Page 218 - 87-BOOK2

216
LOT 1238
Gilt Presentation Tiffany & Co. Embellished Knight Pommel 1861 Dated Dress Officer’s Sword with Silver Grip and Gilt Scabbard Inscribed to General Sickles of the Excelsior Brigade - This incredible sword is the third item presented to Union General Daniel Edgar Sickles (1819-1914). While the prior two historic artifacts date to after the Battle of Gettysburg, this stunning sword dates to near the beginning of his Civil War career. He proudly wore this sword when he posed for a portrait by Mathew Brady c. 1861. A copy of the photo and others of Sickles are included with the lot, and when viewing the high resolution version of the portrait available through the Library
of Congress, you can even make out faint signs of the inscription on the scabbard. The sword has a distinctive knight pommel design, silver grip, twisted knuckle bow, “US” and classical martial trophies on both sides of the guard, and a lion head quillon. The 32 inch lightly curved blade has elaborate frosted etching in mainly floral designs along with some patriotic motifs, “U.S.” on the left, “Tiffany & Co. N.Y.” in a banner above the left ricasso, “COLLINS & Co./HARTFORD/CONN” on the left ricasso, and “1861” on the right ricasso. A gilt sword knot is tied to the guard. The scabbard has a “TIFFANY & Co.” mark near the throat on the back with classical martial and floral pattern engraving, wreath suspension bands, and “’EXCELSIOR’/Presented to/Genl Sickles,/By His Sincere Friend” inscribed between the suspension bands.
Excelsior (“still higher” or “ever upward”) is the official motto of New York and was also the name of Sickles’s famous brigade raised in the spring of
1861 early in the Civil War. By 1861, Sickles was a very established
figure within New York Democratic politics and well-known from his prior scandals. His connections and charisma made him a natural choice to
help raise regiments in support of the Union cause. While the brigade was originally intended to represent the whole of New York, it eventually was composed of men from twelve New York counties as well as five other states. As a Democrat, he naturally was faced with hostility by many Republicans, including the governor of New York, but Sickles won the support of President Abraham Lincoln who had his brigade designated United States Volunteers. He led the Excelsior Brigade in the defense of Washington, D.C. Due to his prior reputation and Democratic affiliation, the Senate initially rejected his nomination for brigadier general and thus forced him to give up command of his famous brigade, but Lincoln re-nominated him, and he was back in command and led his men at the Battle of Seven Pines and the Seven Days Battles during the Peninsula Campaign.
In early 1863, Sickles was nominated to major general by Lincoln and given the command of the III Corps. The Excelsior Brigade was part of the III Corps’ 2nd Division. As discussed in the previous two lot descriptions, he remains famous and controversial for his role as the III Corps commander at the Battle of Gettysburg and lost much of his right leg in the battle taking him out of action for the remainder of the war, but his actions and composure after being seriously wounded that fateful day later earned him the Medal of Honor.