Active as early as 1857 as a non-manufacturing weapons dealer and cotton broker, Thomas Leech established the "Memphis Novelty Works" with scale maker Charles Rigdon about 1861 in Memphis, Tennessee. While most famous for their copies of Colt's navy-caliber revolver, the firm also manufactured a wide spectrum of edged weapons. The firm would be evacuated twice, first to Columbus, Mississippi and then to Greensboro, Georgia, and would abandon blade manufacture to focus on revolvers. Measuring 26 inches overall, with an unmarked 30 1/4 inch single fuller blade, fitted with a leather wrapped hardwood grip and a brass guard and pommel, the former decorated with cast-in leaf designs and the letters "C S" positioned between the guard branches. This style of "C S" diverges from other observed Leech & Rigdon swords, which more often feature a raised "CS" in an oval on the underside of the guard; this sword bears a strong resemblance to a "Maker Unknown" example illustrated on page 123 of Albaugh's "Confederate Edged Weapons", which is compared to the work of James Conning of Mobile, Alabama. With a black leather scabbard with brass fittings.

Very good. The blade shows an aged brown patina, with bright wear along the edges, scattered shallow pitting and mild handling marks. The brass shows an antique mustard brown patina, with casting voids/errors typical of Confederate production, with most of the hardened, preserved/restored leather on the scabbard and two turns of wire on the basically untouched grip, with some cracking and scuffing. The scabbard is fair.