That’s correct, this is the famous "Watermelon Sword” from the Antiques Roadshow!

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.

Thomas, Griswold & Co. has long been recognized to have manufactured some of the very finest swords of the Confederate era. This was due to their pre-war experience as Hyde & Goodrich, military manufacturers and importers New Orleans, Louisiana. Hyde & Goodrich was started in 1853 and in August of 1861 it became Thomas, Griswold & Co. the new principles being Henry Thomas, Jr., A. B. Griswold, A. L. Abbott and Henry Ginder, the last two only rating an "& Co.” in the company’s moniker.

There are several notable characteristics of the company’s products; the first is that the blade is highly unusual for a Confederate made sword. It has a stopped fuller as a result of the manufacturers having acquired the necessary equipment and skills in the pre-war years. Another notable feature is the high quality scabbard made entirely of brass from throat to drag. Both of these characteristics are commonly found on their "production” swords. This workmanship displayed in this beautiful Fort Hilt goes far beyond their standard quality work.

The sword of course gets its name from the masonry fort cast into the counter-guard. We do not know for sure what fort was used as a model or if it was a generic fort, but it is generally assumed it is to be representative of Fort Sumter. This pattern is so rare that even the renowned William Albaugh during the many years of searching out and photographing swords for his several books on Confederate edged weapons never had the opportunity to photograph even a single example. So rare is it in fact, it is not pictured in Collecting the Confederacy, (which photographed the authors’ own, and the Kevin Hoffman collection) The Commanders Series, American Swords and Makers Marks, American Swords and Sword Makers, all of which are highly sword focused. The closest I could find was a similar sword in Echoes of Glory.

This is considered by many to be the holy grail of sword collecting; it is the one sword that virtually all Confederate sword collectors want, but only a very, very few ever achieve. Not only is this the most desirable of swords, it is a higher grade than others of this pattern; having gilt on the entire sword and beaded scabbard. The mounts are ornately decorated with beading. The solder around the throat is cracked, but it is not at all loose. The scabbard has one small dent, but notice the extreme wear to the drag. The sword saw an extensive amount of field service; this was not a rich desk jockey’s sword.

The leather wrap is original, and virtually complete and in excellent, strong condition. The twisted wire wrap is original and remains tight. The guard remains tight. The throat washer is missing. The hilt has a deep, dark, uncleaned patina, with a copious amount of gilt peeking through.

The blade is beautifully decorated with a prominent script CS, a panoply of flags over crossed artillery, surmounting a stack of cannon balls, and drums over acorns, the symbolism of which I can only speculate. The remainder of the blade is profusely etched flower and vine patterns. The ricasso has the full firm name, "Thomas, Griswold & Co. New Orleans. It is in excellent condition; its only flaws are minor carbon staining

This sword transcends the world of Confederate arms collecting and enters into the realm of art.