That time (Not During the 1860s) that the War Department Bought 128,000 Sabers

“Some Cavalry weapons.” Left to right: M1913 Saber, M1903 Rifle, M1917 Browning Machine Gun, M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle, and M1911 pistol. Taken at the Cavalry and Light Artillery School, Fort Riley, Kansas, between 1919 and 1934. Signal Corps Photo 111-SC-99216 2nd LT George S. Patton (USMA 1909) was only 27 when his saber design, the straight Model of 1913 Cavalry Sword, which took cues from French military sabers of the 19th Century, was adopted to replace the curved and polished Model 1906 “Ames” Light Cavalry Saber, the latter of which was basically just a Civil War holdover. The Patton: Patton saber M1913 compared to officers’ sword of 1902/03 165-WW-392B-003 The 19th-century standard: Union trooper with stocked Colt pistol carbine, Remington revolver, and cavalry saber identified as Private Amos Reese of Company E, 10th Kentucky Cavalry Regiment (Johnson’s), circa 1862. Liljenquist Collection, LOC, LC-DIG-ppmsca-32685 While the saber in American service wasn’t typically…