- Joined
- Aug 25, 2012
Although a few pikes and lances were used during the Civil War, both the Union and the Confederacy mostly avoided the use of other pole arms. For a very long time foot officers had been designated by carrying a spontoon (a.k.a. half pike) while foot sergeants carried halberds. Bellow is a spontoon.
Originally a Halberd was a useful weapon for sergeants not only to defend themselves but was also used to dress ranks, hack apart or pull apart defensive works, as a measuring rod to layout encampments and even pull bodies into graves. By end of the 17th century halberds were no long sharpened and were merely a symbol of office. Officers used the spontoon to defend themselves and dress troops but was used to indicate directions and pass orders. The last use of the spontoon in a useful manner was during the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Never very popular in the United States both the spontoon and halberd had fallen out of service by armies before the start of the Civil War and U.S and Confederate officers and sergeants were not burdened with these relics. Bellow is a halberd.
They survive today only in ceremonial units such as the Vatican’s Swiss Guard and the Spanish Halberd Guards. The U.S. Army has the Drum Major of the U.S. Army’s Fife and Drum Corps carry a spontoon. Bellow is a Swiss Guard.
Originally a Halberd was a useful weapon for sergeants not only to defend themselves but was also used to dress ranks, hack apart or pull apart defensive works, as a measuring rod to layout encampments and even pull bodies into graves. By end of the 17th century halberds were no long sharpened and were merely a symbol of office. Officers used the spontoon to defend themselves and dress troops but was used to indicate directions and pass orders. The last use of the spontoon in a useful manner was during the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Never very popular in the United States both the spontoon and halberd had fallen out of service by armies before the start of the Civil War and U.S and Confederate officers and sergeants were not burdened with these relics. Bellow is a halberd.
They survive today only in ceremonial units such as the Vatican’s Swiss Guard and the Spanish Halberd Guards. The U.S. Army has the Drum Major of the U.S. Army’s Fife and Drum Corps carry a spontoon. Bellow is a Swiss Guard.