Included family documentation attributed this sword to George Washington Strong (1839-1916) who served as a corporal in the 38th Iowa Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War. Documentation relating to Strong and his family accompany the sword, including a framed certification of his military service listing him as a 23 year old originally from Michigan who enlisted on August 20, 1862, in Company C of the 38th Iowa Volunteer Infantry and as mustering in on November 4, 1862. He was promoted to 8th corporal at that time and promoted to 3rd Corporal on October 1, 1863, and then 2nd corporal on May 16, 1864. He transferred to Company 6 when the 34th and 38th were consolidated on January 1, 1865 as a 7th corporal and was promoted to sixth corporal on March 20, 1865. He mustered out on August 15, 1865, in Houston, Texas, returned to farm in Iowa, moved to Faribault, Minnesota, and then homesteaded in North Dakota by 1886. He is buried in the cemetery in Velva, McHenry County, North Dakota, U.S.A. This saber dates to the first half of the 19th century. Eagle head officers swords like this saber were popular with American officers in the first half of the 19th century and were more common during the Mexican-American War than the Civil War though some certainly continued to be used for formal dress occasions. The 31 1/4 inch curved blade has a broad fuller, nitre blue base section with gilt floral, patriotic, and classical martial etching; "WARRANTED/A BERGER" on the right ricasso, and a flat spine. The hilt is brass and features a spread wing eagle design on the right chappe, a detailed eagle head pommel, and grooved bone grip. The sword comes in a brown leather scabbard with brass fittings.

Extremely fine with nearly all of the bright original nitre blue and gilt finish remaining on the blade along with mostly bright forward section, minor staining and storage wear, aged patina on the hilt, and light aging of the grip. The scabbard is fine and has mild wear overall and some dents on the fittings.