Weapons

Saber

Cavalry, officers and boarding actions.

Saber
Cavalry saber, officer's saber and boarding cutlass. Reference model.
Blade
Curved for the cavalry; straight or slightly curved for officers ◊
Length
Close to 1 m ◊
Origin
Imported from Europe and captured from the enemy
Users
Cavalry of all four armies, officers and shipborne troops

It was the edged weapon of the cavalry and the distinctive sword of officers. At Riachuelo, the Paraguayan infantry on board tried to take the Brazilian ships by boarding, and there was saber fighting on the deck of the Parnaíba; the Brazilian sailor Marcílio Dias died there.

‡ Disputed.That Marcílio Dias died fighting four Paraguayans is Brazilian naval tradition; academic sources confirm his death, not the detail.

Sources: Álvaro Pereira do Nascimento, Navigator (Marinha do Brasil, 2020); George Thompson, The War in Paraguay, p. 47.

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