I am researching a Civil War mystery that I hope some of my fellow "listers" can help me with. On Thanksgiving Day, my son-in-law brought a saber to the family gathering that his grandfather had given him years ago. Someone (he didn't know who) had given the sword to his grandfather years before he passed it along. Ever since his grandfather gave it to him, it has stood in the back of one of my son-in-law's closets. The sword is in a scabbard that is richly filagreed with a golden metal...not gold but gold in color. It has several dents along the edge that were obviously made with a sharp object, as though it had been hacked. The handle is also richly ornamented with alternating black and gold on the grip and an ornamented grip guard. The blade of the sword is perfectly smooth...not nicked any place along its edge. At the tip and about 3 to 4 inches up from the tip, it is noticeably darkened. Otherwise it is perfect. The blade also bears a 2-line engraving as follows. (Line 1 in block letters) Capt. Geo. B. Swan. QM 2nd Reg't (Line 2 in Old English Script) E or T. R. K. P. (in block letters) Matton, Ill. At another place on the blade is inscribed The MC LILLEY & CO. COLUMBUS, OHIO I have not had time to do much to find the original owner, but I did check the Illinois 1860 census at the library Friday. There were several George Swans living there at the time, including one 30 year old man in McHenry Township of McHenry County who was counted in household #1333/1278 whose head was also named George Swan. I have not yet been able to check to see how many 2nd regiments Illinois had. I also checked a modern map & there was no town of Matton in Illinois. There was a Matton, though. Does anybody know what the Old English initials on the sword stand for? Any help appreciated, Vietta ==== SASSER Mailing List ==== =======SASSER Discussion List====== post a query to the list:� SASSER-l@rootsweb.com Questions or comments about the list: dlsasser@email.msn.com