Arkansas true Democrat., 1862-03-27
Sharp Sabres for Cavalry.

cbarge op tb,. Russian line at Balaklaya, before Sebastopol by the Light Brigade, was con- sidered ono of the able cavalry officers in the British army. Having seen much service in the Oriental wars, his experience there suggested many improvements. and the following, winch we copy from au old English paper may be valuable 10 us in inc present state oi affairs, when we must largely depend upon irregular cavalry to harrass the enemy in Tennessee and elsewhere, and confne him to ihe towns and forts he may hold:
 Cspt. Nolan could improve the army of our cavalry and especially desires to see that all end should be put 10 the existing method oi getting the sword edge as blunt as the top ot a five barred gate before the soldier IS sent out to meet his enemy. The bunting ot the swords in the steel scabbards IS no theoretical disad vantage to the cavalry arm In European armies. The Use ot wooden sca bbards, which have beei iouud tt be no less durable, or more likely to breah than those u sleei, would get nd ot dtit u, the serlousness ut which Is suggested to us very iorclblJ in the succeeding extract:
 When was III India all engagement between part, of the Nlzam's irregular horse and nu mer.us body oi insurgents took place, ill which the buiaemen, though greatly inferior in mum bers, defealed he ROhlas with great slaughter.
 Nj aJfention was drawn particularly to the fphI hv the doctors report of the killed and wounded most of whom had suffered by the cmoru; .aLd Iii the column of remarks, such en- tries as the following were numerous.
 Arm cut from the shoulder"
 Head severed
 Both hando cut of-apparently at one blow -abuve the wrists in holding up the hands to protect the head"
 Leg cut off above the knee" etc., etc.
 1 was aslonished Were these men giants, to lop of limbs thus wholesale? or was this result to be atlributed-as was told-to the sharp edge of the native blade, and the peculiar way of drawing il?
 became anxious 10 see those horsemen of the Nizam, to examine their wonderful blades and learn the art of topping of mems limbs
 Opportunity soon otlered-for the comman- der in-chei went to Hyderabad on a tour df inspection, which l accompanied him. After passing iAe kittua river a squadron oi 'f'-' hoTseulen joined the camp, as part of the escort.
 A.u LOW fancy my ast0aishment
 lhe swotd blades thel haa were chiefly old drHaoun bade, cast tTuin our servlce. Tn, mo-. had musutsd them alter their Owu fashion Ih, t..t and hand.t-bolh of mrtal--small iu .ho l., ra her hat-hOi rouuo ike ours, wher, tue edge -e,dom i@lIs truc, they all had an cdg, .h, a razor from heel tO poinI, were worn iu woO4en stabhsrds sbort, single sling he'd lhrut ty ihe Waist belt. rom which s,rat Ia.s,l tbruugh he hIl tO a button in irunt, tu kt. -t' s~'.f fl sieaay, qua prevent II flying out Of be seabbard.
 tt, t~-,us are never drawn sxcept in action.
 lnhhae tie wuvdeu seabbards might be ohj,cled 10 ss nut suitable Tor campaigning, gOt rrtaru from uue ui those regiments, ano found lie attra,e of broken scabbards below that ihe regulars, who have steel ones. The steel Is snapped by kick or fall; the wood being elastic, bends They are not in the man $ "ay; when dismounied, they do not get between his lrg, and trip him up: they make no noise d solder on sentry of d oark night might move ..buul without belray ing hls position to all enc < An he c'a"kiug ol the rings against the
 bHu.a A lhat raltiIug hose ln column Nu.oh announces lIs appr ach when miles of, aud make 1t so difficult to hear a word of com mad la the ranks, IS thus got rid oi; as well as tEe necessity oi wrapping straw or hay round tue seaobaIds, as now customary when engaged lH any service in which attempt is to be made to surprise the enemy.
 Al old trooper of the Nizams told me the old broad English blades were in great favor with them, when mounted and kept as above describ- eG; Uul as we Wore hem, they were good for nothing ii their hands. said:
 How d. you strike with yonr swords, to cut of mems lmbs?'
 ''Suike hard sir!' said the old trooper.
 'l es. Of course, how do you teach the men to use their swords in that particular way?'' (drawiug 1t
 We ie'er teach them any way, sir: sharp sword wil. cut in any ones hand!'
 Had our men wore arms like these in the Sikh war, the enemy horse men would not have met them with such confidence in single combat their treucbant blades would have inspired res pect-the use oi them would have carried terror into the ranks of the foe.
 II is well known that beyond the effect of the moment severe wounds inflicted in action have a depressing moral effect on the enemy.
 In pbamphet published in Berlin, on cav airy matters 1t Is stated that in 1912 the wounds inflicted by the Russian horsemen inspired such awe hat nothing but the point of honor and es- prlt dH corps could bring the Prussian horse to close with them.
 Capt Fitzgerald, of the l4th dragoons, receiv- ed sword wound at Ramnaggur. from the ef: fleets of which he died. A Sikh, on foot, crouch. ed under shield, cut at him from behind. The sword exposed the spinal marrow, entering the skull at the same time.
 huge dragoon of the regiment was found quite dead-his head had dropped forward from cut in the back of the neck, which had severed the spine; and at this very action it is said, that whilst poor fellows labored in vain to draw blood, touch from the Skhs sword across the arm or leg left the bold Englshmen at their mer. cd, and they soon hacked then to pieces.