Can anyone authenticate this photo? Notice the Patton Sword!!!

[Retired Army Noncom]

 

After the adoption of the U.S. Model of 1903 rifle, the U.S. Cavalry, like these troopers in Mexico in 1916, had to give up their short-barreled carbines. They tried the 20"-barreled cavalry carbine concept out again in 1921—but it never went beyond the prototype phase

[Dragoon]

Taken of the the 13th cavalry in Columbus just the raid, M1912 saddles and service saber carriers.

[Marshallj]

[Retired Army Noncom]

29 minutes ago, Dragoon said:

Taken of the the 13th cavalry in Columbus just the raid, M1912 saddles and service saber carriers.

Thanks Dragoon. Taken this side of the border then? So much controversy about M1906 and M-1913 being 'INTO' Mexico. Last I read was all those Cav units arriving on the border for excursions into Mexico to hunt for Poncho had all the M1913s packed and shipped back to their home base. If that is so, the 13th who was already on the border didn't take them either. But, didn't the 13th pursue the attackers within hours of the raid?

[SocMilHorse]

I believe these were shot by famed El Paso photographer Walter H. Horne.  One of a couple photographers that accompanied US forces to some degree or other - Horne had a voluminous series that sold well.  
 

There used to be a couple places online where you could see the entire collection. 

[Dragoon]

 

Just to add these are members of the 13th cavalry band, their names from left to right are: Hines, Gorman, Achenback and Herbert.

 

 

 

[Dragoon]

The carrying of sabre is not clear cut, some were carried into Mexico some were not and some were discarded at the earliest opportunity. For example Sgt Klohr of the 7th who was an expert swordsman had come to the conclusion like other troopers that they would only require their rifles and pistols and that the loss of the sabre could be accounted for during an engagement with the enemy, on hearing about a 45 miles march (during the Expedition) troopers started lightening their loads, discarding slickers, picket pins and sabres, he writes "We looked around us in the breaking daylight and the long straight French sabers were stuck in the ground and abandoned". This is reinforced by a comment from an officer at the time writing in the Cavalry Journal "Sabre, many of the troopers discarded theirs as soon as they crossed the line". Another soldier attached to the 13th simply writes "some troops took their sabres with them, others did not". Lt Lininger an officer with the 13th claimed that his sabre travelled the furthest into Mexico, he was a believer in the sabre and wrote, "how was I to know whether my Colt automatic would fail me at some critical moment and my bare hands be my only defence against a Villa bandit, I felt more at ease with a sabre in one of them"

[Retired Army Noncom]

3 hours ago, Dragoon said:

The carrying of sabre is not clear cut, some were carried into Mexico some were not and some were discarded at the earliest opportunity. For example Sgt Klohr of the 7th who was an expert swordsman had come to the conclusion like other troopers that they would only require their rifles and pistols and that the loss of the sabre could be accounted for during an engagement with the enemy, on hearing about a 45 miles march (during the Expedition) troopers started lightening their loads, discarding slickers, picket pins and sabres, he writes "We looked around us in the breaking daylight and the long straight French sabers were stuck in the ground and abandoned". This is reinforced by a comment from an officer at the time writing in the Cavalry Journal "Sabre, many of the troopers discarded theirs as soon as they crossed the line". Another soldier attached to the 13th simply writes "some troops took their sabres with them, others did not". Lt Lininger an officer with the 13th claimed that his sabre travelled the furthest into Mexico, he was a believer in the sabre and wrote, "how was I to know whether my Colt automatic would fail me at some critical moment and my bare hands be my only defence against a Villa bandit, I felt more at ease with a sabre in one of them"

Thanks again Dragoon, that's some great first hand account information. Best information to have...IMO. That and photographs.