Lost and Found

Lost and Found: A U.S. Model 1860 Light Cavalry Saber失而复得:一把美国1860年式轻骑兵刀An article by Sean A. Flynt作者:西恩·A·弗莱恩特译者:GunshepWhen mentioning my interest in historic arms and armour in general company, I often find that people immediately respond with tales of their own experience with these artifacts. At a family gathering in Morris, Alabama, a few years ago, my wife's older cousin, Dennis Swann, responded to my hobby by remarking, "Well, I guess you should inherit our Civil War sword then". Such a comment would be enough to stop any edged weapons enthusiast dead in his tracks, but I live in the deepest part of the Deep South, and the prospect of a rare, provenanced Confederate sword in the family literally took my breath away. As it turned out, the full story was more surprising and only slightly less spectacular than the Confederate sword scenario.当我提及自己对古代军用武器盔甲的兴趣时，我发现，人们经常会立刻告诉我一些关于他们自己和这些古董的故事。

几年前，在阿拉巴马州莫里斯市的一次家庭聚会上，我老婆的堂兄，丹尼斯·史万，回应道：“嘛，我想你真应该继承我家那把内战时期的剑。

”通常，这样的话足以让任何刀剑爱好者打住，但是，我住在美国最南方的最南部，一想到家里有一把稀有的的、有来历的，南军用过的剑，这让我神魂颠倒。

后来我发现，相比于“南军用过的剑”的想象，这把剑真正的故事几乎一样宏伟壮阔，而且更加令人惊奇。

It seems that my wife's great-great grandfather had been hunting in the vicinity of Turkey Creek near Morris (19 miles north of modern Birmingham) in the late 19th century when he found a cavalry saber and scabbard. He passed it down through the generations of my wife's family and it was stored in a closet when I first heard about it. The owner generously passed it on to me and my wife the Christmas after he learned of my intense interest in the piece. At last, I could examine and document the weapon in detail, research its history and give it an honored place in my collection.看起来，我老婆的高曾祖父在19世纪晚期，在莫里斯市（现在的伯明翰市以北19英里）的土耳其溪打猎的时候，发现了一把骑兵刀和其刀鞘。

他把它留给我老婆家，代代相传。

在我听说它的时候，它正躺在一个壁橱里。

刀的主人在听说我对它的兴趣后，于那年圣诞节，慷慨地把他送给了我和我老婆。

终于，我可以仔细检查这件武器，加以记录，探索它的历史，并在我的收藏中给其一席之地。

This weapon is an enlisted men's pattern U.S. Model 1860 Light Cavalry Saber, made by the former scythe-manufacturing firm of Mansfield & Lamb of Forestdale, Rhode Island. It is in remarkable condition, no doubt owing to the fact that it was recovered within a decade or two of being lost.这件武器是把现役士兵式样的美国1860年式轻骑兵刀。

由罗德岛，佛特斯代尔的曼菲尔德&羊羔公司制造，这家公司以前是做镰刀的。

它的状况很好，这无疑是因为它在遗失后一二十年内就被发现了的缘故。

The brass hilt, like the rest of the weapon, is in untouched condition and is surprisingly tight, with only a slight wobble. The rear quillon is bent at a 45-degree angle toward the pommel but is otherwise undamaged. The spirally fluted wooden grip is in excellent condition, with a dark,glossy shine, but lacks its original leather wrap and wire binding (although slight traces of both survive).铜制刀柄，正如刀的其他部分，完好无损，并且非常紧，只有一点点头。

十字形护手的后部以四十五度向刀柄末端弯曲，但此外完好无损。

刻着螺旋凹槽的木柄状况极好，闪烁着黑暗的柔光，只是缺少了原来包裹的皮子和捆绑的线（虽然两者的痕迹依稀可辨）。

The iron scabbard has a rich, dark brown patina with light pitting overall. Its suspension rings are intact and the scabbard's only visible damage—two small dents on the outside face of at the distal end—may in fact be intentional and contemporary with its working life. Similar dents are often found on combat sabers and it is commonly believed that cavalrymen made the dents to prevent the blade from rattling in the scabbard. I am especially intrigued by the raised rim at the mouth of the scabbard, which is made as a separate piece and includes a simple internal leaf-spring mechanism to help retain the weapon. This device works perfectly, but the sound of metal scraping against metal when drawing the saber is enough to chill the blood of any collector of antique edged weapons.铁质的刀鞘有一层柔和的暗褐色的光泽，总体上有点锈蚀。

挂环很完整。

整个刀鞘上唯一可见的损伤——靠近末端部分外面的两个凹陷——可能是故意留上去的，伴随了这把刀的一生。

类似的凹陷经常在军刀上发现，通常认为，骑兵敲出这些凹陷，以免刀刃在鞘中晃动。

我对鞘口的凸缘特别感兴趣。

它是单独制作的，内有一个简单的簧片机构，以固定武器。

这个机构用起来很顺畅。

就是有一点，拔刀时金属磨擦的声音足以吓坏任何古董刀剑收藏者。

The blade has a smooth grey patina overall and one very small nick in its edge, but is otherwise pristine. The edge is not particularly sharp but the point is acute and quite deadly looking. A small remnant of the original leather washer remains between the ricasso and guard at the back of the blade. The inside of the ricasso bears the manufacturer's name and city. The outside of the ricasso is marked U.S., C.E.W. (For Charles E. Wilson, the inspector who accepted the saber for the federal government) and 1864.刀身笼罩着一层滑溜的灰色光泽，在刀刃上有个小崩口，但此外看上去很古朴。

刀刃不是很锋利，但刀尖很锐利，看上去很致命。

刀背上，在刀背后部和护手之间有一小块原装皮质擦刀布的残留。

刀背后部的内侧有制作者的名字和城市。