The Cold Steel

[rick35ovi]

Great aticle by our friend Craig L. Berry, Thank you sir for your contribution to our monthly features! it was an honor and a privledge to have you with us at Stones River! Hopefully will will have the honor of your presence with us again soon.
http://www.ovcwa.com/MonthlyFeature.html

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

Somehow I never tire of reading well researched and documented articles of Craig's quality. Another stellar job and thanks for sharing something many of us here would not normally get through normal channels unless part of that organization. I would totally agree that bayonet training is something that many of us just don't do or receive with enough regularity at events. For those that have experienced a well run, correct bayonet drill, you'll never forget it.

[johnerys]

I am told that proficiency at bayonet drill was always one of the hallmarks of our unit, and we do practice it. If fact, we ran drill at Burton last weekend. Something that the spectators don't get to see very often.


What is the bayonet?
A brave man's weapon, sir

And waht does it take to use the bayonet?
Courage, sir.

[Craig L Barry]

...those units who have dedicated an afternoon of drill to George B McClellan's excellent instruction on exercises with the bayonet, and Amen to brother Rys, the little things do matter. Whether those skills are ever utilized at any event isn't the point. Let's hope they are not. The discipline and understanding of the soldier's training including that particular drill is the important point. It is also quite a crowd pleaser unless it is botched. Sensible advice would be to practice it in private a few times before putting the bayonet drill on display. Many of the commands are in French and take some getting used to...

Additionally, this notion that the bayonet was mostly ornamental or used only to stack arms is not supported by period accounts or the records kept on injury causation when the evidence is analyzed and understood. Here is my counter-revisionist take...First person accounts support its frequent use for martial purposes well beyond the minimal number of injuries reported in the post-war hospital studies. The hospital stats are understated for a very obvious reason...the cause of injury report is based on those who made it to the hospital. Burial details did not record the cause of death on the battlefield. If they had, a different picture on bayonet wounds might well have emerged. When combined with period accounts, what the stats actually tell you is that very few of those unfortunate men skewered with the bayonet lived long enough to be treated for that particular injury in the hospital. They "bled out" too quickly.

This is not to suggest that the bayonet was responsible for more deaths than the minie ball or even a significant cause of death, only that it played a greater role in the outcome of many battles and resulted in more casualties than it is currently given credit. The bayonet charge played a significant role during the US Civil War, and one need only to think back to the charge of the 20th Maine at Little Round Top to understand that its strategic value was far from over. As far as the rest of it, let me tell you it was a great pleasure to fall in the 19th US Regulars during their recent weekend at Stones River. That is one squared away bunch of boys. I am used to falling in with the NPS rat pack like my comrade Todd Watts who paint a "L" on their left boot so they know on which foot to step off, and which presumes that we got our boots on the correct foot to begin with.

[Curt-Heinrich Schmidt]

Hallo!

"I am told that proficiency at bayonet drill was always one of the hallmarks of our unit, and we do practice it. If fact, we ran drill at Burton last weekend. Something that the spectators don't get to see very often."

Correct.

In the Way Back or Early Daze of your unit in addition to year round monthly indoor or outdoor drill sessions, the bayonet drill was part and parcel.
Plus when your unit hosted the Burton event, bayonet drill was held on both days on the Green.



CHS

[LibertyHallVols]

Nice read... Thanks, Craig!

Drilling is one of few activities where you really know that you're walking in the steps of "the old fellows". Bayonet excercises are frequently neglected, but I'm glad to see that they were included in both a Shaker Village and a Fort Duffield event within the last few years... would love to see more of it!

[Craig L Barry]

Bayonet drill properly done is way cool, and it is under performed. C'est le vie. Last time that exercise was performed it was impromptu and I had an old Antonio Zoli US 1841 percussion rifle with one of those long saber bayonets and I thought my arms were going to fall off. The repros are all heavy, but the balance was just not all that good on that short rifle/saber bayonet set-up. Note to self, use a three bander, they have better weight distribution, but I guess that depends on a couple other factors, too.

IIRC, the manual notes that soldiers performing the drill did use dummy rifles/bayos &c when it was hand-to-hand or for an extended exercise.

[Marc]

Back in the old 83rd PVI we did bayonet drill on a regular basis. Bill Sterner knew the drill inside and out and it was always a part of our living history program. A few fellows from the 53rd PVI also knew the drill quite well. It was always a pleasure to watch the 5th NY do the drill as it was one of their trademarks. Still have a copy of McClellan's bayonet drill booklet.

[RJSamp]

John Wedeward of the 33rd WVI was always a tough taskmaster when it came to the bayonet drill, a crowd pleaser to be sure. I recall Captain McKee running bayonet drill at Camp Randall, May 1998 for a 37th WVI impression for the Return of the 2nd WVI event.....

[Rob Weaver]

I have always enjoyed a good session of bayonet exercise. I think it's particularly good for new troops to get a feel for the weapon and how it handles. It is also such a physical experience that nothing you do on the reenactment field will be quite so demanding.