of the most common "Danger Flags" for a sword collector. When a sword came from the factory the tang had been filed flush, complete with a smooth radius, and the whole pommel and tang polished over so as to appear as one, with the exception of the different color of the metals.
J.

 

[Richard E. Schenk]

Circa 1862 there would seem to have more of a need for cavalry sabers than cutlasses, I think. Maybe not, though. I have never seen anything quite like it and whoever did the conversion,, i factory or armory, seemed to know what they were doing and it does look like it was done at one and the same time. Did this firm have any contracts for cutlasses with the Navy or perhaps the Revenue Service?

I've been researching cutlasses in the National Archives,, including a review of Navy contracts . The Navy obtained all it's cutlasses during the war from Ames. It is possible the US Revenue Marine (called the Revenue Cutter Service after 1863) may have obtained M1861 cutlasses from Tiffany early in the war (June - Sept 1861), but it also obtained most, if not all, of its cutlasses from Ames - certainly all from the fall of 1861 and later. It would never have accepted a jury rigged item such as this, I think the theory this is a cavalry sword modified as a movie prop is the most likely explanation. Some of the movie prop companies did really nice work.