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FENCING
WITH THE SMALL SWORD: ARRANGED FOR INSTRUCTION IN SQUADS OR CLASSES
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EXERCISE
FOR THE BROADSWORD, SABRE, CUT AND THRUST, AND STICK:
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PUBLISHED
BY AUTHORITY OF THE WAR DEPARTMENT
WASHINGTON:
PRINTED
BY GIDEON AND CO.
1850.
Entered
according to act of Congress, in the year 1850,
BY
HENRY C. WAYNE,
In
the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the District of
Columbia,
WASHINGTON,
APRIL 17, 1849.
Bt.
Major General R. Jones,
Adjutant General.
SIR:
I have the honor to submit to your examination “A system of
Exercise on foot for the Small-Sword, Broad-Sword, Sabre, Cut and
Thrust, and Stick,” as arranged and taught by me at the U. S..
Military Academy when Director of the Sword Exercise at that
Institution.
It
is submitted at the request of some of my brother officers, to
supply a deficiency in our military instruction, and as a healthy
and manly amusement, improving both the morale and physique
of the soldier.
It
is arranged from several works upon the subject, and in conformity
with the principles of the Cavalry and Infantry Tactics in use by
our Army, which it is designed to assist.
I am,
General, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
HENRY C. WAYNE,
Bvt.
Major U. S. Army.
Instruction
in the use and exercise of the Sword is deemed to be
highly important and beneficial to the service. Such a system as the
one prepared by Major WAYNE is much needed in our Army, and will be
duly appreciated by the commissioned officer and private soldier. I
respectfully recommend it for favorable consideration.
R.
JONES, Adjt. General.
HEAD-QUARTERS
OF THE ARMY,
West
Point, N. Y., August 30, 1849.
Hon.
G. W. CRAWFORD,
Secretary of War.
SIR:
The system of exercise on foot for, the Small-Sword, Broad-Sword,
Sabre, &c., as arranged by Brevet Major H. C. WAYNE, Captain and
Assistant Quartermaster, which was referred to me from the War
Department for consideration, has been submitted, informally, to the
inspection of such officers at the Military Academy as were supposed
to be most conversant with the subject. From their reports, as
from what I have myself seen of it, when taught by Major Wayne to
the Cadets at the time he was Director of the Sword Exercise at this
place, I approve highly of the system, and recommend that it be
published, under Major Wayne’s supervision, by the War Department,
for general circulation in the Army, where it is much needed.
I
have the honor to be, sir,
Your
obedient servant,
WINFIELD
SCOTT,
“La
plupart des Anciens Militaires que j‘ai connus m‘ont assure, que
le soldat exerce aux armes en etoit d’autant plus adroit dans une
melee et consequemment plus nuisible a l’ennemi.”
—La
Boessiere.
“Fencing
sharpens the eyesight, increases active power in general, tries the
temper, and teaches decision in seizing occasions for acting
offensively with effect, or defensively with coolness and
resolution. A knowledge to fence with foils, even to exercise the
sabre and broadsword, is deemed a necessary, accomplishment for
all military men of the higher class. It is useful to the common
soldier on account of his duty; it ought therefore to be included
among the essentials in his military education, for the sake of its
utility.”
—Jackson’s
View of the Formation, Discipline, and Economy of Armies.
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