Stack Arms with Saber Bayonets

[D. Doty]

My appreciation and gratitude is extended to the moderators here at allowing me to take part in your wonderful site. I am new to the AC, but have been following it for some time with great interest. A question I have been trying to find an answer to is how to stack arms using saber bayonets. I represent a soldier of the 8th Kansas Volunteer Infantry, Co. E. In one of the very few photographs of any 8th Kansas boys, seven of the men are seen holding what I presume are 1858 Enfields with saber bayonets. You can google 8th Kansas Infantry and easily find this image. I have always felt since I represent these men I ought to know how to stack arms using saber bayonet.

Respectfully Yours,
Derrick Doty

In honour of Cpl. James D. Rawlinson, Co. E. 8th Kansas VI

[john duffer]

Re: Stack Arms with Saber Bayonets

My appreciation and gratitude is extended to the moderators here at allowing me to take part in your wonderful site. I am new to the AC, but have been following it for some time with great interest. A question I have been trying to find an answer to is how to stack arms using saber bayonets. I represent a soldier of the 8th Kansas Volunteer Infantry, Co. E. In one of the very few photographs of any 8th Kansas boys, seven of the men are seen holding what I presume are 1858 Enfields with saber bayonets. You can google 8th Kansas Infantry and easily find this image. I have always felt since I represent these men I ought to know how to stack arms using saber bayonet.

Respectfully Yours,
Derrick Doty

In honour of Cpl. James D. Rawlinson, Co. E. 8th Kansas VI

Both 1855 HARDEE'S & CASEY'S have this.

[D. Doty]

Re: Stack Arms with Saber Bayonets

Thank you Mr. Duffer. I now know why my Hardee's tactics hasn't been of any help regarding this matter. It's an 1862 edition. I'm still puzzled why it only tells you how to stack using rammers, rather than with fixed bayonet. Are there any groups today that regularly use saber bayonet? If so, filming a short demo would be of interest I would think.
Respectfully Yours,
Derrick Doty

[john duffer]

Re: Stack Arms with Saber Bayonets

Thank you Mr. Duffer. I now know why my Hardee's tactics hasn't been of any help regarding this matter. It's an 1862 edition. I'm still puzzled why it only tells you how to stack using rammers, rather than with fixed bayonet. Are there any groups today that regularly use saber bayonet? If so, filming a short demo would be of interest I would think.
Respectfully Yours,
Derrick Doty

My assumption/guess/expectation is that the folks writing the manual (in the case the French in 1845) felt the most practical method was to use ramrods and leave the bayonets in the scabbard

[Scott Sheets]

Re: Stack Arms with Saber Bayonets

Derek, as John mentioned you should be using the ramrod stack. That is the appropriate stack for a rifle with sabre bayonet. I suppose you could do it with the bayonet fixed, but that's not what the manuals instruct you to do.

[Silas]

Re: Stack Arms with Saber Bayonets

"We were armed with the Enfield rifle and sabre bayonet, in my opinion one of the most unserviceable weapons ever put into a soldier's hands. We were compelled to stack arms with the rammers, and unless great care was exercised the stack would fall down Besides, while on the double-quick the ungainly sabre bayonet would get tangled up with our legs and trip us oftentimes. They looked very fine on dress parade, but were not of much account anywhere else, unless to stick a pig or chicken. We were glad to exchange them a few months later for the Enfield rifle musket with the ordinary bayonet."

Burlingame, John K., compiler, "History of the Fifth Regiment of Rhode Island Heavy Artillery: During Three Years and a Half of Service in North Carolina. January 1862-June 1865."

Link : https://books.google.com/books?id=oW...page&q&f=false

[Calum]

Re: Stack Arms with Saber Bayonets

'morning,

I'll be interested in tracking down a copy of either, to see how it was done with the sabre bayonet. Because not every rifle that used them had rammers - the companies armed with 1859 Sharps for instance. Other than the Berdan's contract, Sharps didn't switch to the angular bayonet until the '63 version.

Mike

[D. Doty]

Re: Stack Arms with Saber Bayonets

Fine work gentlemen, I feel I'm getting educated here! I came across an interesting article about Philip Justice rifles (see link). There is a woodcut from Col. Wilson's drill book (of which I am not familiar) that shows three Justice rifles stacked with fixed bayonet. You will note that the rammer is drawn slightly. If you've not read this article, I recommend it.

Respectfully Yours
Derrick Doty

http://civilwarguns.blogspot.com/201...world-war.html

[john duffer]

Re: Stack Arms with Saber Bayonets

I didn't see Wilson's manual in Google Books but Abebooks has three copies running from $36 to $61