The state herald., 1892-03-11
THEsABER LITTLE USED.
CAVALRY MEN SELDOM EN-
PLOY 1T IN BATTLE.
Struck VITA tho sabcr'' II . Familiar
Exprcs,ion. but II Hardly Hap.
pons-How o Silk Hand
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From tho timo wo reached the state
rendezvous until we went into camp
on the peninsula IL was drill! drilll
drilll with the saber. A corporal
would take half dozen-the captain
tho whole company. and for an hour
and q half we would go through the
cuts and thrusts and parties There
was the front cut tho down cut, the
savage thrust tho back hand cut and
dozen others, md wo were told that
our lives depended on knowing how to
givo and receive each particular one.
1t was good exercize, perhaps but on
tho very first day We went into fight
as cavalry all OF lis came to SEQ tho
absurdity Of it. T.
l was in thirty cavalry fights dur
ing tho war and In mono OF them did
witness or have use for anything like
tho saber exercise, declares a writer
in tho Detroit Froe Press Not thnt
did not SEQ mon struck with tho snber
but they were struck during tho con-
fusion and mclce when the other party
could claim no credit For instance,
our regiment drove full tilt into about
GOO confederate cavalry at Brandy
Station. used my revolver until II
was empty and then grippod my sabcr.
Tho smoke was worry thick and men
and horses were greatly oxcitod. In
the mad whirl confederate rode upon
me and mndo savage slash with his
saber. 1t missed my hoad and cut tho
pommcl OF my saddle Before hc could
got away l ''swiped" at him and /
know tho edgo of the saber struck his
face. / may have knocked out somo
OF his teeth, but the edge was rs blunt
us n hoe and could not have cut the
skin.
AT Shepardstown wo wero charged
about tho same way. There wcro n
great many sabcrs flashing rs thcy
camo on. but by tho time the shock
came the revolvcrs and carbines wero
doing tho heft of tho work. had n
fair show in that fight TO give thrust
and it was lamentable failure. /
got the point OF the sabcr In under tho
cncmy's upraised right arm, but
doubt II drew blood; simply pushed
him half out OF his saddle and he ro-
taliatod with sidc cut which uncov-
cred my head and did no further dam.
ago
There were probably more men hit
with the saber at Gettysburg than any
where else during tho war Tho main
reason for this was the equality OF
numbers together with tho fact that
very few Of the union cavalry had
revolvers. We charged with our car
bincs slung 10 our backs, and II was
saber or nothing. / had n heavy silk
handkerchief inside my now hat that
day ms n preventive OF sunstroke. II
prevented n confederate cavalryman
from splitting my head opon. had
n young green horse. and ho gavo
me no end OF trouble. While was
trying 10 prevent him from going out
OF the fight backwards confederate
approached mo from tho rear and nd
ministcrcd the down cut 1t daLcd me
for moment but tho heavy hat and
handkerchief. backed up by thick
growth OF hair. saved my head. lie
drew blood. and had sore head for
week after. but he had wasted his
blow.
After the first ten minutes OF thnt
cavalry encounter nothing hut sntat.s
were used. Nc thrust hacked ana
cut hitting both horse and man. but |
doubt II nny one was killed outright
on either side with tho steel TO
make sabcr effective II must carry n
keen edge. During my three years
in tho army did not see above n
dozen sharpened sabers Wo had no
orders to grind them and so 40 car.
ricd ihom with hoo-edgo.
Then II takes n strong-armcd man
to wlold n common cavalry saber so
MS TO strike an effective blow. His
horse must bo reasonably steady. so
ho can control him with tho brldlo
arm, and thero must DO plenty OF mus.
clio In the arm 10 give weight TO tho
blow. With a sharp sabcr u man
weighing 100 pounds might split u
mans skull but n man weighing thirty
pounds less with dull weapon.
would only mako play towards IT. In
fact realizing his incapacl,y In that
direction. ho wouldn't try it,
In u cavalry encounter Mt Kclly's
Ford struck confederate fair on
tho neck with my sabcr and struck
Ms hard us cou.d Ho tumblcd from
his saddle and was captured. did
not even draw blood. | gavo him
such a blow MS TO stun him Tor few
minutes the same ns II had struck
him with club. but aside from n
stliI mock he was nll right Big.
strong mon with keen. edged sabers
would do some awful cutting. and
they would inspire foar wherever they
charged. but average men ind aver
ngo weapons accomplish worry lit,lo
outside OF tho moral effect
Quhntroll proved that thoro was
something far moro effective than tho
sabcr Each OF his mon was armed
with Mt least TWO rovolvcrS Each
ono could shoot right and loit-hnndcd.
A SOUND oi thirty of them thus armed
never hoslintod TO charge n hundred
regular cavalry. and they never
charged without inilictlng terrible do.
structlon.
NAssl,sslaex