The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-01-18
THE BAYoNEr.
Weapons First Used in France in the
Seventeenth Century.


NIB Il. ssrgeaunt, assistant cur
ator Royal United Service Museum,
writing in the latest issue Of th Cav
alary journal on. the history OF the
bayonet, deals in an interesting and
informing manner with the subject, the
article being illustrated with photo
graphs OF the various types OF bayo.
nets The bayonet, he says, may be
claimed TO have been introduced by the
cavalry branch into the British Army
for it was first issued to dragons,
though at that time they might per-
haps be regarded as mounted infantry
The weapon was actually known In
France during the latter part Of the
sixteenth century, but only in SPORT
ing capacity, and in Cotgrave's Diction-
airy, first published in the year 1911,
il is recorded; "Bayonette, kind OF
small fat pocket knife TO hang at the
girdle like a dagger As military
arm, the baynoet was not very much
used before the year 1850 II was, how
ever, in use in lss7, for in the "Mem.
oires de Jacques de Chastenet, Chew
alier, Seigneur de Puysegur," publish.
ed at Paris In l747, II Is stated in Chap.
ter 8. when was in command at
Bergles, at Ypres, Dixmude, and La.
quenoc all the parties that sent out
crossed the canals in this fashion. II
is true that the soldiers did not carry
swords, but they had bayonettes with
handles one foot long, and the. blade
Of the banyonette was as long as the
handle the end Of which was adapted
for putting in the barrel OF the fusils
TO defend themselves when attacked af-
ter having fired.
This earliest type OF plug baynoet
possessed neither guard nor metal POM
mel, the handle being Of wood. Those
with guards and pommels Of metal we're
introduced in, the year 1880 and existed
up 70 the year l706. II must be re-
membered that the musket at its orr.
gin, in the sixteenth century, was
most heavy and awkward weapon. In
vented abroad. like almost every other
military weapon flor none can be claim
ed by these islands, il was necessary
TO fire IL over a rest (fourchette) since
its weight prevented its being discharg-
ed without this assistance. The pro-
cess Of loading was very slow, and
Sismondi even states that IL occupied
quarter Of an hour. Elsewhere II is
stated on good authority that six ar
rows could be discharged while the mus
ket was being loaded. For some time
after the year l647 the bayonet does
not seem to have been very popular,
perhaps owing to the size of the mus
ket then used, and no doubt for this
reason no mention is made of ii in
the Maresehal de Bataille" of Lostel-
nau, work published late in the year
l647. As soon, however, as the fusil
was introduced the excellence of the
bayonet was at once recognized and the
first French regiment to be armed with
il was that Of the Fusiliers, afterward
the Royal Artillery, the function of the
Fusiliers being to protect the guns.
Sir James Turner writing in the year
1901 mentions the use OF the hayo-
net in the following words; "And In
deed when musketcers have spent their
powder and come to blows the butt end
Of their mnsket may do an enemy more
hurt than these despicable swords which
most musketeers wear at their sides
In such medleys knives whose blades
are one foot long, made both for cut
ting and thrusting 1.-THE haft being made
to fll the bore Of the musket,) win
DO more execution than either sword
or butt Of musket." Thirty years be-
fore the close Of the seventeenth cent
nry the bayonst was beginning TO as
sumo recognized position In the voc
abulary OF arms In the year 1871
corps was raised in France armed with
fusils and bayonets, and In England in
the following rear on April 2 warrant
was issued BY King Charles 2, estab-
fishing a regiment Of dragoons,to be
raised in twelve troops of four score in
each, besides officers, to be commanded !
by Prince Rupert. The soldiers Of the
several troops were ordered to carry one
muslet, with a collar Of |
bandoliers, and elso one bayonet or
great knife.
The bayonet was issued to the fusi
iers regiments In England for the same
reason that ii was given TO the cor
troops in France The first
English regiment Of fusiliers was the
seventh, raised in 1885. AT first the
thief duty Of the fusiliers was the pro-
.eeti0n OF the guns. The plug bayo-
let was no doubt very great assist
lnce to the fusilier, but it was an i'm
sediment in so far as while it was FIX
"A in the muEzle the weapon could not
II fred. Again, it was Of frequent o..
that after a thrust the bayo-
let became so wedged into the barrel
hat it was impossible to extract it
With ordinary force The result Of these
.wo main disadvantages was the intro.
luetion Of new bayonet which when
liked still admitted of the fusil being
ired. This new form was used in the
Scottish war in 1885, Mr. Sargeaunt
hen proceeds to trace the bayonetss his
DRY down to the latest one-edged sword
'ayonet.--London Globe.
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