A saber today is just as dangerous as it was during the War Between the States, though, and perhaps even more dangerous in some ways. Some replica sabers or swords today do not have tempered blades, but they do have serrated, or saw-tooth, edges, making them dangerous to brandish about, especially if used in mock combat as the cavalrymen use them. Add to that the fact that, unlike the days of our ancestors, our men are not typically trained in how to use a saber, and that multiplies the level of danger in playing with them. In all fairness to us, however, many of our ancestors who wielded swords were not especially proficient with them, either. Still, that should not discourage us from learning to use the saber safely.

For the men of both the 5th Company - Washington Artillery and the 6th Massachusetts Light Artillery, their edged weapon was the same.  As described in Chapter VI of The Field Manual for The Use of the Officers on Ordnance Duty, prepared by the Ordnance Bureau, and printed in Richmond, Virginia in 1862 by Ritchie & Dunavant, the artillery saber was a

"Mounted artillery sabre.--This differs from the cavalry sabre in having a blade only 32 inches long, though of greater curvature.  It also has a hilt, guard, and scabbard."

This is the same saber depicted in the photograph at the beginning of this article.  It should be noted that the scabbard used by the 6th Massachusetts Light Artillery has a steel scabbard, while that of the 5th Company - Washington Artillery had a brass scabbard.

According to The Field Manual for The Use of the Officers on Ordnance Duty, the dimensions and weights of the artillery sabre were:

Whole length of the sword or sabre in its scabbard,                    38.6     inches
Length of the blade proper,                                                           32.0     inches
Length of the scabbard,                                                                 33.0     inches
Width of the blade in the middle,                                                     1.06   inches
Versed sine of the curvature of the blade in the middle,                 2.32    inches
Versed sine of the curvature of the blade in proof,                         6.5     inches
Weight of the sword or sabre, complete,                                          4 Lbs. 1 1/2 oz.
Weight of the finished blade,                                                                   ---
Weight of the scabbard,                                                                           ---       "

The saber should be examined to see if it has a serrated edge blade, a feature that has become increasingly common. If it has a serrated or even a sharp edge, the edge or the saw teeth should be blunted and dulled with a file, and it is preferable that the edge be rounded. Since you cannot always be sure that your opponent has taken the pains that you have to make sure that the blade is as safe as it can reasonably be, it is only prudent to always wear gauntlets when fighting. Even if the other person’s blade has been properly dulled and rounded, gauntlets may reduce the pain of a missed swipe of the blade from your opponent that lands the heavy flat of his blade against your hand, a blow that can easily bruise your hand. Should your opponent not have taken care to dull and round the blade, wearing gauntlets may well prevent you from getting badly cut. Along those lines, it is important to mention that you should never, ever grab your opponent’s saber blade.

When engaged in fencing with another, the best idea is to stay close to the other person so as to keep the blade under the greatest control. It’s not wise at all to stand back and have to reach out to your opponent with the blade because that requires lowering the tip of the saber, and that risks stabbing the other person. Rather than trying to have a long distance saber fight, the practice in re-enacting circles is to strike your opponent’s blade with the flat of your blade a time or two and then to break off combat for a moment.

For those who ride horses or who will be fencing, whether on a mount or on foot, a saber knot is more than just decoration. When it is used, it will help prevent the loss of the weapon in the event that the rider has to turn loose of the saber in order to regain control of his mount. At the same time, should the soldier fall off his mount, or should he lose his footing if fighting on foot, it will also prevent him from impaling himself. To see how it works, put the knot on the saber and then turn loose of the grip. The point, you will find, always goes down - never up. And as long as the tip doesn’t come up, it’s not possible for you to fall upon the tip of the saber and stab yourself. You might land on the edge (dulled and rounded, of course, as we’ve discussed), but never on the tip of the saber so long as you make use of a saber knot.

By the same token, we should not fail to learn to drill properly with the saber.

The artillery Companies we portray issued swords or sabers to their men early in the War. In the case of the Washington Artillery of New Orleans, they were issued the M1841 artillery saber, as was true for the 6th Massachusetts Light Artillery. While the men of the Washington Artillery evidently generally gave up wearing their sabers at some point during the War (although that may not have been entirely true of the teamsters, wagoneers, and drivers), that was not the case with the 6th Massachusetts Light Artillery because they were mounted artillerymen; photographic evidence bears that out.

Since we are sometimes offered the opportunity to wear sabers with either uniform, and since our forebears learned the art of wearing a saber, it seemed prudent to include in our military etiquette some of the finer points of wearing a saber. Most particularly, it seemed as important to know how to wear one than how to wield one, as wearing a saber without hurting oneself or others seems to be the greatest stumbling block for most men. 

Many re-enactors struggle with wearing a saber on their belt and attempting to perform some function beyond serving as a saber rack; not unlike the difficulty some have walking and chewing gum at the same time.  In fairness to those so afflicted, there truly are "tricks of the trade" that attend wearing a saber while walking, ascending or descending steps, and even sitting down in a chair.  If the saber is hung improperly or worn improperly, it will almost inevitably get in the way of your legs.

Most hang their sabers from the swivel hook on their belt, hanging it from the hook with the guard forward, edge to the ground, and the drag dragging in the rear.  Needless to say, wearing the saber in that fashion will get in the way while walking, like the overly long tail of a dog, and may interfere with ladies’ dresses or the legs of anyone who should happen to walk close by. The saber's drag will hit the ground, be highly inconveniently placed when sitting down, and could even trip the wearer while he is going up or down stairs.  While it looks to the outsider's eye as if he is ready for action, to the military eye it is evident that he simply doesn't know how to wear the saber. 

When on duty, the saber is to be worn hooked up, the saber reversed (its edge to the rear) and the hilt of the saber behind the arm.  The hook to which we refer hangs from the left side of the belt at the top of the forward saber strap.  It has as its only purpose in life carrying the saber while dismounted and not having the saber in use.

Since we portray military companies, it is only fitting and proper that we know how to clean our sabers.  According to Chapter VI of the 1862 edition of The Field Manual for The Use of the Officers on Ordnance Duty,

"Cleaning Swords and Sabres.

"The iron and brass parts of swords and sabres are cleaned in the same manner as those of muskets.  When the oil on the blade of a sword is dried up, it will leave a spot which may be removed by covering it with oil and rubbing it smartly, after a short time, with a linen rag.  When a leather scabbard has become wet, draw the blade and dry the scabbard slowly without heating it; wipe the blade dry and pass an oiled rag over it and the scabbard, before returning the blade.  Oil the blades of arms in store, and also the scabbards, especially on the seams."

In the same chapter, Mounted Artillery Accoutrements comprised yet another sub-heading.  Listed therein, and applicable both to 5th Company - Washington Artillery and the 6th Massachusetts Light Artillery, are these three items:

Sabre belt
Sabre plate
Sword knot.

When not in formation, the saber is normally to be left in the scabbard.  The common practice when on duty was to have the saber hooked up with the blade reversed; that is, with saber edge to the rear of the wearer, and the hilt of the saber behind his arm.

When roll is being called, while documents are being read to the assembled troops, or when the commanding officer is publishing orders to a formation, other officers should slip the fingers of the left hand between the handle and knucklebow while allowing the sword to hang, grip to the front across the knuckles. When in that position, the left elbow should remain against the side. As for the officer holding a document to read to the troops, he should relinquish hold of the sword and hold the document with both hands.

Some officers from time to time attempt to perform a "Manual of the Sword" of their own making, one that mimics the positions for muskets or rifles. They perform all of the general movements of the infantry soldier’s drill with his weapon, but in vain. There are no comparable saber or sword movements to each and every position for a musket or rifle.

The saber allows for only a very few positions. Those mentioned by the manuals, and consequently the only ones which are warranted to practice, are "Carry Saber", "Shoulder Arms", "Order Arms", "Present Arms", "In Place: Rest" , and "Attention". Before any of those happen, however, the sword must first leave the scabbard.

When a command is given for which it is appropriate to draw the saber, it must be withdrawn from the scabbard, and always with the right hand. Drawing the saber has its own set of procedures.

Commands with two or more words comprising the command are often given with a count between each aspect of the command. Commonly, there are two aspects to such a multiple word order: the first being preparatory in nature, the second being executory. For the purpose of emphasizing that pause or count between the two aspects of the order when detailing how the command is to be carried out, ellipsis points will be shown to point that up to the reader.

When drawing the saber, the command to "Draw Saber" or "Draw Sword" may be given (and it very well may be that a commanding officer will give this order to the other officers, although that is not always the case in re-enacting; as often as not, it will be up to the officers to know to draw their sabers when it is appropriate to do so). Assuming that the command is being given, or is about to be given, and the officer has been wearing the saber in the "on duty" position (edge reversed, hilt behind his arm), he should be prepared to change the saber's position.

At the first part of the command (or when you recognize that you should be drawing your saber, although the officer in charge may have omitted to give the command), unhook the saber with your left hand, bringing the hilt to the front.   When the preparatory order of "Draw..." is given, grip the scabbard below the upper ring mounting with your left hand, and turn the scabbard clockwise 180° . Tilt the saber in its scabbard forward to form an angle of 45° (with reference to the ground). Take the saber grip in your right hand with your thumb along the inside of the grip, and then pull it about six inches out of the scabbard. That leaves your right forearm parallel with the ground while your left hand holds the scabbard against your side.  Keep a steady pressure on the grip with your right thumb.

Then on the executory command ("...Saber" - or "...Sword"), draw the sword smartly, raising your right arm to its full extent and directly to the front at an angle of about 45° with the saber in a straight line with your arm, edge pointing down; and at the same time, drop your left hand by your side. Pausing for one count, you then bring the back of the blade against the right shoulder seam of your shirt, the blade now vertical and the knuckle bow to the front with your right arm extended. The thumb and forefinger at this point will be wrapped around the grip, and your remaining three fingers will be joined behind the hilt, applying pressure forward to keep the blade against your right shoulder seam. This position is referred to as "Carry Sword", and is the same position that is used for the command "Shoulder Arms".

Later, when you return the saber to the scabbard (under the order "Return...Saber" or "Return...Sword"; or in the absence of the order but in the presence of necessity to do so), you will turn the hilt toward your body with your left hand until it points to the rear, holding the upper ring between your thumb and forefinger while raising the scabbard.  Pass the ring over the hook that is attached to the belt, hook up the saber, and let your hand drop.

There are times when the officers will have their sabers "At the Carry", carrying the saber outside of the scabbard. When marching with the saber at the carry, the arms should swing naturally, six inches to the front and three inches to the rear, with the right arm fully extended. The officer should not hold onto the scabbard or its slings.

When carrying the sword and finding occasion to need to salute, the protocol is to execute the drill for "Present Arms" with the saber. Once the salute has been returned, then come to "Order Arms".

"Order Arms" requires that the saber tip be pointed toward the ground, held at the side with the edge of the blade facing back. The command "Shoulder Arms" requires that the saber, held in the right hand, be brought into an approximately vertical position with the blade’s back flat (as opposed to the edge) laid against the shoulder, looking much like a musket or rifle when held in the "Shoulder Arms" position. When the command "In Place: Rest" is given, the sword is to be pointed to the front, the right side of the blade facing out, and the drag (the point of the saber) of the saber resting on the ground. At the command "Present Arms", the sword is to be brought into a vertical position with the top of the saber’s hilt level with the chin, the right flat of the blade facing out; after a moment’s pause, it is to be swung down and out to the right, pointing at an oblique angle to the ground as a form of salute with the saber.

When the time comes to return the saber to its scabbard, there is a command sequence to follow. The command is "Return Saber" (or "Return Sword"). At the preparatory command "Return...", raise your right hand to a position 6 inches in front of your neck. Keep your thumb on the left side of the grip with your wrist straight and your elbow against your body. The sword should tilt forward at approximately 30° . At the same time, grasp the scabbard with your left hand just above the upper brass ring mounting. Tilt the scabbard forward and turn it clockwise 180° . The scabbard should form a 45° with respect to the ground. Follow the saber tip with your eyes, and then lower the sword point to a position just above the opening of the scabbard. Once it reaches that position, guide the point into the throat of the scabbard with your left thumb and forefinger until your right forearm is parallel to the ground. Raise your head back to attention at that time. Your left hand should be holding the scabbard against your side.

At the executory part of the command ("...Saber" - or "...Sword"), thrust the sword into the scabbard, releasing your right hand grip; at the same time you should also release the grip of your left hand on the scabbard, returning both hands to your trouser seams. That completes the movement.

When the troops are ordered to "Present Arms", there is a series of movements with the saber that accompanies the command to the troops, but may only be accomplished when the sword is being carried or from the command position "Order Arms". The execution of the command is to be performed in two counts. When the preparatory order is given as "Present...", you are to raise your right hand to the level of, and six inches in front of, your neck. In that position, your thumb should be on the left side of the grip with your wrist straight and your elbow against your body. The saber should be turned so that the knuckle bow is to the left, and tilted at about 30° . Then the executory command will follow: "...Arms", and it’s when the order "Arms" is given that you are to bring your right hand down smartly, but not so as to whip the blade into place. At this point, then, the knucklebow will be against your right trouser seam, your thumb remaining alongside the left side of the grip; the drag (the point of the blade) will be about three inches above the ground, and on a line with the outboard edge of your foot. Until another command is given, the saber is to remain in this position.

To comply with the order "Order Arms" when the saber is in the position "Present Arms", the movement is executed in one count. At the command "Order Arms", at the word "...Arms" you are to turn the sharp edge of the blade down. Your right arm should be hanging naturally, with your thumb along the side seam of your trousers. The blade of the saber will slant to the front, and the point of the saber will be approximately three inches from the ground.

When the command "In Place: Rest" is given, it normally comes after the command "Order Arms", and is to be executed in one count. At the executory part of the command "...Rest", leave the left foot in its present position, stepping back with the right foot at an oblique angle to the left foot. At the same time, lower the point of the saber to the ground and place your left hand behind you, just below the belt or your natural waistline.

To resume the position "Attention" from "In Place: Rest", that is likewise a one-count execution. At the word "Attention", come to attention again, the right foot coming forward smartly to resume its former position, bring the left arm back around to your left side, and raise the saber blade so that it’s three inches above the ground.

When carrying the saber at the "Route Step", the saber is to be carried suspended behind the right shoulder by the sword knob, held by the right hand at the shoulder.

The "Manual of the Sword" is not complex, especially when compared with the drills required with a rifle. Still, it is just as important to know the appropriate commends and to execute them as smartly as any infantryman executes his drill, particularly since the men wielding sabers are commonly noncommissioned and commissioned officers.