As detailed in the included copies of documents from John G. Griffiths, this sword was passed down to him through his direct family line from Major General Frederick Dent Grant, son of Union General and President of the United States Ulysses S. Grant. Frederick Dent Grant (1850-1912) was General Grant's eldest son. He graduated from West Point in 1871, served in the Army in the West during much of the 1870s, left the Army in 1881, and then served as U.S. Minister to Austria and as a New York police commissioner. When the U.S. declared war on Spain in the spring of 1898, he volunteered for federal service as the colonel of the 14th New York Volunteers. He was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers on May 27. June 3, 1898, was the same day Grant took provisional command of the First Division of the Third Army Corps and also coincided with a meeting of the Empire State Society of the Sons of the American Revolution which Grant was a member of. The former was well-covered by various newspapers, and the records of the proceedings of the latter include the resolution for this sword which states: "Resolved, That this Society directs. . . that a sword, with appropriate belongings, be presented to Brigadier-General Frederick Dent Grant." (See "Butler and His Cavalry in the War of Secession, 1861-1865" by Brooks). Grant's great-grandfather Noah Grant fought in the Revolution, including at Bunker Hill. The sword presentation a month later on the 4th of July is documented in the New York Tribune. It was presented at Camp Thomas along with a set of epaulets by Edward Payson Cone, and the sword itself is illustrated in the article. Grant remained with the Army after the defeat of Spain and served in the Philippines during the Philippine Insurrection and was U.S. Military Governor of Pampanga in 1899-1900. He was commissioned a brigadier general in the U.S. Army in 1901 and then promoted to major general in 1906. He remained with the Army until his death in 1912. The sword and scabbard have ornate gilt brass fittings with floral and martial patterns, a silver eagle and shield accent on the languet, a textured silver grip with gold wire, a gold sword knot, and the inscription "Brigadier General Frederick Dent Grant/from [star] the/Empire State Society of the Sons of the American Revolution/June 3rd 1898" inscribed on the scabbard between the suspension bands, and a 30 inch straight blade with gold backed etching consisting of scroll and martial patterns, "FREDERICK DENT GRANT" on the right side of the blade, "SHANNON/MILLER & CRANE/NEW YORK/N.Y." on the right ricasso, and a spread wing eagle and shield with a banner etched "E PLURIBUS UNUM" on the left side.

Exceptionally fine with 80% of the original gold finish remaining, light scratches and fading on the bright blade, aged patina on the exposed brass and the silver, some brown patina in the textured background of the scabbard inscription, some loose threads on the sword knot, and general mild age and storage related wear. A clear filler material, possibly glue, is visible on and around some parts of the scabbard fittings. Overall, this is both a historic very attractive Spanish-American War presentation sword presented to the son of Union General and U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant: Frederick Dent Grant, himself a distinguished American officer and statesman.