US Cavalry crossed swords

[just4fun63]

Thanks for the info Blair Ill look into the book. I wish I had known that they shipped in two dozen lots that would have made the box more usable.

Well here they are in all their glory

Why did I paint them Grey? well why not

The "rifle" box holds my tent and fire irons and we use it as a DeFarb box once the tent is up. The "uniform Box" is an old army foot locker. The chest was my grandmothers maybe my great grandmothers. The boxes get moved behind the tents during the day and covered, but if they show they don't look to bad. At night they become chairs.

[Colonel Dave]

Cavalry carried SABRES, infantry carried SWORDS

Minor detail, I know, but correct terms should/could be used by reenactors.

[GAR]

You are correct. My bad.

Technically, a sabre is a type of sword with a specific style of blade. It was first introduced to Europe by the Hungarians, fashioned after the curved blade of a scimitar, but for specific use on horseback. In fencing, it is a straight blade but is specific in what areas can be targeted, which is from the waist up, as one would fight while saddled. So in the context of a cavalry symbol, I should have been more specific.

Other types of swords include rapiers, epee's, foils, court swords, broadswords (both single, hand and a half, and two handed), Claymores, naval cutlass's, great swords, mamelukes, and about a hundred more.

[Colonel Dave]

When Napoleon invaded Egypt, before becoming the Emporer of France, he encounted the Mamalukes, who ruled Egypt . He was so impressed with their fighting abilities he took one back to France and he was Napoleon's personal bodyguard until he died in exile. He also raised a small regiment of Mamalukes made up primarily of the French elite who wore the tradional Middle East garb, includint turbans, etc. The carried a very curved sabre that is a typical Middle East weapon, not just Mamalukes. The French Mamalukes were part of the Old Guard and attached to another Guard cavalry regiment.

[Jim of the SRR]

Originally Posted by GAR

RJSamp-
A very interesting list but did you happen to notice what was not on it? His bugle! It must have been issued and redistributed along with his weapons. I'm surprised they sent his father the great coat that early in the war. It must have been practically new. I love the spelling of cigar. I'm going to go smoke a segarette now.

Okay, truth be told...
I was originally planning to build two crates to raise a full size black denim futon mattress up off the ground. It got pretty cold and damp in Fortescue and my oldest son woke up with a red swollen eye from being too close to the straw dust. Don't worry, it all gets covered up by a pair of homemade quilts and isn't seen. Again, if I make it too uncomfortable for my boys, they won't want to come with me again. Once I finished building the first crate, however, I realized that it would likely be large enough to winter store all our 3 kits and weapons and the second one wasn't necessary. So I built the first crate with the original usage thought in mind and the dimensions were based on both need and frugality, since the money I have just spent assembling 3 kits has my wife crying "Foul! Hold! Enough!".
So the crate dimensions are as follows: 52" wide by 18" deep by 14.5" tall, including the 1" bottom skids. I braided rope handles for either end to be able to carry it. Depending how it would have been packed, it seems very plausible that it could have carried 20 carbines and appendages. So, even though I have a Smith carbine, I believe I'll stencil Sharps on it since they were in greater supply. I now plan on leaving it in the tent and using it for more of a headboard / night stand / boot seat / lantern table and it should give the appearance to anyone who peeks in and sees it, that it was just a surplus crate that was scrounged and is being used just for that purpose. Or perhaps I just found it that morning and I'm hoarding it for when firewood does become more scarce. Ah ha! How about that?
Again, this was not built to be a museum piece and time restraints (Trick or Treat for the Troops) did not allow for days of research for better authenticity.
Crossed sabers question is still out there, for curiosity sake. Thanks for your input, this is fun.

G

It seems at a certain point, you have to say "Stop". What I mean by that is at a certain point you have to say that the effort to create a 'hotel' environment not only gets to be time consuming and costly, it also starts to get ridiculous. Sounds like your almost to the point of building garrison bunks for tents. Why not just leave and got ot a hotel at that point. It seems you are worried the authenticity of a crate, but yet have no other concern about authenticity of anything else you are doing in regards to camp. If you have crates, futons, gatorade, etc, etc...who really cares at that point if your crate has crossed sabres or not?

Jim Butler

[GAR]

Originally Posted by Jim of the SRR

It seems at a certain point, you have to say "Stop". What I mean by that is at a certain point you have to say that the effort to create a 'hotel' environment not only gets to be time consuming and costly, it also starts to get ridiculous. Sounds like your almost to the point of building garrison bunks for tents. Why not just leave and got ot a hotel at that point. It seems you are worried the authenticity of a crate, but yet have no other concern about authenticity of anything else you are doing in regards to camp. If you have crates, futons, gatorade, etc, etc...who really cares at that point if your crate has crossed sabres or not?

Jim Butler

Yes, I'm new. As you once were, too. This whole attitude exhibited by you and others in this thread does nothing to elevate the hobby. In fact it tears it down because people don't feel free to ask questions about authenticity for fear of being judged or ridiculed.
No one raises themselves up by putting down others.
Or,
If you can't say something nice...
Your choice.

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

Originally Posted by GAR

Yes, I'm new. As you once were, too. This whole attitude exhibited by you and others in this thread does nothing to elevate the hobby. In fact it tears it down because people don't feel free to ask questions about authenticity for fear of being judged or ridiculed.
No one raises themselves up by putting down others.
Or,
If you can't say something nice...
Your choice.

However, you have to ask yourself if you are prepared for answers that are contrary to what you want to accomplish, as is apparently the case here. You've asked a question, received answers from several knowledgable people, but it wasn't the answer you wanted. You've now made it very clear for the world to see that you are going to do what you wanted anyway. You haven't been "judged or ridiculed" here, you've been given historical information and advice compiled from the historical record (first person accounts, journals, military records, etc). You are the one ridiculing us, the people who truly care about authenticity and history as it happened. You are judging us, the people who offered friendly advice and information. Don't come on a forum asking a question and then be indignant and offended at the answers.

[GAR]

Friendly advice? Sorry, I missed that one.
This has gone on far too long. I accepted the answer regarding crates when it was first offered. I'm not "doing what I want to anyway", nor have I argued the point. This thread was dormant until JimBu decided to comment about my "hotel" attempts, which isn't even remotely based in reality. It was my desire to get this right which raised the question in this thread in the first place.
Bottom line here, gentlemen, is that we don't know each other and assumptions are being made, perhaps on my part as well, when the truth is we all share a love for this incredible chapter in our countries history.