Arms, Armor and Militaria

29" single edged, slightly curved blade with the last 3" or so snapped clean off, along with a matching section of scabbard. Blade with a 22.5" stopped median fuller. Overall length 34.75" with the damaged blade. 6" hilt with gilt brass guard and grooved wooden grip covered in shagreen, with the twisted wire missing except for traces. Reverse ricasso etched SCHUYLER/HARTLEY/& GRAHAM/NEW YORK in four lines. Blade etched with floral, martial and patriotic motifs, including the slogan Stand By The Union with a trophy of arms. The top of the pommel cap is engraved in six lines: Presented to/Major PB Buckingham/20'REGT C.V./by Thomas James Jr./of Seymour CT/Sept. 1st, 1862. The sword is accompanied by its similarly damaged brass mounted blued steel scabbard. A large binder of information about Buckingham accompanies the sword, along with three additional binders, two containing copies of his letters and the third his history of the 20th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

Philo B. Buckingham was a resident of Seymour, CT who helped to raise a company of infantry for the 20th Connecticut Volunteers, which he assumed he would receive command of as their captain. however his application for that commission was returned and he was made the major of the regiment, being commissioned on September 8, 1862. The regiment was assigned to the defenses of Washington as a part of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division of the 12th Corps. The regiment saw its first significant combat during the Chancellorsville Campaign and was active in the Gettysburg Campaign as well. The regiment was then transferred to the Western Theater where it fought at Resaca and took part in the Atlanta Campaign, with heavy engagement at Peachtree Creek. The regiment then went with Sherman on this March to the Sea and fought during the North Carolina Campaign that ended the war in the "west". During most of 1863 Buckingham was the Acting Assistant Inspector General for the 12th Corps, but was reassigned to command the regiment when it was transferred to the Western Theater. He was also briefly in command of a brigade during that campaign. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel on April 9, 1864 and breveted to colonel for gallantry on March 13, 1865. At least one notation indicates that he was briefly captured at Bermuda Hundred but escaped.