Would a Confederate Lt. Carry a Federal NCO Sword?

[Conor_B]

Hey,

I am doing a small-ish event in the fall and I will be portraying a Confederate Lieutenant. The only sword I have is a Federal NCO sword (Before anyone says anything about the baldric i already have a plan for that) . So would a Confederate Infantry Lieutenant carry a Federal NCO sword?

 

[phil1861]

Since we live in a world of infinite variety and situations, could it have happened? Sure, it could have.

Would it have happened? A sword is your symbol of command; would you personally pick up some relic from the battlefield as anything but a souvenir or would you try to use it? An officer's sword is like the rank you sew on your uniform or the ability to build your own uniform with your new clothing allowance. You put care into it. No, I'd say you wouldn't use an NCO's sword as a symbol of command for an officer. Spend the bucks or borrow; you'll spend the entire weekend justifying to yourself and to others why you're running around with the wrong sword.

 

[Conor_B]

Alright i might try to borrow one. I am not going to invest a lot of money into a new sword or uniform that i will only use once. In fact as far as my rank is concerned I am just adding it to my current uniform then taking it off on the way home. This is a one time deal not a full promotion.

 

[phil1861]

Yeah, in a case like this beg, borrow, steal vs. building a one time impression.

You could invent a thousand reasons why and for the spectators no one will know but your fellows might and that's who you'll have to invent for. You could say, "oh, I lost it and picked this off of a prisoner..." or some such. Your sword was a gift or a personal purchase and surrendered only when forced to as if parting with your wedding band (sword inscribed by wife or parent and meant to have high value).

I do not know in particular if NCO swords were issued or private purchase, but I would suspect not since NCOs were not given a large clothing allowance and expected to outfit themselves.

Hopefully you can find someone with an appropriate sword.

 

[KeyserSoze]

Hey,

I am doing a small-ish event in the fall and I will be portraying a Confederate Lieutenant. The only sword I have is a Federal NCO sword (Before anyone says anything about the baldric i already have a plan for that) . So would a Confederate Infantry Lieutenant carry a Federal NCO sword?

Considering the average Confederate soldier got most of his equipment from captured Yankees then why not? A sword is a sword is a sword, and if you don't have one to begin with then any old sword will do.

 

[Conor_B]

well all the officers i know wont be there. and i do not have a true sword belt rigging for it. I probably will go on with the NCO sword. It is hard to rig a rigging.

 

[Bob Owen]

I would go without a sword. Usually Lt.'s didn't carry a sword in the field unless in the Cavalry or Artillery (two distinct types of swords). The field officer's sword was usually carried by Captains.

 

[Conor_B]

Well I will be in the only one in command of my unit. I am too young to be a captain. But that is an interesting point about no sword....

 

[Bob Owen]

Well I will be in the only one in command of my unit. I am too young to be a captain. But that is an interesting point about no sword....

Hey! If you are the only one in charge, wear what you want as I'm sure a LT wore an NCO sword sometime during the war.

 

[Pvt.A.Wells]

I would go without, rather than carry a NCO sword. Carry a fine cane if you feel you need something to point with. Plus you have your side arm.

or borrow the proper weapon from your officers that will not be there.

S.D.Swart

 

[Conor_B]

that is the thing my officer will be at another event.

 

[johan_steele]

Many a company officer carried no sword or pistol at all, the difference between reality & a re-enactorism. The problem with a sword & pistol is that you have to carry the blamed thing. After a weeks worth of 12 mile a day marches you might reconsider carrying anything you didn't have to. If you absolutely have to have a sword Dixie Gunworks sells repops for under $100.

Why do you even have to have an officer there? There are too many chiefs and not enough Indians at most events as it is. I suspect there are more men wearing CS officer uniforms today than there were in 1861-65.

 

[Delhi Rangers]

I have read accounts of Confederate Lt.'s that actually toted a musket and fought with it. Some of them did not wear anytype of officer insignia either.

 

[Conor_B]

ill be lending my musket to a new guy

 

[johan_steele]

Sounds like you already have your mind made up on the NCO sword. The majority of officers in the CS army came from the monied class and could afford a decent sword, or often had a sword already in the family. They had pride in their appearance and their clothing looked it as did their equipment. A ragged officer... is a dead giveaway to many who look at such as Lost Cause fantasy. Private soldiers had "housewives" aka a sewing kit and used them to keep their clothing in as good a condition as possible. Officers often had the coin to bring along a servant who mended, cleaned 7 took care of their uniform as well as cooking for him.

An NCO or musicians sword was distinctive and intended for enlisted men, not officers. Everybody knew it.

 

[Conor_B]

Sounds like you already have your mind made up on the NCO sword.

That is where you are wrong in your asumption; if I had made up my mind I would not have taken the time to post on here. No I agree with you about the richer officers having the ablility to carry a man servant and having nice uniforms and believe me if this was not a ONE WEEKEND GIG I would SO have the proper sword, uniform, accoutrements, and anything else a proper officer needed to survive the war, but it is not! I am a starving college student and cannot afford a proper sword, uniform, accoutrements and am not going to for one weekend. Right now I am thinking about not carrying the sword. All of the officer's I know will be at the BGA 150th Vicksburg. If one of them was not going believe me I would not be worried about this stuff.

 

[Bob Owen]

Check Smokey Mountain Knife Works. The have repro CSA Field Officer's swords for $25.00 plus shipping. They look good for the money, but don't know how they would hold up in an actual sword fight.

 

[johan_steele]

$25 for a one weekend gig is pretty fair deal & you could sell it to a college sword nut... there were plenty of those around when I was in college.

 

[Conor_B]

not so much here now and i will look into that...just gonna have to figure a way to rig it to my belt. The way i was gonna do to my regular belt is use my dad's Mississippi rifle sword bayonet frog and put that on the belt. Anyone know were i can get a sword belt cheap?

 

[phil1861]

well, here's an obvious question: how many men are you going to be commanding? 12? 20? 100? Anything under 20 or even 30 I'd not even bother with an officer impression. A Sgt would easily be in command of a small detail and it sounds like you already have the enlisted man's sword already if you went as a 1st Sgt. Your NCOs would be armed with a rifle as a company Sgt. would not even require a sword or anything that you do not probably already have.