Arms, Armor & Militaria

31.5" slightly curved, single-edged spear point blade, with a 22.75" stopped median fuller, blade 1.08" wide at ricasso with scalloped buff leather throat washer. 37.125" in overall length with a 5.75" gilt brass hilt with chased silver grip. Face of guard with spread-winged eagle details and the letters US, forward swept upper quillon in the form of an eagle's head with "ruby" eyes. Pommel cap with  a large "ruby" set in it. Gold washed acid etched blade with panoplies of arms, foliate and martial themes and patriotic motifs with spread-winged eagle on the reverse and a U S on the obverse. Reverse ricasso etched in three lines Fletcher & / Bennett / Louisville, KY. The top of the silver guard is engraved Heroism at Battle of Balls Bluff / Oct 1861. Brass mounted gilt steel scabbard with presentation plaque that reads: Presented To / Lt. Col. George H. Ward / by the Members of / 15th Reg't Mass Vol's. Chased and engraved mounts with applied oak leaf decorations. Includes a gold officer's sword knot and a binder of detailed research and information regarding the Ward, his regiment and his service.

George Hull Ward was a 36-year-old farmer when he joined the Union cause and was commissioned as a Lt. Colonel in the 15th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry on July 24, 1861. The regiment served the entire war in the Eastern Theater fighting with the Army of the Potomac through nearly all of its major engagements. The regiment's first major combat experience was on October 21, 1861 at the Battle of Ball's Bluff. The 15th Mass was the spearhead of the reconnaissance movement that initiated the contact with the Confederate forces on the morning of October 21. The regiment made first contact and initially pushed aside a company of the 17th Mississippi Infantry, however as the Confederates brought up reinforcements, the 15th Mass found itself in an untenable position. Due to a limited number of boats to ferry additional troops across the river to the engagement, the 15th Mass suffered relatively heavy losses with 32 men killed, 79 wounded, 191 captured and 23 missing. Among the injured was Lt. Colonel Ward, who was wounded in the left leg so severely that it had to be amputated.

On April 29, 1862 Ward was promoted to full colonel and given command of the regiment. The regiment fought at Yorktown, Fair Oaks and Savage's Station during the spring and early summer of 1862 and was present at the battle of Antietam where they again suffered heavy casualties. Of the 606 effectives, 75 were killed, 255 were wounded (43 of whom would die), 1 was captured and 22 were missing in action, resulting in the loss of 58% of the regiment. Due to their heavy losses and depleted ranks, the regiment saw little action at Fredericksburg, which allowed them to escape the carnage that ravaged most of the Union Army during the assault on Mayre's Heights. The regiment's next major engagement was at Gettysburg on July 2 and 3, where it was assigned to the 1st Brigade of the 2nd Division of the 2nd Corps of the Army of the Potomac. Again they suffered a reasonably high casualty count of 52% considering only 304 effectives were on the field, with 25 killed, 107 wounded, 6 captured and 21 missing. Again, Ward was among the wounded. This time he succumbed to his wounds and died at the battle on July 2. He was breveted a brigadier general for his gallantry that day.