Sword of US General John H Eaton, President Jackson’s Personal Envoy, and Aide in the Creek War, and the War of 1812. A Superb Spanish Epee Presented by the Queen of Spain to US General J.H. Eaton in 1837

This fabulous sword was later worn, after its inheritance from General Eaton, by a friend of Ulysses S. Grant, Col. James A. Magruder, at the funeral of President Lincoln.

Since 1967, for several decades, this wonderful and historic sword was on display at Dumbarton House in Washington DC, a federal historic house museum

A simply stunning historical Spanish full dress epee, by tradition, presented to United States General John H Eaton, Envoy Extraordinary & Minister Plenipotentiary for President Andrew Jackson's America, to the Kingdom of Spain, by Her Majesty Maria Christina de Borbon, Queen Consort, and Regent for her daughter Isabella II Queen of Spain, in 1837. The sword has a fine tapering double-edged blade of flattened-hexagonal section, stamped 'Ano D 1837' and 'Fa Ntl Di Toledo' on the respective faces at the forte, finest gilt bronze hilt cast with wonderful classical ornament in relief, including oval shell-guard decorated with the Iberian eagle flanked by classical figures, the quillon-block bears the letter 'F' for Ferdinand' enclosed within a laurel wreath, a
pair of straight quillons, knuckle-guard and pommel, and integral grip all decorated en suite, in its blued iron scabbard (now oxidised to brown) with gilt-bronze suspensions mounts and drag 76.8 cm; 30 1/4 in blade
Provenance;
By tradition presented to General John H. Eaton US General J.H.Eaton, Envoy Extraordinary for President Andrew Jackson to Spain, who was married to the ward of President Andrew Jackson. It was presented by the Regent of Spain, Her Majesty Queen Maria Christina in 1837, when General Eaton was Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Spain (1836-1840). Maria Christina of Spain (when Regent for her daughter, the future Isabella II) was Maria Cristina de Borbon, Princesa de las Dos Sicilias; 27 April 1806 - 22 August 1878) she was Queen Consort of Spain (1829 to 1833) and Regent of Spain (1833 to 1840). This sword was thence passed after his death to his friend and physician Dr William B. Magruder; thence to his brother Colonel James A. Magruder, a personal friend of General Grant, who wore the sword on full dress occasions including the funeral of President Lincoln, thence by descent to
Mrs. Millicent Magruder Nichols, Massachusetts who gifted the sword to Dumbarton House in 1967. Dumbarton House, is a Federal period historic house museum in Washington, DC. The house serves as the headquarters for The National Society of Colonial Dames of America, a group of women whose ancestors contributed to America’s founding. Eaton originally became active in the Tennessee militia, and attained the rank of major. He developed a close friendship with Andrew Jackson, and served as an aide to Jackson during the Creek War and the War of 1812. Eaton took part in all Jackson's major campaigns. He supported Jackson's controversial decision in November 1814 to attack Pensacola in Spanish Florida, claiming that Spain had put herself in a belligerent position by allowing its territory to be occupied by British soldiers. Eaton participated in the Battle of New Orleans, and became a major proponent of Jackson's presidential candidacy following the war. He was later appointed governor of Florida by President Jackson

The First Carlist War was a civil war in Spain from 1833 to 1840, the first of three Carlist Wars. It was fought between two factions over the succession to the throne and the nature of the Spanish monarchy: the conservative and devolutionist supporters of the late king's brother, Carlos de Borbón (or Carlos V), became known as Carlists (carlistas), while the progressive and centralist supporters of the regent, Maria Christina, acting for Isabella II of Spain, were called Liberals (liberales), cristinos or isabelinos. It is considered by some authors the largest and most deadly civil war of the period.

The Carlist forces were split in three geographically distinct armies: Norte ('North'), Maestrazgo and Cataluña ('Catalonia'), which by and large operated independently from each other.

Aside from being a war of succession about the question who the rightful successor to king Ferdinand VII of Spain was, the Carlists’ goal was the return to a traditional monarchy, while the Liberals sought to defend the constitutional monarchy. Portugal, France and the United Kingdom supported the regency, and sent volunteer and even regular forces to confront the Carlist army.

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Code: 21497