Manufactured in 1862 by Collins & Co. of Hartford, Connecticut, this is a very attractive example of an M1850 Foot Officer's pattern sword with a presentation inscription on the scabbard. The sword itself measures approximately 38 1/8 inches overall, with a very gently curved blade featuring martial and floral etching on both sides for approximately half the length. The maker's mark and 1862 date are on the left ricasso. The brass guard is pierced with floral motifs and "US" and the knuckle guard ends in an eagle head type quillion that is fitted with red glass eyes. The grip is roped cast brass with gilt wire wrap in the flutes and the brass pommel is engraved with floral motifs. A gold colored portepee is wrapped around the knuckle guard. The scabbard is of blued iron with brass fittings, all of which show floral engraving, and the lower hanger fitting inscribed with "Lt. F.E. Scripture./R.Q.M. 7th N.Y.V.Arty./Presented by the members of the Q.M. Dept." Two nickeled chains are fitted on the hanging rings. The 7th New York Artillery was initially raised as the 113th New York Volunteer Infantry in August of 1862 before being converted to the 7th New York Heavy Artillery in December of 1862 and assigned to the defenses around Washington. They were mostly assigned to the defenses north of the Potomac River until around May of 1864 when they were ordered to serve as infantry, reassigned to the Army of the Potomac, joined Grant's army at Spotsylvania, and in September of 1864, the regiment was assigned to the famous "Irish Brigade". In the regiment's first one-hundred days in the field as an infantry unit, from Spotsylvania to Ream's Station (part of the Siege of Petersburg), they suffered 1,254 killed, wounded, and missing. Part of these casualty totals included heavy losses at the Battle of Cold Harbor and the Siege of Petersburg. Scripture himself joined the regiment as a commissary sergeant and was mustered out as a first lieutenant and the regimental quartermaster.

Fine, the blade shows mostly bright original polish with some scattered patches of darker grey patina, light surface spotting, and the etching remaining mostly crisp. The brass shows traces of the original gilt finish and attractively aged patina otherwise. The scabbard shows traces of original blue finish mixed with brown patina, attractively aged brass, and crisp engraving. A historic Civil War presentation sword!