An American War of 1812 era cutlass

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by JamesKelly

With respect to the use of a British cavalry sabre "...the blunt end could snap bones and crack skulls" my 4X Great- grandfather William Kelly was on the wrong end of one of these in May 1778. Thanks to the skill of one Dr. Wilford, a British surgeon in Philadelphia, who "...dressed the Wound...and took from it a part of the Scull", I am here to enjoy this site.

James, thank you so much for adding this interesting note!!! It really adds dimension to the actual use of these weapons to have these kinds of real time experiences passed down in family history. It is often surprising to see how many sword injuries were actually from blunt force trauma.