nline Library - 19th century

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Author, Year, "Title" - Source Citation - Description

Col. Thomas Stephens, 1843, "Broad and Small Sword Exercises" - PDF file (190MB) courtesy of Mike Mercier, Nebraska Swordfighters Guild
		Dedicated to the Military of the United States, 1843. - Col. Stevens having improved and perfected the techniques of the sword, through observation, research and practice of the use of every "species" of modern weapons employed in the various schools of European military service. His desire was to create a uniform system of exercises for the American military personnel as well as any American citizen. The techniques described include fencing on foot and mounted on horseback, and a portion of the manuscript describes fighting using a carbine and pistol on horseback. His instructions touches upon the sense of time which may have been sourced from the works of George Silver although, specific sources of the details described in this manuscript are not revealed. A chapter devoted to "post practice" which describe a number of pells designed specifically to train fencing wtih sabre on horseback for "recruits". Beautifully illustrated, a worthwhile read and examination by any sword ethusiast, in particular, the interesting testimonials located at the end of the manuscript. - released November 9, 2006 <== click icon to log into the library to access Broad and Small Sword Exercises
Major Ben C. Truman, 1884, "The Field of Honor - Being a Complete & Comprehensive History of Dueling in All Countries" - PDF file (82MB) courtesy of Stephanie Zimmerman, Academia della Spada
		New York: Fords, Howard & Hulbert, 1884. - Truman begins with a discussion on the history of dueling, citing early examples including David and Goliath. According to Truman, the general practice of dueling for settling affairs of honor may have commenced in the year 1527, at the breaking up of a treaty between Emperor Charles V and King Francis I. He goes on to describing the situation of the duels occurring in the United States in the 1850's. The book covers dueling in France, England, Ireland and Scotland, Germany and America. There is a chapter entirely devoted to the same for Indians (as they are referred to in the book), Mexicans and the Japanese. He also discussed various modes of fighting such as dueling in the dark, and then reviews a number of noted European and North American duels. - released October 28, 2005 <== click icon to log into the library to access The Field of Honor
Hergsell, Gustav, 1887, "Talhoffers Fechtbuch aus dem jahre 1467" - Universitätsbibliothek Augsburg
		Prague, J.G.Calve & Unversitats-Buchhandlung , 1887. - A 19th-century Viennese fencing master, Gustav Hergsell edited, translated, and self-published the manuscript initially in 1887 followed by later re-publications in 1889 and 1901. His transcriptions and translation of the original treatise was not with vocal criticism. Hergsell transcribed only portions into modern German, leaving the rest as it were and really didn't regard it as being problematic. - restricted access to AEMMA internally only (December 08, 2001) - public domain release pending.
Wassmannsdorff, Dr. Karl, 1888, "Aufschlsse ber Fechthandschriften und gedrudkte Fechtbcher...G.Hergsell: 'Aufschlsse ber Fechthandschriften..." - Universitätsbibliothek Augsburg
		Gaertners Berlagsbuchhandlung. Berlin, 1888. - A 19th-century fencing historian Dr. Karl Wassmannsdorff had found so much wrong with Hergsell's publication that he devoted an entire book to Hergsell's philological misdeeds. - restricted access to AEMMA internally only (December 08, 2001) - public domain release pending.
Hergsell, Gustav, 1889, "Talhoffers Fechtbuch (Gothaer Codex) aus dem Jahre 1443" - Universitätsbibliothek Augsburg
		Prague, Selbstverlag, 1889. - A 19th-century Viennese fencing master, Gustav Hergsell edited and translated Talhoffer's 1443 fechtbuch in 1889. This and his other transcriptions and translation of the original treatise was not with vocal criticism. Hergsell's book also provides an indication of his position with respect to duels that tried to discourage "first blood" duels preferring instead the principles of dueling was until one of the participants was incapacitated. Click on the icon Escrime Ancienne for another online presentation of Livre D'Escrime de Talhoffer (Codex de Gotha) De L'an 1443. Click on the lion saliant shield for an available English translation of this Hergsell's manuscript. - restricted access to AEMMA internally only (December 08, 2001) - public domain release pending.
Hergsell, Gustav, 1889, "Talhoffers Fechtbuch (Ambraser Codex) aus dem jahre 1459" - Universitätsbibliothek Augsburg
		Prague, Selbstverlag, 1889. - A 19th-century Viennese fencing master, Gustav Hergsell edited and translated Talhoffer's 1459 fechtbuch in 1889. This and his other transcriptions and translation of the original treatise was not with vocal criticism. Click on the lion saliant shield for an available English translation of this Hergsell's manuscript. - restricted access to AEMMA internally only (December 11, 2001) - public domain release pending.
Alfred Hutton, 1889, "Cold Steel, A Practical Treatise on the Sabre" - courtesy of Peter Valentine
		London: Willam Clowes & Sons, Limited, 13, Charing Cross, 1889. - Hutton's "Cold Steel: A Practical Treatise on the Sabre" is based on the old English backsword play of the 18th century and is combined with the method of the "then" modern Italian school. This manuscript also includes other weapons including the short sword-bayonet, the constable's truncheon, and knife techniques (based on Marozzo's earlier works). With respect to the sabre, discussion surrounds the guards, moulinet, cuts, points, timing and distance, all aspects of swordplay regardless of whether longsword or sabre. - released October 29, 1999 <== click icon to log into the library to access Cold Steel, A Practical Treatise on the Sabre
Alfred Hutton, 1892, "Old Sword-Play" - courtesy of Peter Valentine
		London: H. Grevel & Co., New York: B. Westermann & Co., 1892. - Hutton was part of a triad of great Victorian scholars of the sword, the other two being Sir Richard Burton and Egerton Castle. As a Victorian, Hutton partakes of all the limitations of his school. He completely discounts all swordsmanship before the 16th century. He takes a progressive view of swordsmanship, which presumes evolution towards greater and greater "perfection", although he does not show this nearly as heavily as do Burton or Castle. He also is very prone to extending the techniques of his own time and school into the past, whether or not it was appropriate. However, taking these limitations into account, the following work is an adequate introduction to the techniques of swordplay of the 16th through 18th centuries--provided the student goes on beyond Hutton. (More HTML based information is available at Classical Fencing on behalf of Adam Adrian Crown, Maitre d'Armes) - released October 18, 1999 <== click icon to log into the library to access Old Sword-Play
Schmied-Kowarzik, Jolef & Kufahl, Hans, 1894, "Fechtbuchlein" - courtesy of David M. Cvet
		Leipzig, Drud und Berlad von Bhilipp Reclam jun, 1894. - A 19th-century fencing booklet, containing 268 pages of text and illustrations depicting sabre fencing methods with illustrations extracted from Joachim Meyer's 1570 publication entitled "Gründtliche Beschreibung". The booklet also covers rapier, longsword, dussack and dagger. The booklet also covers the rules as defined by the fechtschule in the 15th century and gets into some details and history of the Marxbrüder and Federfechter organizations, with details dating back to 1487. - released July 22, 2003 <== click icon to log into the library to access Fechtbuchlein

1. fechtbuch n German word for "fight book".
2. WMA = Western Martial Arts.
3. The AEMMA shield visible in some of the entries above indicates a resource that has restricted access to AEMMA internal only for research and study, and is not available for viewing in the public domain. This is due to the fact that permission to release the material into the public domain from the source was not granted.
4. Some of the online manuscripts have an audio component indicated by the speaker icon situated next to the country flag on the library listings.