Schola Gladiatoria has a sideline in studying 18th and 19thC sources, varying from British backsword/broadsword treatises of the 18thC to sabre and bayonet manuals of the 19thC.  This is really an individual thing and not formally taught at Schola, though we do frequently have casual free-fencing/sparring sessions of sabre/backsword.

We hope that you may find the pages below interesting and useful.

Some historical nuggets

On 15 November 1712, at 7 o'clock in the morning in Hyde Park, Charles Lord Mohun and the Duke of Hamilton met to duel with smallswords, over the matter of some property in Cheshire. "Jonathan Swift, the celebrated author of Gulliver's Travels', says in a letter to an acquaintance: "The Lord Mohun died on the spot, but while the Duke was over him Mohun shortened his sword and stabbed him in the shoulder to the heart." The Duke died nearby on the grass. An autopsy revealed that the Duke had been wounded in four places and Lord Mohun in three. The hands of both were badly cut where each had grasped the other's blade. They simply stabbed each other until they died." (Taken from 'Swords & Hilt Weapons', Anthony North, MMB 1993 London, p70)

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The following occurred during the 'Corunna' campaign under Moore in 1808 and is taken from personal accounts:

"Two sharp-sighted men, private soldiers of the 43rd, John Walton and Richard Jackson, were posted on high ground near the bridge with orders that on the approach of the enemy one man should stand firing while the other ran back to give warning of their numbers. It was difficult to see clearly through the torrential rain and the French cavalry were close upon them and had already captured some women and baggage cars before the two men saw their danger. Jackson stood up and ran for all he was worth to give the alarm, turning to fire when he heard the galloping hooves behind him. He received twelve or fourteen cuts from the slashing sabres of the French Hussars; but he crawled away and escaped to warn his regiment while Walton stood his ground, firing his musket while he could and lunging with his bayonet when the riders were on top of him. He wounded several of them and the rest retired, leaving him unhurt although his knapsack, belt and musket were cut in about twenty places and his bayonet, dripping blood into the churned-up earth at his feet, was bent double and notched like a saw."

Christopher Hibbert, 'Corunna', 1967, p101.

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An interesting news article of 1918 talking about black soldiers and their bayonet fighting (highlighted by the AHFAA site).

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This page was written by Matt Easton - Last update: 25/05/2005

Contact: schola-gladiatoria@hotmail.co.uk