December 13-15, 2022 Collectible Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/14/2022
Samuel Mottley earned the praise of Capt. J.S Carden of the Macedonian for his conduct as Second Lieutenant in the famous engagement of October 1812 against the US frigate United States under Stephen Decatur, one of the most notable US naval victories of the war, though he gained some measure of revenge in later helping destroy the US frigate Adams in the Penobscot River. He had entered the Navy as a volunteer in 1800, serving on the Prince, Prince George, Caesar, Leda, Rambler, and La Minerve. He was captured on board the latter ship in 1803, but made his escape with a fellow officer, walking 600 miles. He went on to further active service, making lieutenant in 1808. After the war he served in the revenue service and coast guard, retiring as a commander in 1845, shortly before his death. His officer's short saber has a stirrup hilt with bone grip wrapped with flat copper wire in the grooves and a flat pommel cap with small ring for a sword knot. The hilt is iron, silver plated, now gray, with single obverse loop and crossbar. The blade has a short ricasso and narrow upper fuller running to the guard. The blade is etched near the hilt on both sides with a six-pointed star, sun with face and man-in-the-moon with scattered eight-point linear stars. This is accompanied by an 1810 resolution of thanks to Mottley by the "Corporation of Gravesend and Milton" in Kent County for his conduct as "Regulating Officer of Impress Service" while a resident there- usually a rather thankless task to say the least, "unpopular" in the words of the resolution, but conducted in such a way there was "no reasonable ground of complaint." CONDITION: Very good. Blade is smooth metal with good point and edge showing only one shallow nick a few inches from the guard. No inlay remains in the etched designs. The obverse shows as steel gray. The reverse has dark gray spots and thin freckling overall. The resolution of thanks is fully legible and bears a red wax seal at bottom.