The Model 1840 Cavalry Saber was based on the 1822 French

hussar A hussar, ; ; ; ; . was a member of a class of light cavalry, originally from the Kingdom of Hungary during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely adopted by light cavalry ...

's sabre. Unlike its replacement, the

Model 1860 Light Cavalry Saber The Model 1860 Light Cavalry Saber (also known as the M1862 as this was when the first 80,000 were issued) is a long sword made of steel and brass, used by US cavalry from the American Civil War until the end of the Indian wars; some were still ...

, the M1840 has a ridge around its quillon, a leather grip wrapped in wire (rather than grooves cut into the wooden handle) and a flat, slotted throat. It is long with a blade and weighs roughly . The M1840 was designed for slashing, and because of its heavy flat-backed blade was given the nickname "Old Wristbreaker". It was adopted due to the army's dissatisfaction with its predecessor the model 1833 Dragoon Saber, the first cavalry sword adopted by the US Army. The iron-hilted M1833 was based on a

Napoleonic Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led a series of mi ...

-era British sword used by

heavy cavalry Heavy cavalry was a class of cavalry intended to deliver a battlefield charge and also to act as a Military reserve, tactical reserve; they are also often termed ''shock cavalry''. Although their equipment differed greatly depending on the re ...

and reputed to wrap "rubber like around a man's head and was only good for cutting butter". It was evident a replacement was needed so in 1838 the US Ordnance Dept bought British, French and Prussian swords and field-tested them. The troopers overwhelmingly preferred the French saber, and a copy of it was put into production in 1844. A total of 2,000 were ordered and by 1846, 600 were in frontline service. An ornate gilded version of this earlier sword was used by General

Philip Sheridan Philip Henry Sheridan (March 6, 1831 – August 5, 1888) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with General-i ...

during the Civil War; Sheridan had its sheath engraved with the battles he participated in. The 1840 saber was used during the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

US Cavalry The United States Cavalry, or U.S. Cavalry, was the designation of the mounted force of the United States Army. The United States Cavalry was formally created by an act of United States Congress, Congress on 3 August 1861 and ceased as a dist ...

. The main contractors were Ames of Cabotville, Horstmann, and Tiffany but due to the large number of swords required at least 1,000 were made in Germany by S&K and imported. Some troopers used Prussian sabers as an alternative, which in contrast to the M1840 had straight blades. When production ceased in 1858 over 23,700 had been made. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

it continued to be issued to

Union Cavalry The American Civil War saw extensive use of horse-mounted soldiers on both sides of the conflict. They were vital to both the Union Army and Confederate Army for conducting reconnaissance missions to locate the enemy and determine their strengt ...

as in the early years it was more readily available than the M1860.

George B. McClellan George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey and as Commanding General of the United States Army from November 1861 to March 186 ...

carried one at the front. Many were also used by the

Confederacy A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

including General

Nathan Bedford Forrest Nathan Bedford Forrest (July 13, 1821October 29, 1877) was an List of slave traders of the United States, American slave trader, active in the lower Mississippi River valley, who served as a General officers in the Confederate States Army, Con ...

who had both edges of his sword sharpened to increase combat effectiveness. File:Model 1840 Cavalry Saber and its scabbard.jpg, Old Wristbreaker File:Remember Your Regiment, U.S. Army in Action Series, 2d Dragoons charge in Mexican War 1846.jpg, In the cavalry charges of the Mexican War US Dragoons used their sabers to slash their way through enemy lines File:US Army Cavalry Sergeant 1866 (Bis).jpg, Union Cavalry Sergeant with 1840 saber

Notes

References

* * * * * * * {{USCWWeapons Swords of the United States American Civil War weapons Mexican–American War Sabres