Swords in the Civil War

• The sword was the last line of defense for a Civil War soldier Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images

  The rifle was the Civil War soldier's primary weapon, but because they were slow to reload and clumsy to use in close quarters, soldiers also had to depend on their sword. It was a nod to an age of warfare that was fast slipping away, but swords still served as a soldier's last line of defense.

Foot Soldier

• The common sword had a 33-inch slightly curved blade. The hand guard and pommel were made of brass and some had a highly ornate design. The blade itself was polished steel and was accompanied by a blued steel scabbard for ceremonial wear. Blued steel helps prevent rusting and oxidation. The name comes from the bluish-black color of the finished steel .

Field Officer

• The field officer's sword was based on French designs and had a 36-inch curved blade. The grip was either wrapped in leather or shark skin and brass wire. The sword also had a leaf-shaped hand guard that also protected the knuckles by extending to the pommel.

Artillery Officer

• The artillery officer's sabre was more decorative than functional as the artillery units were distant enough from the enemy that hand-to-hand combat was rarely expected. The steel sabre had a blade length of 32 inches and was accompanied by a leather scabbard.

Calvary Sabre

• A calvary sabre had to be the most durable and lethal of all because they were frequently used in mounted combat. The 34-inch blade was slightly straighter than an artillery officer's weapon and was accompanied by a polished steel scabbard. Some units had a 42-inch version at the start of the war but those proved too cumbersome to carry and wield.

Naval Cutlass

• The Naval Cutlass was much shorter than the others and had a straight blade. The cutlass was equipped with a ladle-style hand guard called a "Cuillere a pot." The Cutlass was short and heavy, making it a bludgeoning sword as opposed to a slicing blade. The weight and short length made the Cutlass a dependable weapon during boarding raids or other close-quarters encounters.

NCO (Non-Commissioned Officer)

• The non-commissioned officer's sword had a straight, flat single-edged blade. The scabbards were made of leather instead of polished steel. The sword had a round plate hand guard that extended down to the pommel.