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TOMES, SON & MELVAIN PRESENTATION SWORD WITH ETCHED BLADE AND SCABBARD OF LT. COL. S.M. FULLER, 4th MAINE

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This is a very good example of a cavalry officer’s saber presented to a field-grade officer of infantry who would be serving mounted. The sword bears an inscribed presentation and also comes with a small camp shaving mirror stenciled with his name and unit. The sword was published in Stroud’s Inscribed Union Swords and a similar Tomes, Son & Melvain officer’s sword is discussed by Thillmann, CW Cav. and Art. Sabers, p.454-455. See the latter also on the company’s other swords and their role in U.S. government arms procurement. The company dated back to 1819 and during the war sold military goods, swords, and guns from its store at 6 Maiden Lane in New York City.

The hilt is deeply cast and chased with secondary engraved elements. The pommel cap brim is notched, with abstract floral motif cast and engraved on the face, with a cast and chased leafy vine around the edge of pommel face, rosette and floral elements at the upper end on the knucklebow, and leafy vine along the full exterior of the guard branches and the forward interior portion up to the counterguard. The quillon has a deep Classical floral fan rising from two rosettes. The knucklebow and inner face of the counterguard are engraved with a cursory, abstract, scrolling vine. The grip is gray sharkskin, in good condition with just a slight gap along the top seam, and is bound with a single strand of twisted brass wire, just slightly loose, that may be a replacement for a coiled strand flanked by two single strands- see the parallel example in Thillmann’s. The underside of the guard has a leather sealing pad over a red cloth pad with pinked edge.

The blade has a good edge and point. The obverse has a fan-shell just above the ricasso, followed by the “Tomes, / Son & / Melvain / New York” address etched in script in an oval with cross bar setting off the location. Over this is profile Washington bust with sunburst rays overhead, with flowing U.S. flag on spearpoint staff rising above. The central motif is an eagle with outstretched wings, in line with the blade, with small star above, perched on crossed flowing flags on spearpoint pikes with flag cords, one showing as stars-and-stripes, and with an artillery piece below, the panel flanked by loose foliate coils, with the panel terminating in broader scrolling floral elements. The reverse has a canted U.S. shield just above the ricasso, with trophy of arms- crossed cannons, pistol, musket, sword and arrow above, followed by a flowing U.S. flag on a staff, with the central motif being a foliate, block “U.S.” followed by an “E Pluribus Unum” ribbon scroll mixing with a fanshell superimposed on another trophy of arms showing sword hilts, arrow point, and trumpets, with concluding abstract foliate elements and the frosting ending in the same wave/flame pattern as on the obverse.

The scabbard is steel with wide brass mounts. The mounts are plain, but with cast and chased ring bands with leafy vines. In an unusual touch, the body of the scabbard was densely etched with floral elements, fans, floral scrolls, etc. for the full length of the obverse that are light but visible. The reverse appears to have been left plain and highlights the engraved presentation between the upper and middle mount in a mix of italic and Old English lettering: Presented to/Lieut. Col. S.M. Fuller/by Co. K of the 4th Maine Regt./Jany. 1862.

The sword rates very good for condition with traces of gilt in recessed areas of the hilt, the sharkskin showing only minor rubs, the blade having a good edge and point, showing as medium bright with some scattered small dark spots, but fully visible etched motifs on just slightly softened frosting. The scabbard is very good, with only minor dings. The mounts are medium bright, showing some softened gold tone mixed with some aged patina. The body is a silver gray with some scattered bluish-gray clouds, but very evident and legible etching.

The January 1862 date of the presentation corresponds to the officer’s recent promotion to Lieutenant Colonel. Born in 1819, Silas Martin Fuller was a merchant in Belfast, ME, in 1860, married, with three daughters and a son, and was commissioned Captain of Co. K 4^th Maine Volunteers 6/25/61. The company was one of just three in the regiment with a prewar existence as a militia unit, established in 1857 and titled the Belfast City Grays. Fuller is listed in an August 1857 newspaper notice as chose 1^st Lieutenant and is at the same post in September 1858. His election as captain of the company for its volunteer service was noted in 5/17/61 newspaper account, but he may have been captain of the company as a militia unit for some time before that.

The regiment had been officially organized 5/8/1861 and mustered in for US service 6/15/61 at Rockland, ME. The regiment left the state 6/17/61and had a strong combat record in the Army of the Potomac until muster out in July 1864, losing 170 officers and men in killed alone. During Fuller’s term with the regiment, it saw its first combat at Bull Run in July 1861, losing 2 officers, its sergeant-major, and 28 privates killed, and another 2 officers and 33 men wounded while serving in Howard’s brigade. A July 29, 1861, letter from Fuller was published in the Belfast Republican Journal of 8/9/61 and is quoted online in “Bull Runnings” as are letters by another member of the company.

Fuller was promoted to Major of the 4^th Maine 9/15/61, and to Lieutenant Colonel 12/2/1861. Members of his old company likely began subscribing for the purchase of the sword about that time, though the pattern would have been appropriate to his service as major as well- field grade and serving mounted also. Fuller was obliged to resign from service 3/6/62 for health reasons. In 1870 the census picks him up as a retired grocer in Maine, but he was in Somerville, MA, by 1876, when his wife died and in the 1880 census was a coal dealer there. He is listed as receiving a government pension in 1892 and died there in June 1896, but was interred in Castine, ME. He was a member of the Kinsley Post #139 G.A.R. in Somerville, but his name was read as part of the Roll of Honor in Memorial Day ceremonies in Belfast.  [sr][ph:L]

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