Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Were sabres used effectively in U.S. Civil War?

VANDOO · 29th December 2009, 03:27 AM

I HAVE ONLY OWNED THREE CIVIL WAR SABERS TWO WERE SHARP AND WORN AND THE OFFICERS SWORD WAS NOT. DURING THE CIVIL WAR WARRIORS MOSTLY USED THE GUN AND I AM SURE MANY IF NOT MOST CONSIDERED A LONG SWORD A NUSIENCE TO HAVE TO CARRY AROUND.
THEY WOULD HAVE HAD A HUNTING KNIFE OR BOWIE FOR ANY CLOSE FIGHTING OR SENTRY REMOVAL. THERE WERE PROBABLY A VERY FEW WHO WERE TRAINED IN THE USE OF A LONG SWORD OR LIKED USING THEM. THEY WOULD ONLY HAVE HAD OPERTUNITY TO USE THEM WHEN THEIR GUNS WERE EMPTY OR THE ENEMY WAS RUNNING AND NOT SHOOTING.
MANY UNION CALVARY TROOPS WERE ISSUED A SWORD AND REGUIRED TO CARRY THEM THOUGH THEY WERE POORLY TRAINED IN THEIR USE. THEY WOULD HAVE CONSIDERED THEM A NUSIENCE BUT WOULD DO AS THEY WERE TOLD BY THE OFFICERS TO AVOID TROUBLE.
GROUND TROOPS USUALLY DIDN'T CARRY LONG SABERS ON EITHER SIDE AND MOST LIKELY WERE ISSUED BAYONETS, AT LEAST IN THE NORTH. AN OFFICER MAY HAVE CARRIED ONE BUT IT WOULD HAVE MOSTLY HAVE BEEN FOR SIGNALING A CHARGE OR AS A LAST DITCH EFFORT IF YOUR GUNS WERE EMPTY AND YOU WERE BEING OVERRUN.
IN THE SOUTH COMPARITVLY FEW WERE ISSUED AND OFTEN YOU WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN EQUIPMENT SO YOU USED WHAT YOU HAD OR COULD BUY OR BORROW.
THE NORTH BEING THE ONE WITH LARGE INDUSTRY AND A NEVER ENDING STREAM OF IMIGRANTS TO CONSCRIPT COULD SUPPLY THEIR FORCES WELL. NO DOUBT MANY OF THE LONG SWORDS MADE FOR THE CIVIL WAR WERE NEVER ISSUED OR USED AT ALL AND BECAME WAR SURPLUS. THIS MAY ACCOUNT FOR A VERY LARGE NUMBER OF THOSE FOUND NOT SHARPENED AND IN VERY GOOD SHAPE. FRANCIS BANNERMAN MADE A FORTUNE BUYING LARGE AMOUNTS OF WAR SURPLUS FROM THE WORLD OVER FOR MANY YEARS.

29th December 2009, 03:27 AM	#10
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	I HAVE ONLY OWNED THREE CIVIL WAR SABERS TWO WERE SHARP AND WORN AND THE OFFICERS SWORD WAS NOT. DURING THE CIVIL WAR WARRIORS MOSTLY USED THE GUN AND I AM SURE MANY IF NOT MOST CONSIDERED A LONG SWORD A NUSIENCE TO HAVE TO CARRY AROUND. THEY WOULD HAVE HAD A HUNTING KNIFE OR BOWIE FOR ANY CLOSE FIGHTING OR SENTRY REMOVAL. THERE WERE PROBABLY A VERY FEW WHO WERE TRAINED IN THE USE OF A LONG SWORD OR LIKED USING THEM. THEY WOULD ONLY HAVE HAD OPERTUNITY TO USE THEM WHEN THEIR GUNS WERE EMPTY OR THE ENEMY WAS RUNNING AND NOT SHOOTING. MANY UNION CALVARY TROOPS WERE ISSUED A SWORD AND REGUIRED TO CARRY THEM THOUGH THEY WERE POORLY TRAINED IN THEIR USE. THEY WOULD HAVE CONSIDERED THEM A NUSIENCE BUT WOULD DO AS THEY WERE TOLD BY THE OFFICERS TO AVOID TROUBLE. GROUND TROOPS USUALLY DIDN'T CARRY LONG SABERS ON EITHER SIDE AND MOST LIKELY WERE ISSUED BAYONETS, AT LEAST IN THE NORTH. AN OFFICER MAY HAVE CARRIED ONE BUT IT WOULD HAVE MOSTLY HAVE BEEN FOR SIGNALING A CHARGE OR AS A LAST DITCH EFFORT IF YOUR GUNS WERE EMPTY AND YOU WERE BEING OVERRUN. IN THE SOUTH COMPARITVLY FEW WERE ISSUED AND OFTEN YOU WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN EQUIPMENT SO YOU USED WHAT YOU HAD OR COULD BUY OR BORROW. THE NORTH BEING THE ONE WITH LARGE INDUSTRY AND A NEVER ENDING STREAM OF IMIGRANTS TO CONSCRIPT COULD SUPPLY THEIR FORCES WELL. NO DOUBT MANY OF THE LONG SWORDS MADE FOR THE CIVIL WAR WERE NEVER ISSUED OR USED AT ALL AND BECAME WAR SURPLUS. THIS MAY ACCOUNT FOR A VERY LARGE NUMBER OF THOSE FOUND NOT SHARPENED AND IN VERY GOOD SHAPE. FRANCIS BANNERMAN MADE A FORTUNE BUYING LARGE AMOUNTS OF WAR SURPLUS FROM THE WORLD OVER FOR MANY YEARS.