Brass parts found together from an NCO sword, recovered at Chancellorsville Battlefield (SOLD)

This is another nice piece being offered, it is the remains of a US Model 1840 noncommissioned officers' sword scabbard. These swords were adopted by the United States military in 1840 (see complete sword and scabbard). The sword had a 31-inch blade (some being slightly longer), a cast brass hilt resembling the more expensive wire-wrapped leather grips, and a leather scabbard rather than the steel used by cavalry troopers and officers, although some makers, such as Emerson and Silver, issued a steel scabbard rather than leather to protect from wear. These pieces were found in the same hole on the Chancellorsville, Virginia Battlefield.

The Battle of Chancellorsville, fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, is widely considered to be Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s greatest victory during the Civil War. Facing an enemy force nearly twice the size of his own, Lee daringly split his troops in two, confronting and surprising Union Gen. Joseph Hooker. Though Hooker still held numerical superiority, he did not press this advantage, instead falling back to defensive positions.

When Lee once again split his forces and attacked, Hooker was forced to retreat across the Rappahannock River. Lee’s victory came at a high cost, however. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, one of his most trusted generals, was mortally wounded by friendly fire during the battle.

Often, single pieces of this scabbard are found, but it is unusual to find this many in one spot. There is actually some of the original leather scabbard in one of the brass pieces. It comes in the glass top display case pictured.