My guess is that it was a name within a series of names for a variety of blades used in swordmanship: foil, saber,...broadsword.., but I really don't know. This would have been early 1900's, so horses were still in use.
Blumenson is the major biographer of Patton.
Patton understood that war was war, no matter when in history it took place. He understood that you must steamroll your enemy, not negotiate and play nice.
Muttly fences.
Broadswords are those giant, 2-handed things bearing virtually no resemblance to an 18th. century sabre, or any edged weapon used in the last 300-400 years. I don't think the guy knows his a$$ from his elbow, but can write, and has the job.
Also, he omitted my favorite legend...that after our future general stood up in the target pit, he took his own pulse, and was dismayed to find it had risen, and went away troubled. Now THAT is training, from the innermost self...a warrior.
The Patton Sabre is essentially a straightened one. The originals were curved, so that like a butcher shop meat slicer, they could strike a passing, cutting blow from horseback, and not just break in half. He must have realized that the days of horse-mounted cavalry sword work were now outmoded by repeating firearms, and the remaining use for the sword was dismounted combat, which entails more point-work, like the traditional, civilian straight sword --the rapier, or epee. BTW, there never was a "using" foil, it was designed only for, well, I can't say "practice," because it does not re;ate to any real weapon. Using foil techniques with a real sword in a real swordfight can and will get a person killed or maimed. This is why many of us cringe and complain when, especially while watching "Pirate" movies, we are disappointed to see our hero prancing around with his left hand up in the air, limp-wristedly saying..."here I am, slice me off"...which is what would immediately happen in the real world.
The practice Sabre is a thrust and cut weapon, that the Patton Sabre most resembles, and I think is intended to be used the way salon sabre fencing is taught and practiced...dismounted, and face to face. The practice sabre is straight, and great emphasis is placed on covering the strong hand with the bell, since it is assumed an opponent will also be armed with a sword, which may not be the case from a mounted position, while riding past the opposition.
Well....time to get back to actually reading the rest of the article.