For some 159 years, United States Army used an edged sword, the saber, as the primary weapon for mounted troops. Whether called light horse, dragoon, or cavalry, the Army cavalry trooper on horseback carried a saber, with which to engage the various foes of our republic. The last issued Army saber in a long line, the model 1913 saber, became popularly known as "The Patton Saber," after then Second Lieutenant George S. Patton, Jr., who it is commonly believed was somehow responsible for the design and adoption of the new saber, during that very same year. Over the years, some authors, and historians, have questioned the veracity of conventional historical wisdom in naming the model 1913 saber "The Patton Saber," since, after all, how much influence could a lowly Second Lieutenant have had in the U.S. Army's procurement of a new weapon?[2]

The purpose of this article is to introduce the reader to the U.S. Army model 1913 saber, and examine the facts surrounding the adoption of this last saber issued to Army troopers from before the First World War, until its subsequent withdraw as a modern weapon in the interwar year of 1934. A review of the historical record, and timeline, surrounding the saber, does indicate that Second Lieutenant George S. Patton, Jr. was indeed responsible for the Army's adoption of the saber, displaying those considerable powers of single mindedness, will, dedication, and zeal that made him such an effective maneuver combat general three decades later in North Africa and Europe. Patton's thinking, study, experimentation, and advocacy of this new edged weapon were indicative of his professional development as a military leader. This professional development was to ultimately lead the young, but talented officer, to recognize the value of the armored tank replacing a shiny saber as the weapon of choice for a modern mounted Army.

Background

George Smith Patton, Jr. was born on the 11th of November 1885 on his family's prosperous cattle ranch near San Gabriel, California. His childhood out west was a rather idyllic one in Southern California with loving parents, a sister, dogs, horses to ride, fish to catch, birds and wild goats to hunt, and history to read. As a child, surrounded by mementos of his paternal grandfather's service with the 22nd Virginia Infantry, Patton had a fondness for toy swords. His father used a Civil War Confederate sword to play with young George "...kneel[ing] down and we would fight." Later, Patton's father bought him his first sword, "...A store in Los Angeles was having a sale of 1870 French Sword bayonets and I asked for one...later I attacked the cactus with it and got well stuck..."[3]

This edged weapon enthusiasm extended into his college years at the Virginia Military Institute and the United States Military Academy at West Point. A versatile and gifted athlete, by the standards of the day, Patton pursued several sports with gusto, at West Point, to include football, polo, and track and field, to include earning his varsity letter A for breaking a school record in the 220 yard hurdles. Additionally, Patton was an enthusiastic fencer. As a cadet he competed with the broadsword against a visiting New York City German fencing club, registering ten touches against an opponent while receiving only two in return. Proudly writing his future wife Beatrice in March of 1908 of his feat, Patton stated "...pardon my boasting but...I would so like to be good with the sword."[4] Graduating 46th out of 103 graduates in the class of 1909, Patton choose the Army branch still using the saber, the cavalry. Assigned to the 15th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, Second Lieutenant George S. Patton Jr. was to get his chance to become better with the sword.[5]

Adoption of the M1913

The next several years found Patton assigned to K Troop, 15th Cavalry, at Sheridan, engaged in normal duties and responsibilities as a new lieutenant. These included getting married, fathering a daughter, learning to use a typewriter, and discovering that he enjoyed writing and producing short military papers. His writing was rather noteworthy for a junior officer. As noted historian Martin Blumenson has written, the process was more important than the actual product, as Lieutenant Patton taught himself how to organize material, think critically and challenge accepted doctrine or tactics of the day.[6] These abilities are clearly seen in the development and adoption of the model 1913 cavalry saber.

In 1911 the U.S. Army convened a board of cavalry officers to examine new equipment and make recommendations. One of the items of cavalry equipment the board recommended changing was the model 1906 saber. An experimental model 1911 saber under study was to retain the traditional Army curved single edged blade, similar to those carried since the Civil War era. But the model 1911 was never to be adopted, due to Patton's advocacy of a straight, double edged cavalry saber, ultimately gaining his name. That same year, late in 1911 Lieutenant and Mrs. Patton were transferred to the showplace of Army cavalry of the day, Fort Myer. Assigned to A Troop, 15th Cavalry, Patton was close to the powerful and influential Army officers and governmental officials in Washington, D.C., and made the most of this opportunity.[7]

Early in 1912 Patton was assigned duties as squadron quartermaster, but was informed in March that he was under consideration to be the Army's representative in the Modern Pentathlon at the Fifth Olympic Games the upcoming summer in Stockholm, Sweden. Consisting of five events; the pistol, swimming, fencing, riding, and running, the pentathlon was, in effect, a test of military skills a soldier might encounter on the battlefield. Informed in May he had been selected, Patton began intensive training in the five disciplines and dieting. Brushing up on his sword skills, he fenced three times weekly and competed in the National Championship fencing tournament held that spring in New York. Additionally, during the sea voyage to Sweden, on the ship Finland, Patton fenced for two hours daily. Competition began on 7 July with Lieutenant Patton performing well in all five events. Two days later the fencing portion of the pentathlon was held at the Royal Tennis Courts. Armed with the dueling sword, Patton performed admirably, finishing third of the remaining 29 competitors, and proudly wrote later "I was fortunate enough to give the French victor the only defeat he had," during the two days of intense fencing competition.[8]

Finishing fifth in the pentathlon, his standing was 6th in swimming, 3rd in fencing, 3rd in riding, 3rd in running, but his pistol score of 21st place knocked Patton out of the medals. All in all it was a remarkable performance for the young Lieutenant, made more enjoyable by the presence of his wife, sister, and parents, who witnessed those 1912 Olympics that made the name of great athlete Jim Thorpe a household word. While in Sweden Patton had a chance to meet many of the finest swordsmen in the world, who informed him that a French army cavalry officer was considered the best in Europe. This officer was Adjutant Clery, the Master of Arms and fencing instructor at Saumur, the French Army's cavalry and equestrian center in western France. Champion of the continent in foil, dueling sword and saber, Clery was the acknowledged master of the edged weapon and a man Patton had to meet, and possibly learn from, before returning to the states.[9] While his parents and sister toured Europe, Patton and Beatrice traveled to Saumur, for private lessons from Clery in the dueling sword and saber disciplines, during that last half of July.

The experience was to be life changing. Lieutenant Patton took full advantage of the opportunity at Saumur with Adjutant Clery; not only improving his sword skills, but also his thinking about military training, instruction, and the nature of the European and American saber of the day

For some 159 years, United States Army used an edged sword, the saber, as the primary weapon for mounted troops. Whether called light horse, dragoon, or cavalry, the Army cavalry trooper on horseback carried a saber, with which to engage the various foes of our republic. The last issued Army saber in a long line, the model 1913 saber, became popularly known as "The Patton Saber," after then Second Lieutenant George S. Patton, Jr., who it is commonly believed was somehow responsible for the design and adoption of the new saber, during that very same year. Over the years, some authors, and historians, have questioned the veracity of conventional historical wisdom in naming the model 1913 saber "The Patton Saber," since, after all, how much influence could a lowly Second Lieutenant have had in the U.S. Army's procurement of a new weapon?[2] The purpose of this article is to introduce the reader to the U.S. Army model 1913 saber, and examine the facts surrounding the adoption of this last saber issued to Army troopers from before the First World War, until its subsequent withdraw as a modern weapon in the interwar year of 1934. A review of the historical record, and timeline, surrounding the saber, does indicate that Second Lieutenant George S. Patton, Jr. was indeed responsible for the Army's adoption of the saber, displaying those considerable powers of single mindedness, will, dedication, and zeal that made him such an effective maneuver combat general three decades later in North Africa and Europe. Patton's thinking, study, experimentation, and advocacy of this new edged weapon were indicative of his professional development as a military leader. This professional development was to ultimately lead the young, but talented officer, to recognize the value of the armored tank replacing a shiny saber as the weapon of choice for a modern mounted Army. Background George Smith Patton, Jr. was born on the 11th of November 1885 on his family's prosperous cattle ranch near San Gabriel, California. His childhood out west was a rather idyllic one in Southern California with loving parents, a sister, dogs, horses to ride, fish to catch, birds and wild goats to hunt, and history to read. As a child, surrounded by mementos of his paternal grandfather's service with the 22nd Virginia Infantry, Patton had a fondness for toy swords. His father used a Civil War Confederate sword to play with young George "...kneel[ing] down and we would fight." Later, Patton's father bought him his first sword, "...A store in Los Angeles was having a sale of 1870 French Sword bayonets and I asked for one...later I attacked the cactus with it and got well stuck..."[3] This edged weapon enthusiasm extended into his college years at the Virginia Military Institute and the United States Military Academy at West Point. A versatile and gifted athlete, by the standards of the day, Patton pursued several sports with gusto, at West Point, to include football, polo, and track and field, to include earning his varsity letter A for breaking a school record in the 220 yard hurdles. Additionally, Patton was an enthusiastic fencer. As a cadet he competed with the broadsword against a visiting New York City German fencing club, registering ten touches against an opponent while receiving only two in return. Proudly writing his future wife Beatrice in March of 1908 of his feat, Patton stated "...pardon my boasting but...I would so like to be good with the sword."[4] Graduating 46th out of 103 graduates in the class of 1909, Patton choose the Army branch still using the saber, the cavalry. Assigned to the 15th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, Second Lieutenant George S. Patton Jr. was to get his chance to become better with the sword.[5] Adoption of the M1913 The next several years found Patton assigned to K Troop, 15th Cavalry, at Sheridan, engaged in normal duties and responsibilities as a new lieutenant. These included getting married, fathering a daughter, learning to use a typewriter, and discovering that he enjoyed writing and producing short military papers. His writing was rather noteworthy for a junior officer. As noted historian Martin Blumenson has written, the process was more important than the actual product, as Lieutenant Patton taught himself how to organize material, think critically and challenge accepted doctrine or tactics of the day.[6] These abilities are clearly seen in the development and adoption of the model 1913 cavalry saber. In 1911 the U.S. Army convened a board of cavalry officers to examine new equipment and make recommendations. One of the items of cavalry equipment the board recommended changing was the model 1906 saber. An experimental model 1911 saber under study was to retain the traditional Army curved single edged blade, similar to those carried since the Civil War era. But the model 1911 was never to be adopted, due to Patton's advocacy of a straight, double edged cavalry saber, ultimately gaining his name. That same year, late in 1911 Lieutenant and Mrs. Patton were transferred to the showplace of Army cavalry of the day, Fort Myer. Assigned to A Troop, 15th Cavalry, Patton was close to the powerful and influential Army officers and governmental officials in Washington, D.C., and made the most of this opportunity.[7] Early in 1912 Patton was assigned duties as squadron quartermaster, but was informed in March that he was under consideration to be the Army's representative in the Modern Pentathlon at the Fifth Olympic Games the upcoming summer in Stockholm, Sweden. Consisting of five events; the pistol, swimming, fencing, riding, and running, the pentathlon was, in effect, a test of military skills a soldier might encounter on the battlefield. Informed in May he had been selected, Patton began intensive training in the five disciplines and dieting. Brushing up on his sword skills, he fenced three times weekly and competed in the National Championship fencing tournament held that spring in New York. Additionally, during the sea voyage to Sweden, on the ship Finland, Patton fenced for two hours daily. Competition began on 7 July with Lieutenant Patton performing well in all five events. Two days later the fencing portion of the pentathlon was held at the Royal Tennis Courts. Armed with the dueling sword, Patton performed admirably, finishing third of the remaining 29 competitors, and proudly wrote later "I was fortunate enough to give the French victor the only defeat he had," during the two days of intense fencing competition.[8] Finishing fifth in the pentathlon, his standing was 6th in swimming, 3rd in fencing, 3rd in riding, 3rd in running, but his pistol score of 21st place knocked Patton out of the medals. All in all it was a remarkable performance for the young Lieutenant, made more enjoyable by the presence of his wife, sister, and parents, who witnessed those 1912 Olympics that made the name of great athlete Jim Thorpe a household word. While in Sweden Patton had a chance to meet many of the finest swordsmen in the world, who informed him that a French army cavalry officer was considered the best in Europe. This officer was Adjutant Clery, the Master of Arms and fencing instructor at Saumur, the French Army's cavalry and equestrian center in western France. Champion of the continent in foil, dueling sword and saber, Clery was the acknowledged master of the edged weapon and a man Patton had to meet, and possibly learn from, before returning to the states.[9] While his parents and sister toured Europe, Patton and Beatrice traveled to Saumur, for private lessons from Clery in the dueling sword and saber disciplines, during that last half of July. The experience was to be life changing. Lieutenant Patton took full advantage of the opportunity at Saumur with Adjutant Clery; not only improving his sword skills, but also his thinking about military training, instruction, and the nature of the European and American saber of the day