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Re: Officer Sword
Andy,
You don't mention whether you are a mounted officer or not. A foot officer's sword is designed, obviously, for an officer on foot, and so is shorter than a cavalry sabre. General, field, and staff officers are mounted, and so more likely to be comfortable with a cavalry weapon. Also, the current issue field and staff sword wasn't too popular and more likely to be substituted for.
Joshua Chamberlain wore a cavalry sabre which can be seen at his house in Brunswick, ME. Captain Ellis Spear, who was acting Major at Little Round Top, says in his memoirs that he couldn't remember where he got his sword. It might have been presented to him by his company when they first mustered in, but he wasn't sure. When his promotion to field grade finally came through in August 1863, it took him awhile to save up the money to buy a field officer's frock coat. Apparently he never bothered to buy a field officer's sword.
Regards,
Paul Kenworthy
Andy,
You don't mention whether you are a mounted officer or not. A foot officer's sword is designed, obviously, for an officer on foot, and so is shorter than a cavalry sabre. General, field, and staff officers are mounted, and so more likely to be comfortable with a cavalry weapon. Also, the current issue field and staff sword wasn't too popular and more likely to be substituted for.
Joshua Chamberlain wore a cavalry sabre which can be seen at his house in Brunswick, ME. Captain Ellis Spear, who was acting Major at Little Round Top, says in his memoirs that he couldn't remember where he got his sword. It might have been presented to him by his company when they first mustered in, but he wasn't sure. When his promotion to field grade finally came through in August 1863, it took him awhile to save up the money to buy a field officer's frock coat. Apparently he never bothered to buy a field officer's sword.
Regards,
Paul Kenworthy
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