Could you tell me when sabres were withdrawn from U.S. Cavalry Units?
Keith Bell
Denton, Manchester, UK
After the Civil War, the sabre became more of an ornament, as it was of little use against lance-wielding Indians—or against guns, for that matter. Besides, they were cumbersome and noisy. The last sabre charge in U.S. history came in 1916 against Pancho Villa’s soldiers. The U.S. abandoned sabres in 1934 as they transitioned to mechanized warfare.
Good reference books include John H. Thillmann’s A Study of the United States Cavalry and Artillery Sabres: 1833-1865 and Harold Peterson’s The American Sword: 1875-1945.
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