This sword was carried by Brigadier General Frederick E. Pierce (1862-1953) of the 2nd Massachusetts Infantry, based in Greenfield, Massachusetts. Although swords had ceased to be functional in combat during the Napoleonic Wars (1804-16), officers of the U.S. Army carried them into battle during the Civil War (1861-65). This sword followed the specifications known as M1840. Individual companies made swords using that pattern, and officers purchased or were presented with them. This sword was given to Gen. Pierce by his unit in 1900, when he was a major. He continued to serve in the 2nd Massachusetts until 1911, when he retired as a major general. He had served in Company L for 25 years. He never carried this sword in battle: it was purely ceremonial, carried on special occasions.