General Rittenhouse's Sword??

[JohnOrtegae]

This tag is affixed to this sword. It came from a large collection that was amassed in the 1920s to the 50s. Is there a way to know if this really was his sword? There is a number 20 under the hand guard.

 

[JOHN42768]

Not a sword expert, but this appears to be a Musician sword. I would doubt this was his personal sword. May be a presentation or one he had in his collection. Reference http://www.relicman.com/weapons/Weapon5510-Sword-Army-Musician-Model-1840-Ames.html

 

[Package4]

This tag is affixed to this sword. It came from a large collection that was amassed in the 1920s to the 50s. Is there a way to know if this really was his sword? There is a number 20 under the hand guard.


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This may very well have been owned by Rittenhouse, but it is doubtful that he used it, this is a noncommissioned officer's sword and from what I gather, Rittenhouse enlisted as a 2nd Lt. Collections from veterans contain all kinds of items; the veterans themselves were sometimes collectors of Civil War memorabilia. I just recently purchased a grouping of an Union officer and he had quite a few enlisted items included with his officer's gear, in addition to a 20# solid shot.

 

[Richard E. Schenk]

Agree with Package-4, it's a M1840 NCO sword which is unlikely to have been carried by an officer. It looks like it might be a Horstmann product - their swords frequently had numbers on the base of the hilt next to the blade such as on your sword. Is the rear counterguard casted in a downturned position?

 

[Lanyard Puller]

Package4 got it right.
I'd advise you to buy the item not the story, unless there is rock solid, researched and documented provenance.

 

[UCVRelics]

@Package4 is spot on. Not to say it wasn't his but he probably didn't wear it as no self respecting Lt would wear an NCO's sword. Swords as well as uniforms were status symbols.

 

[Glen_C]

I believe he is listed as a Corporal in Co. D.

Agree with Package-4, it's a M1840 NCO sword which is unlikely to have been carried by an officer. It looks like it might be a Horstmann product - their swords frequently had numbers on the base of the hilt next to the blade such as on your sword. Is the rear counterguard casted in a downturned position?

It may be the shadow but the sword does look to have the wider blade we see on the early Horstmann nco swords.

I wonder what rank he mustered in as. I'm not sure why the op entitled the thread General, when he never was?

Cheers
GC

 

[Glen_C]

"he assumed command of Battery D, 5th United States Artillery at the battle of Gettysburg upon the death of Lieutenant Charles Hazlett"

So, his LT died, what was Benjamin's rank at the time?

He joined as a 2nd LT, so a private purchase, or issued at muster nco sword might have been appropriate at the time of his battery campaign with the Army of the Potomac.

 

[JohnOrtegae]

Not a sword expert, but this appears to be a Musician sword. I would doubt this was his personal sword. May be a presentation or one he had in his collection. Reference http://www.relicman.com/weapons/Weapon5510-Sword-Army-Musician-Model-1840-Ames.html

Thank you for this information!

 

[JohnOrtegae]

This may very well have been owned by Rittenhouse, but it is doubtful that he used it, this is a noncommissioned officer's sword and from what I gather, Rittenhouse enlisted as a 2nd Lt. Collections from veterans contain all kinds of items; the veterans themselves were sometimes collectors of Civil War memorabilia. I just recently purchased a grouping of an Union officer and he had quite a few enlisted items included with his officer's gear, in addition to a 20# solid shot.

This is great information! Yes, I suppose Veterans do collect also, and I should have thought of this myself.

 

[JohnOrtegae]

It may be the shadow but the sword does look to have the wider blade we see on the early Horstmann nco swords.

I wonder what rank he mustered in as. I'm not sure why the op entitled the thread General, when he never was?

Cheers
GC

HA! What a Edited. ! I don't know why I put General. I would love to say it was a typo, but nobody would buy that, would they? Guess I was just on a roll with some of the other research I was doing, and just didn't qc my post too well.