Arms, Armor & Militaria

31.5" curved single-edged blade with 23" stopped median fuller and 13.5" narrow fuller at spine. Blade 1.125" wide at ricasso, overall length 38". 6" hilt with gilt brass two branch guard with knuckle bow and grooved wood leather covered grip with fourteen wraps of twisted bras wire. Blade etched in four lines near the obverse ricasso WH/HORSTMANN/&/SONS/PHILADELPHIA. Blade with 16" etched panels displaying foliate scrolls with geometric patterns and martial theme including panoplies of arms on the reverse and similar foliate and martial themes on the obverse. Spine etched with leaf patterns as well. Gilt brass guard with relief cast acanthus leaves and foliate patterns on the guard branches and interior face of the guard. Pommel cap with similar cast patterns. Gilt brass mounted steel scabbard with two suspension rings and drag has a presentation plaque on the obverse. The oval plaque appears to be silver with a twisted brass wire boarder and reads: US ARMY - PRESENTED TO - US ARMY/Maj. Eli H Murray/FOR BRAVERY IN THE FIELD/BRIG, GEN. T.L. Crittenden/JANUARY 1862.

Ely Huston Murray (1843-1896) was born on February 10, 1843 in Cloverport, KY and died on November 18, 1896 in Bowling Green, KY. He joined the 3rd Kentucky Cavalry at the age of 18 on November 26, 1861 in Calhoun, KY. He was commissioned as the regiment's major and the regiment was officially mustered into US Volunteer service on December 31, 1861 and made a part of Crittenden's cavalry brigade of the Army of the Ohio. However, three days earlier, near Sacramento, KY Major Murray and a group of 168 troopers engaged some 400-500 Confederate cavalry under the command of Colonel (later general) Nathan Bedford Forrest. The 3rd KY was initially driven back due to the overwhelming force before them but Murray rallied his troopers and managed to make a stand with stiff hand-to-hand fighting ensuing. Reports indicate that Murray's command may well have been able to hold on and repulse Forrest's men except for someone other than Murray calling for a "retreat to Sacramento". Murray lost 8 men killed and 13 captured or missing, but the report noted the enemy "took away three wagon loads of dead and wounded." The 3rd KY would spend 1862 in the field at most of the major events that took place in Western Theater during that year. These included the capture of Fort Donelson, the capture of Nashville, the Battle of Shiloh, Battles of Iuka and Corinth, Battle of Perryville and the Battle of Stones River. On August 13, 1862 Murray was promoted to Colonel of the 3rd KY Cavalry. The regiment continued to see action with the Army of the Ohio as part of their cavalry contingent for the rest of the war, and were not reassigned until November of 1864 when the regiment was made part of the Military Division of Mississippi. During that time the regiment fought through the Atlanta Campaign, participated in Sherman's March to the Sea, the Carolinas Campaign and the Battle of Bentonville. Murray was breveted to the rank of brigadier general on March 13, 1865. After the war Murray was made the US Marshall for the State of Kentucky from 1866 to 1876. In 1880 he was appointed the Governor of Utah Territory, an office that he held until 1886. He then returned to Kentucky where he died at the age of 53 in 1896. The sword presented to Murray was no doubt for his actions near Sacramento on December 28, 1861 as the January 1862 presentation comes from the cavalry brigade commander Thomas L Crittenden. Crittenden was another Kentuckian who rose to the rank of Major General and command of the 2nd Corps and later the 9th Corps during the course of the war. The sword is accompanied by a large binder of extensive research about Murray and Crittenden with copies of Murray's service records, copies of images, etc. Murray's sash is included, as well, and a photo in the binder shows the complete uniform of Murray including the sash and sword. Two original CDVs also accompany the sword, one a signed one of Murray and the other of Crittenden. This sword was initially offered for sale by Gary Hendershott in his may 2004 catalog.