And Now for Something Completely Different - A 19th Century Sword Bayonet! Part Two©

 

 

Last week, we found out that the mystery sword that I had purchased, was a Model 1841 Rifle Sword-Bayonet, Colt Alteration bayonet produced by Collins & Company of Hartford, Connecticut.  For more on how we cracked this mystery, see Part One, HERE.

 

But did it see battle!?

 

But did this sword-bayonet “See The Elephant”, was it ever used in battle?  Hmmm... “the game is afoot” as Sherlock Holmes was fond of saying.  Are there any clues that will help us solve this mystery?  The answer is yes if you know what to look for!

 

First off, the blade is unsharpened.  Often military blades were, and still are, issued unsharpened to preserve their uniformed appearance at dress parades and to reduce the risk of training accidents.  Historically they weren’t sharpened until just before the soldiers went on campaign.  Many military blades that are found today were never sharpened because they were never used. 

 

So, it would appear from the fact that it is unsharpened, that my sword-bayonet never saw battle.  However, especially in the case of American Civil War bayonets, since many soldiers were only taught how to use the point of their bayonet, the edges were unsharpened.

 

But is there any other evidence that this sword-bayonet ever saw combat, or is this case closed?  No, there are knicks and notches in the blade, so the game is still afoot! 

 

But the key piece of evidence is three knicks in the blade, all located between the 13^th to the 16^th inch (33^rd to 40^th cm) away from the point, which is within the forte or strong part of the sword bayonets blade when parrying.  These notches are just beyond the center of percussion or the “sweet-spot” of this sword-bayonet is 9 inches (23 cm) from the tip of the point.  

 

Notch “A” is particularly deep at almost ¹/₁₆ of an inch (just under 2 mm) wide and deep.  The impact occurred on the right side of the blade edge, at a downward angle of approximately 45^o. 

 

The M1841 rifle sword-bayonet attached to the right side of the rifle barrel ,and the rifle was held with the right hand on the butt near the trigger guard.  This means the edge of the sword-bayonet is to the rifleman’s right and its right side faces up.

 

To notch the blade edge in this way, the entire rifle and bayonet would have to be held above our soldier’s head, and his opponent would have had to cut obliquely downward, from above, from left to right, at a 45^o angle.

 

Our soldier, from the guard position (see Figures 1 & 2) would have had to bring his rifle and bayonet up and over his head in such a manner, that the trigger faced upwards to the right and the sword-bayonet’s edge was pointed upwards and perpendicular to the ground.  Perhaps he was attempting to parry or thrust (Figures 3 & 17) at a sword wielding cavalry soldier who was either riding past him from left to right, or, more likely, riding past him on his right side, and who slashed with a Cut Two obliquely downwards, from left to right, to bat the bayonet offline.    

 

Or his opponent could have been an infantry officer who was armed with a sword and who used a Cut Two to sweep down and right and take the bayonet offline. 

 

In either case the sword-bayonet was strongly struck, a mark was left on the blade, and it would have been knocked offline, allowing our soldier’s opponent to initiate a counterattack at him.  It is anyone’s guess if our soldier survived, but I think we can safely say that his sword-bayonet “saw the elephant” and was a veteran of combat.

 

I hope that you enjoy learning from this resource!  To help me to continue to provide valuable free content, please consider showing your appreciation by leaving a donation HERE.  Thank you and Happy Trails!

 

I hope that you continue to enjoy The Woodsman’s Journal Online and look for me on YouTube at BandanaMan Productions for other related videos, HERE.  Don’t forget to follow me on both The Woodsman’s Journal Online, HERE, and subscribe to BandanaMan Productions on YouTube.  If you have questions, as always, feel free to leave a comment on either site.  I announce new articles on Facebook at Eric Reynolds, on Instagram at bandanamanaproductions, and on VK at Eric Reynolds, so watch for me.

 

That is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!

 

 

Sources

 

Adjutant-General's Office, Horse Guards, Infantry sword exercise, 23rd April, 1842, page 17, https://digitalcollections.library.unsw.edu.au/nodes/view/3078#idx36205, accessed October 5, 2024

 

Burton, Richard F.; The Book of the Sword, [Printed by Spottiswoode & Co, London, 1884], page 126, https://books.google.com/books?id=PgYHAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Book+of+the+Sword&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwia7MfkhPiIAxVBGVkFHSqLHykQ6AF6BAgLEAI#v=onepage&q=The%20Book%20of%20the%20Sword&f=false, accessed October 5, 2024

 

Cary, R. Milton, Lt. Col. Prov. Army of VA; Skirmisher’s Drill and Bayonet Exercise, [West & Johnston, Richmond, VA, 1861], Figures 1 to 3 and 17, https://books.google.com/books?id=zMBJAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Skirmisher%E2%80%99s+Drill+and+Bayonet+Exercise&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiwz_SuoviIAxWImokEHUSaKKgQ6AF6BAgMEAI#v=onepage&q=Skirmisher%E2%80%99s%20Drill%20and%20Bayonet%20Exercise&f=false, accessed October 5, 2024

 

Green, Lieut., William Pringle; Instructions for Training a Ship's Crew to the use of Arms, 1812, [Academy of Historical Fencing], https://swordfight.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Instructions-for-training-a-ships-crew-in-the-use-of-arms-in-attack-and-defence-by-Lieutenant-William-Pringle-Green-1812.pdf, accessed September 28, 2024

 

Sargeaunt, B. E.; “The Development Of The Sword” The Cavalry Journal, Vol. 1, January to October 1906, [The Royal United Service Institution, Whitehall S.W., London, 1906], https://books.google.com/books?id=NGhAAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA311&dq=%22centre+of+percussion%22+sword&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwicpL2U0umIAxVWkIkEHdi6Nvg4ChDoAXoECAYQAg#v=onepage&q=%22centre%20of%20percussion%22%20sword&f=false, accessed October 5, 2024

 

Unknown, Instructions For The Exercise Of Small Arms, Field Pieces, Etc., [Printed by Harrison & Sons, London, 1859], page 95, https://books.google.com/books?id=r1gBAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Instructions+For+The+Exercise+Of+Small+Arms,+Field+Pieces,&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj-oLfW__eIAxVqF2IAHVrAIG8Q6AF6BAgFEAI#v=onepage&q=Instructions%20For%20The%20Exercise%20Of%20Small%20Arms%2C%20Field%20Pieces%2C&f=false, accessed October 5, 2024

 

Wikimedia, “Battle of White Oak Swamp”, 1862, by Alfred Waud, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Battle_of_White_Oak_Swamp.jpg, accessed October 5, 2024

 

Wikimedia; “Vertical study of soldier on horseback (horse is just suggested), with a sword in the hand of his upraised right arm and the reigns in his left”, by Winslow Homer, 1863, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Drawing,_Cavalry_Soldier_with_Sword_on_Horseback,_1863_%28CH_18173685%29.jpg, accessed October 5, 2024