Civil War Cavalry Saber Donated to Sekigahara Battlefield, Gifu Prefecture, Japan
November 4, 2021
On Nov. 3, 2021, Gettysburg National Military Park announced a Civil War cavalry saber was unveiled last month at the Gifu Sekigahara Battlefield Museum to commemorate the opening of the museum. The Model 1860 light cavalry saber is a permanent donation from the Gettysburg Foundation, Gettysburg National Military Park’s non-profit philanthropic partner. It was presented to the Governor of Gifu Prefecture, Hajime Furuta, by the Chief Consul of the U.S. Consulate in Nagoya, Matthew Senzer. In exchange, Governor Hajime Furuta presented Chief Consul Senzer with a Nishiki-e (multi-colored woodblock print meaning “brocade painting”).
Governor of Gifu Prefecture, Hajime Furuta, (left) and the Chief Consul of the U.S. Consulate in Nagoya, Matthew Senzer (right). Photo credit: Tourism Resources Utilization Division, Gifu Prefectural [Japan] Government.
The donated saber was not present at the July 1-3, 1863 Battle of Gettysburg, as it was manufactured in 1864, but is representative of what a typical cavalry soldier carried during the Civil War. The Sekigahara Memorial Museum plans to display the saber along with other items already donated such as reproduction Union and Confederate uniforms.
To learn more, read Gettysburg National Military Park's press release.