Germanic Chevaulegers Style Saber with Scabbard Inscribed to 1st Lt. O.P. Furgason 27th Indiana Infantry

American Civil War

31.75" slightly curved, single-edged clip point blade with 23.5" stopped median fuller. Narrow blade is .89" wide at ricasso, sword with an overall length of 36.5". 4.5" hilt with brass two-branch guard and knuckle bow and forward swept disc shaped quillon. Smooth brass bird's head pommel and backstrap. Grooved wood grip with leather covering and fourteen wraps of double strand twisted wire. Sword is unmarked. Blade etched with 13" panels of flowing foliate scrolls and martial themes, including panoplies and trophies of arms. No specific patriotic motifs are noted. Steel scabbard with brass suspension mounts and rings is engraved on the obverse between the upper mount and the throat: O.P. Fergason 1st Lt/27th Ind. Vol. Infty/1st Div. 12th x 20th Corps. and between the upper and middle mounts: Winchester, VA Antietam, Md Chancellorsville, VA/Gettysburg, Pa Resaca, Ga Dallas. Atlanta. The sword appears to be of mid to late 19th century Germanic origin, probably Bavarian and does not include any themes or decorations directly attributable to United States service. The presence of Furguson's engagements engraved on the scabbard, in the same hand as the "presentation" suggest that this may well have been a post-war memento and is likely not the sword that he carried during the course of the war. The sword is accompanied by a large binder of information about Fergason and his Civil War service, as well as research about the 27th Indiana Volunteer Infantry.

Oliver P Furgason (1838-1908) was a 23 year old teamster when he enlisted in the 27th Indiana Volunteer Infantry on September 12, 1861 and was mustered in as the 2nd sergeant of Company C. The regiment saw its first combat at Winchester, VA on May 25, 1862 and was also at Cedar Mountain on August 9. However they began to earn their reputation for being a hard fighting regiment at Antietam. There, the regiment was part of the fighting in the Cornfield against Hood's Texas Brigade and Furgason was wounded in the hip during that fighting. Of the 448 men engaged, the 27th IN lost 41 killed and 168 wounded. Furgason recovered from his wound and rejoined his regiment, and was promoted to 2nd lieutenant about two weeks after the battle.

On October 25, 1862 he was promoted again to 1st lieutenant. In May of 1863 the regiment was heavily engaged at Chancellorsville, where they suffered 150 killed and wounded of 300 men engaged. The regiment fought at Gettysburg from the afternoon of July 1st through the entire battle. On July 3, 1863 at Gettysburg, Furgason led the regiment in a near suicidal charge in McAllister's Woods, during the assault four color bearers were killed and four were wounded. The total casualties for the regiment were 111 of the 339 men engaged. From mid-August to early September the regiment was involved with the quelling of the New York Draft Riots, and was then transferred to the Western Theater, having been reassigned from the 12th to the 20th Corps. In November 1863 Furgason was detached on recruiting duty. In 1864 the regiment took part in the Atlanta Campaign, fighting at Resaca and Peachtree Creek, and partaking in the Siege of Atlanta. The Regiment was mustered out of service on November 4, 1864. On February 27, 1865 Furguson was commissioned into Company H of the 148th Indiana Infantry as a 1st lieutenant, and on June 15, 1865 he was made the regimental adjutant and transferred to the Staff & Field of the regiment. He was mustered out of service on September 5, 1865. After the war he worked as a hotel clerk in Indianapolis and died of a heart attack on December 22, 1908.

From the Collection of George Oldenbourg