Non-commissioned officers carried the spontoon as a symbol of their mace, in order to issue battlefield commands to their men . ( Commissioned officers carried and commanded with swords, although some British Army officers used spontoons at the Battle of Culloden . ).
12.
This is the only musical unit of the US armed forces in which its drum major, wearing a classic 18th century infantry cap and carrying a spontoon, the honor badge and weapon of 18th century senior non-commissioned officers, salutes using the left hand.
13.
At the Battle of Culloden in 1746, Lord Kerr's younger brother, Lord Robert Kerr, who was captain of the grenadiers in Barrel's regiment, received the first charging Cameron on the point of his Spontoon, but a second cut him through the head to chin.
14.
Today, a spontoon ( or espontoon, as it is referred to in the manual of arms ) is carried by the drum major of the U . S . Army's Fife and Drum Corps, a ceremonial unit of the 3rd US Infantry Regiment ( The Old Guard ).
