PRESENTATION SWORD OF LT. GEORGE B. LINCOLN, JR., 67TH N.Y. INFANTRY
Civil War-era infantry officer's saber, 32" blade, 37 3/4" long. The pommel, hilt and basket-style handguard are brass, with the latter perforated in a floral pattern with the initials "U S", all with a fine dark patina, except at the heel, where the brass is bright from handling. The grip is wrapped with fine grey rayskin, slightly worn down at the heel and at the seam. The face of the handguard near the blade bears an oval mark with the initials "B F D" and an indistinct symbol. No other maker's mark is present. The blade is engraved over half of its length, although rather faint, with floral patterns, cannons, flags, eagles, and the initials "U S" barely discernible. The blade also bears corrosion and darkening throughout, but with no appreciable pitting. The sword is housed in a 33 1/4" steel scabbard with a mildly oxidized brown finish, mounted with brass fittings. The chape of the scabbard at the tip is engraved with a federal shield atop a floral design, and is somewhat dented and battered. The plates adjacent to the upper hanging loop are engraved: "Presented to Adjutant G.B. Lincoln, Jr. by the Carriers and Clerks of the Brooklyn Post Office as a Token of Friendship / Brooklyn Dec. 19, 1862". Extensive documentation is present with the sword, including Lincoln's pension applications, newspaper articles on his enlistment, and unit histories of his regiment, the 67th New York Volunteer Infantry, better known as the "First Long Island Volunteers". These records state that Lincoln was the son of the Postmaster of Brooklyn, and was employed as a clerk at the Brooklyn Post Office when he joined the regiment as a First Lieutenant and Adjutant on December 12, 1862. He received this sword seven days later, and carried it with him throughout his service, until his discharge on July 4, 1864. Lincoln and the rest of his regiment saw heavy action throughout the war, and were present at the battles of Williamsburg, Seven Pines, Malvern Hill, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Salem Heights, Gettysburg, Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, and at the siege of Petersburg, among many other duties. According to these records, of the 1200 men who originally mustered with the regiment in 1861, only 140 returned to Brooklyn in 1864. As the regiment's adjutant, Lincoln would have been responsible for drafting and transmitting written orders from the regiment's commander, receiving reports for the commander, calculating the positions and dispositions of troops, mustering and inspecting the troops, forming parade lines and lines of battle, and administering prisoners and deserters. As such, Lincoln would have been a vital member of his regiment's campaign staff, especially during battles, and this sword would have been his symbol of rank and authority.