Arms, Armor and Militaria

36.25" curved single-edged blade, 42.25" in overall length. 6" silver washed highly detailed chased brass hilt with grooved silver grip with faux woven texture. Collins & Co marked blade is dated 1861. Blade etched with highly detailed martial and patriotic themes, as well as foliate and geometric patterns. Browned steel scabbard with chased German silver mounting and an engraved presentation plaque on the obverse that reads: Presented to/COL. HIRAM BERRY/by the sergeants of the/4th MAINE REGT FEB 22, 1862. The sword is accompanied by a two large binders of research on Berry, including copies of the pages from his biography that describe this presentation sword in detail, as well as copies of period newspaper accounts of the same. Two CDVs of Berry are also included, as well as a period copper commemorative coin, similar to the ID discs of the era.

Hiram Gregory Berry (1824-1863) was born in Rockland, ME where he learned the carpentry trade and later became a navigator. He served as the mayor of his town for several terms and also raised and commanded a company of local Maine militia known as the Rockland Guard in the years before the Civil War. With the coming of the war he was commissioned a colonel and given command of the 4th Maine Volunteer Infantry. He led the regiment at 1st Manassas in the summer of 1861 and at the Siege of Yorktown during the Peninsular Campaign in 1862 and was promoted to Brigadier General on March 7 of that year and brigade command on April 4. He was present for the balance of the Peninsular Campaign, the Seven Days before Richmond and also at 2nd Manassas Campaign. In January of 1863 he was promoted to Major General and given command of the 2nd Division of the 3rd Corps of the Army of the Potomac. He was killed at Chancellorsville on May 3, 1863 while leading a bayonet charge. This sword was presented to him by the non commissioned officers of the 4th Maine when they learned of his promotion from regimental to brigade command as a brigadier general.