Swords at the Little Big Horn (Part II)

Jim McDougall · 8th April 2008, 04:56 AM

Thank you so much Jeff! It is great to see this topic again, and I really appreciate the update. By coincidence I found some of my notes taken when I was at the Little Big Horn last summer, and was just looking them over yesterday! We must be on the same wavelength!!

It is interesting about the comments on the heft of the sword, and on the sword combat techniques of the times. The M1840 dragoon sword issued to U.S. cavalry was 'affectionately' called 'the old wristbreaker', presumably from the not always present strength required for the movements described.

It always seemed odd to me that these heavy Spanish broadsword blades were mounted on Mexican sabres in the 1820's and onward into the 19th c.

While at the museum at Little Big Horn, the curator kindly showed me the acquisition documents listing its arrival there in 1943 (the number 163 showed as well), with the next cataloguing in 1960. I wish I had been able to handle it, but it would have been complicated to access the enclosed display case.

It seems there was another case of one of these heavy Spanish colonial broadsword blades was captured in the Mexican-American war by a Texan in combat, and is now in a museum near Los Angeles. I believe the sword belonged to a Mexican officer named Colonel Najera, but that is all I can recall at the moment. This event simply supports the fact that these blades were certainly mounted on many Mexican officers swords at this time.

Thank you for posting this update Jeff!
All the best,
Jim

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8th April 2008, 04:56 AM	#27
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,467	Thank you so much Jeff! It is great to see this topic again, and I really appreciate the update. By coincidence I found some of my notes taken when I was at the Little Big Horn last summer, and was just looking them over yesterday! We must be on the same wavelength!! It is interesting about the comments on the heft of the sword, and on the sword combat techniques of the times. The M1840 dragoon sword issued to U.S. cavalry was 'affectionately' called 'the old wristbreaker', presumably from the not always present strength required for the movements described. It always seemed odd to me that these heavy Spanish broadsword blades were mounted on Mexican sabres in the 1820's and onward into the 19th c. While at the museum at Little Big Horn, the curator kindly showed me the acquisition documents listing its arrival there in 1943 (the number 163 showed as well), with the next cataloguing in 1960. I wish I had been able to handle it, but it would have been complicated to access the enclosed display case. It seems there was another case of one of these heavy Spanish colonial broadsword blades was captured in the Mexican-American war by a Texan in combat, and is now in a museum near Los Angeles. I believe the sword belonged to a Mexican officer named Colonel Najera, but that is all I can recall at the moment. This event simply supports the fact that these blades were certainly mounted on many Mexican officers swords at this time. Thank you for posting this update Jeff! All the best, Jim