AMEEICAlSr AND EUEOPEAlSr SWOEDS 87 



sword, the board maintained, had already been found unfit for 

 mounted officers who then carried the light Cavaliy saber. The 

 Infantry sword was condemned on the grounds that the blade was 

 so narrow and thin that it was not stiff enough to deliver a thrust 

 nor heavy enough for a cut. The sword was not suitable for 

 mounted work and officers were required to purchase light Cavalry 

 sabers when promoted or appointed to positions of mounted officers. 

 The board, therefore, requested permission to submit a sword that 

 would meet the requirements of all Infantry officers, both foot and 

 mounted.®^ 



The report of this board was submitted to the Secretary of War by 

 Brig. Gen. S. V. Bennet, Chief of Ordnance, with an unfavorable 

 recommendation, and no action was taken at that time. In 1902, 

 however, a light handsome saber based on French models was 

 adopted for the use of all United States Army officers. It has a 

 slender curved blade with a broad central groove. Each side is 

 etched in an artistic manner with the arms of the United States 

 flanked by floral and scroll designs. The grip is made of bone with 

 five heavy grooves on the under side. The top of the grip is covered 

 with a plain convex steel strip. The guard consists of a slender 

 steel strip extending below the grip in the form of a bow with three 

 slender branches in front, which unite above the blade to form a 

 plain quillon with a globular tip. 



SABER OWNED BY MAJ. GEN. LEONARD WOOD 



The National Museum collection includes a saber ^* of this type 

 that was owned by Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood, United States Army, 

 who was born in Winchester, N. H., in 1860, and was graduated from 

 the Harvard Medical School in 1884. He entered the United States 

 Armj'- as contract surgeon, and in 1885 he was assigned to duty 

 under Brig. Gen. George Crook near the Mexican border. He served 

 with the forces under Capt. (later brigadier general) Henry W. 

 Lawton during the Apache War and was awarded a medal of honor 

 in recognition of special services during that conflict. In 1898 he 

 became colonel of the First United States Volunteer Cavalry, better 

 known as the Rough Riders. He rendered distinguished services 

 during the Battle of Las Guasimas and participated in the Battle 

 of Santiago. He was appointed brigadier general of Volunteers 

 and served as Governor General of Cuba, 1899 to 1902. He was 

 appointed brigadier general. United States Army, in 1901 and served 

 as military Governor of Moro Province from 1903 to 1906. In 1903 

 he was appointed major general. United States Army, and he 



" See Ordnance Reports, vol. 4, p. 968, 1890. 



" Length, 99.5 cm. Blade, 85.5 cm. long, 2.3 cm. wide. Marked " Springfield Armory, 

 Springfield, Mass., U. S. A." PI. 27, fig. 6. 



