College Hill Arsenal Foot Officers Sword

American Civil War

31.375" single edged spear point blade with a 23" unstopped median fuller. Blade 1.1" wide at ricasso. Overall length 37". 5.75" hilt with cast brass split branch guard with knuckle bow and Phrygian helmet pommel cap. Grooved wooden grip with leather covering and 10 wraps of twisted wire. Blade etched with a basket weave pattern as well as foliate and martial motifs. Etching is weak but visible. The sword is accompanied by a top seamed brass mounted leather scabbard.

Little is definitively known about the College Hill Arsenal that was operated in Nashville by the somewhat mysterious L.T. Cunningham, but the firm produced or at least retailed swords during 1861 and until the fall of Nashville to Federal forces in February of 1862. All of the records regarding an L.T. Cunningham in the Confederate Citizen Files revolve around Mr. Cunningham doing roof repairs for various buildings being used by the Confederacy in Nashville, primarily hospitals. However, it is worth noting that George Cunningham was a partner in the successful Nashville dry goods business of Fall & Cunningham and that a G.W. Cunningham had the position of Assistant Quartermaster in Nashville by the fall of 1861 and was openly soliciting for supplies and contractors for the Confederate Army. It appears the same G.W. Cunningham was a Major by the spring of 1863 and was overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Atlanta Depot. It is likely L.T. and G.W. Cunningham were related, and as such G.W. may have used L.T. as his representative for a sword business "side hustle" which would have been perfect for an officer who was dealing in procurement and supplies management and who wanted to get part of the action, without the overt appearance of impropriety. Similarities between many of the College Hill swords and those by Sharps & Hamilton/Nashville Plow Works suggests that Nashville Plow Works may well have been the actual source for at least some of these swords, or a likely source for many of their parts, with Cunningham only serving as retailer or assembler. Due to the brief period of time that the College Hill Arsenal was in operation, these Nashville made swords are extremely scarce.

From the Bill Beard Collection

This lot is located in Cincinnati.

Good. Blade with a dull pewter gray patina and freckled oxidized discoloration as well as some lightly scattered pitting. Etching remains partly intact and visible, but is light. Grip with moderate wear, loss to wrap and with some wire missing. Blade with some wobble at the hilt junction. Brass likely cleaned at some point and toning down to a dull golden color. Scabbard with moderate to heavy wear, substantial crazing and finish flaking and some areas of creased weakness. Lower mount does not quite match the other two mounts in terms of patina or style.

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October 17, 20, 21, or by appointment. Please contact the Auction Specialist for details.

Mr. Tim Carey

Associate Vice President, Head of Department, Arms, Armor and Militaria

[email protected]513.666.4984

Mr. Carey joined Cowan’s, a Freeman's company, in 2021 and is a 40-year veteran of the sporting arms and outdoor recreation industry. Carey joined Cowan’s from Griffin & Howe at Hudson Farms in Andover, N.J., where he was responsible for the acquisition, appraisal, and consignment of top-tier firearms consignments from important makers such as James Purdey & Sons of London, Beretta, Caesar Guerini, B. Rizzini, Bertuzzi, Renato Telo, and Anderson Wheeler.

Mr. Tim Prince

Senior Consulting Specialist, Arms, Armor & Militaria

[email protected]312 280 1212

Tim Prince has more than 30-years of experience in the field of antique and collectible arms and is a nationally recognized expert in the area of Civil War small arms. A long-time researcher and author, Tim has been a contributing author to two major books about Civil War firearms, including The English Connection: Arms, Material and Support Furnished to the Confederate States of America by Great Britain (2014) and Confederate Shotguns and Southern Agent Marked Shotguns (2017). He was also a major contributor to the recently updated Blue Book of Antique American Firearms & Values – 2nd Edition (2019) as well as the 2010 updates to the Civil War Collector's Price Guide - 12th edition. Over the last decade Tim has authored more than 50 articles on 19th century collectible and military arms, which have been published in such varied publications as Civil War News, North-South Trader, and Military Antique Collector. Since 2016 has appeared as a featured appraiser in the field of Arms & Militaria on the popular PBS television series Antiques Roadshow. He is a member of the American Society of Arms Collectors and currently serves on the board of directors of that organization. He is also a member of and formerly served on the board of directors of the Society of American Bayonet Collectors. Tim is a life member of the Ohio Valley Military Society, the Tennessee Military Collectors Association, the Alabama Military Collectors Association, is a member of the Company of Military Historians and is a member of numerous other colleting groups and societies. He is the owner of College Hill Arsenal, a web based antique and collectible arms retail web site, specializing in the American Civil War and related military items. Tim has engaged in the business of buying, selling, researching, and appraising antique and collectible arms and associated military items for some three decades. Since 2016 he has also served as a senior Consulting Specialist in the field of Arms, Armor & Militaria for Cowan’s Auctions, a Freeman's Company.

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College Hill Arsenal Foot Officers Sword

American Civil War

From the Bill Beard Collection

This lot is located in Cincinnati.

Please email [email protected] for any additional information or questions you may have regarding this lot.

Arms, Armor and Militaria

College Hill Arsenal Foot Officers Sword

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