Patton, the cavalry sword, and more

As a Bernard Montgomery fan and a deep Patton skeptic, I was surprised to find myself charmed by a collection of Patton writings in pdf compiled by the Patton Society. I can't regain access to the compilation, but here is a link to some of the relevant individual files on their site.

If you are a Civil War cavalry buff (hey, Eric!) you have to read this piece. Sword-wise, Patton is anti-cut and pro-thrust. This explains the configuration of the sabre he designed (photo above) which I have seen displayed in some Army museums. He is right for more reasons than he suspects and I may write a post on that (based on my seven years of competitive sabre fencing and two days of horse riding). Picture the cavalry of 1914 sitting in McClellan saddles and carring Patton swords.

Buried somewhere in that site is another article on what makes a really great polo team. If you like polo, dig it out - it's wonderful.

Also buried in that site is a loving memoir of John J. Pershing. My youthful admiration of Pershing cooled lately and I was glad to have Patton remind me how much good there was in "Black Jack."

If you know how to browse, have at it.