In August of 1861, Thomas, Griswold & Company was formed by Henry Thomas and Arthur Breese Griswold. They made some of the finest swords produced in the Confederacy prior to the fall of New Orleans in June of 1862.

Thomas, Griswold & Company swords are found with several different company markings and with no markings at all. This is true for both the company’s artillery and cavalry officer’s swords. The company manufactured swords to sell at retail on the New Orleans market and wholesale to retailers such as Hayden & Whilden of Charleston, South Carolina. The latter were stamped with Hayden and Whilden’s name and address. It is also known that Thomas, Griswold & Company made swords for the Confederate and various Southern state governments.

The following is pure speculation, but it seems reasonable to me that the swords made for the retail market were marked with the full firm name and address. The swords marked with only the initials were for sale to the Confederate government and the unmarked were sold wholesale to other military outfitters such as Hayden & Whilden of Charleston, South Carolina.

The Thomas, Griswold cavalry officer’s sword shown here has the T.G & Co. N.O. maker’s mark stamped into the ricasso. The stamping is especially deep. The sword’s leather grip wrap is almost pristine, even retaining much of its original luster. The original double twisted, brass wire is tight and one hundred percent complete. There is a slight bit of play in the brass guard. Even the original throat washer is intact and in good condition. The blade is virtually perfect from ricasso to point. The blade is nearly bright and it remains that way from having been well cared for since the War, not from having been scoured since.

The sword is still sheathed in its original, full brass scabbard. The scabbard is excellent; having only the slight dings. It too is virtually perfect. It has one of the most attractive, even, deep, natural patina’s one will ever encounter.

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