The Model 1832 Foot Artillery Sword holds the distinction of being the first edged weapon ever produced by the legendary Ames Mfg. Co. of (then) Springfield, Mass. under US government contract. They produced the hefty Roman gladius style broadsword for well over a decade, and these swords were carried by, as the nomenclature suggests, US foot artillery troopers. They are also notable for being the weapon used by ardent abolitionist John Brown and his family during the “Pottawatomie Massacre” in Kansas in 1856, a time and place known as “Bleeding Kansas” for the brutal series of anti-slavery vs. pro-slavery bushwhacks and reprisals. This US Pre-Civil War Ames Model 1832 Foot Artillery Sword is in Good condition, with moderate overall pitting and patina to the blade, some scattered patina to the handle, and with some overall age wear evident. In actuality, this piece is in far nicer shape than they’re normally encountered after the passage of 180 years. Most interestingly, it features a hefty 19” double edge spearpoint broadsword blade with a unique design of three fullers at each side, sports the classic one piece brass guard with “ball” ends, “scaled” pattern handle, and “ball” finial pommel, the last of which bears an elegant American “Federal Eagle” incised in inverted fashion at each side, and is stamped at the ricasso with a faint “Federal Eagle” above its maker, “N.P. AMES / SPRINGFIELD”. It’s “U.S.” marked with serifs at the reverse ricasso, along with the date, “1844”, and the inspector initials “JH” (believed to be for John Hannis), which also appear on the obverse guard, and is stamped with one more set of inspector initials, “W.A.T.” (for Captain William A. Thornton), at the reverse guard. The sword is complete with the original US Pre-Civil War Leather Scabbard in Fair condition, with most of the stitching along the middle back body seam having split long ago, heavy drying and surface cracking to the leather body, a wood stiffener having been inserted into the throat to keep the leather body intact, moderate patina to the brass throat and end tip, and with heavy overall fragility and age wear evident. Most intrestingly, it bears the original brass reinforced end tip and throat, the latter of which mounts the original frog stud, and the set is a fine example of a very rare, original US Pre-Civil War Ames Model 1832 Foot Artillery Sword.